Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick (Review by Katherine Burk)

4 stars

Find Me in Havana is a great read that is perfect for anyone who loves Taylor Jenkins Reid’s, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. If you are a historical fiction fan that loves the glamour of the ’50s and ‘60s you will love how Serena Burdick brings the era to life. If any of this sounds good to you, you might as well just stop reading right here and run to your favourite bookstore. Find Me in Havana does not disappoint and brings to life the glamour of a movie star while detailing her complicated past and turbulent present.

The story follows Estelita Rodriguez and her daughter Nina Lopez through challenging times and dangerous situations. Estelita and Nina are real people, and the story is based on their lives as Nina attempts to gain closure after Estelita’s sudden death. Written in the perspectives of both characters, this book touches on the things in life we find too hard to say yet wish we could. Throughout the story, you can always feel the immense love the characters had for each other. Love is everything for the women in the story but love is also not always enough.

Estelita consistently fails her daughter and seems to make mistakes over and over again. In many ways a broken woman herself, she often lacks the ability to put motherhood and the needs of her child over her career and social life. Though Nina is fiercely loyal to her mother, she is often left to feel like an afterthought and even a burden to her mother. This leads to many challenges for Nina as she grows into a young woman.

I loved how this story came together and although the ending can’t be classified as a happy one, I felt it was meaningful and true to who the characters were. I truly enjoyed reading Find Me in Havana and give it 4/5 stars for its beautiful style and complex characters.