genre: historical fiction
This book is a blending of three storylines. In the present day we have Margo who has been hired to find a rare book for a client. In the 1960s, we have the Cuban librarian Pilar, struggling to live in post-revolution Cuba where any hint of anti-Fidel sentiment is swiftly dealt with. And in the 1900s, we meet Eva, the author of the rare book Margo is trying to find.
I didn't find the moving between three time periods to be frustrating, I enjoyed it. Each story is different enough that it's easy to track and all of these women find themselves making tough choices and living with the consequences. I always like to learn about Cuba and the Diaspora, and this novel does a good job of helping us have compassion for the hardships of this country and its people. I didn't love the writing, sorry to say. It often felt cliche and just never really surprised me - I could practically guess the dialogue. What I did enjoy is it's homage to the written word and how important stories are when the human experience can be so deeply painful. It's not a bad book at all, it just doesn't stand out to me literarily.
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