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La Habana Perdida
Un thriller en gran parte ambientado en Cuba, que se extiende por tres generaciones de la misma familia
En vísperas de la Revolución Cubana, la testaruda Francesca Pacelli, de 18 años de edad, huye de su despiadado padre, un Jefe de la Mafia en La Habana, a los brazos de su amante, un rebelde que lucha con Fidel Castro. Su padre, desesperado por enviarla a la seguridad en los Estados Unidos, recurre a la tortura y al chantaje para buscarla en la isla.
Así comienza la primera parte de una saga fascinante que abarca tres generaciones de la misma familia. Décadas después, la promesa de riquezas incalculables seduce a la familia Pacelli a regresar a Cuba. Pero al rastrear esas riquezas conlleva tanto peligro como oportunidad, y en última instancia, Francesca debe enfrentar las letales consecuencias de sus decisiones. Desde las conflictivas calles de La Habana a las peligrosas calles de Chicago, LA HABANA PERDIDA revela el verdadero costo de perseguir el poder en lugar del amor.
LA HABANA PERDIDA es la décima novela de la autora galardonada Libby Fischer Hellmann y el tercer thriller que explora cómo la lucha y la revolución afectan el espíritu humano. LA HABANA PERDIDA es un testimonio de la habilidad de Hellmann para retratar los auténticos detalles históricos, así como su talento para escribir novelas de suspenso que llevan a la lectura compulsiva.
En vísperas de la Revolución Cubana, la testaruda Francesca Pacelli, de 18 años de edad, huye de su despiadado padre, un Jefe de la Mafia en La Habana, a los brazos de su amante, un rebelde que lucha con Fidel Castro. Su padre, desesperado por enviarla a la seguridad en los Estados Unidos, recurre a la tortura y al chantaje para buscarla en la isla.
Así comienza la primera parte de una saga fascinante que abarca tres generaciones de la misma familia. Décadas después, la promesa de riquezas incalculables seduce a la familia Pacelli a regresar a Cuba. Pero al rastrear esas riquezas conlleva tanto peligro como oportunidad, y en última instancia, Francesca debe enfrentar las letales consecuencias de sus decisiones. Desde las conflictivas calles de La Habana a las peligrosas calles de Chicago, LA HABANA PERDIDA revela el verdadero costo de perseguir el poder en lugar del amor.
LA HABANA PERDIDA es la décima novela de la autora galardonada Libby Fischer Hellmann y el tercer thriller que explora cómo la lucha y la revolución afectan el espíritu humano. LA HABANA PERDIDA es un testimonio de la habilidad de Hellmann para retratar los auténticos detalles históricos, así como su talento para escribir novelas de suspenso que llevan a la lectura compulsiva.
415 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
439 people are currently reading
891 people want to read
About the author
Libby Fischer Hellmann
79 books970 followersLibby Fischer Hellmann left a career in broadcast news in Washington, DC and moved to Chicago a long time ago, where she, naturally, began to write gritty crime fiction. She soon began writing historical fiction as well. Eighteen novels and twenty-five short stories later, she claims they’ll take her out of the Windy City feet first. She has been nominated for many awards in the mystery writing community and has even won a few. Her newest work is MAX'S WAR, her 6th historical saga. MAX, set before and during WW2, It will be released in April, 2024.
Libby began her career as an assistant film editor for NBC News in New York before moving back to DC to work with Robin McNeil and Jim Lehrer at N-PACT, the public affairs production arm of PBS. Retrained as an assistant director when Watergate broke, Libby helped produce PBS’s night-time broadcast of the hearings. She went on to work for public relations firm Burson-Marsteller in Chicago in 1978, where she stayed until she left to found Fischer Hellmann Communications in 1985.
Originally from Washington, D.C.—where, she says, “When you’re sitting around the dinner table gossiping about the neighbors, you’re talking politics”—Libby earned a Masters Degree in Film Production from New York University and a BA in History from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to writing, Libby writes and produces videos, and conducts speaker training programs in platform speaking, presentation skills, media training and crisis communications.
Libby’s best-selling novels have won widespread acclaim since her first novel, AN EYE FOR MURDER, which was nominated for several awards and described by Publisher’s Weekly as “a masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense”.
Libby is known for her portrayal of strong female characters. EYE introduced Ellie Foreman, a video producer and single mother who went on to star in five more novels in a series described by Libby as “a cross between Desperate Housewives and 24.”
Libby’s second series, also six novels now, follows Chicago PI Georgia Davis, a no-nonsense hard-boiled detective operating in the Northern suburbs and beyond.
In addition to her popular series, Libby has also written five standalone thrillers in diverse settings and historical periods that demonstrate her versatility as a writer. Readers will meet young activists during the late Sixties, a young American woman who marries and moves to Tehran, three women forced to make dire choices during WW2, and a female Mafia boss who chases power at the expense of love. And in A BEND IN THE RIVER, she takes a break from her thrillers to write an award-winning novel of two Vietnamese sisters trying to survive the Vietnam war. MAX is the upcoming 6th addition to the loosely-linked series she calls her "Revolution Sagas."
Libby began her career as an assistant film editor for NBC News in New York before moving back to DC to work with Robin McNeil and Jim Lehrer at N-PACT, the public affairs production arm of PBS. Retrained as an assistant director when Watergate broke, Libby helped produce PBS’s night-time broadcast of the hearings. She went on to work for public relations firm Burson-Marsteller in Chicago in 1978, where she stayed until she left to found Fischer Hellmann Communications in 1985.
Originally from Washington, D.C.—where, she says, “When you’re sitting around the dinner table gossiping about the neighbors, you’re talking politics”—Libby earned a Masters Degree in Film Production from New York University and a BA in History from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to writing, Libby writes and produces videos, and conducts speaker training programs in platform speaking, presentation skills, media training and crisis communications.
Libby’s best-selling novels have won widespread acclaim since her first novel, AN EYE FOR MURDER, which was nominated for several awards and described by Publisher’s Weekly as “a masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense”.
Libby is known for her portrayal of strong female characters. EYE introduced Ellie Foreman, a video producer and single mother who went on to star in five more novels in a series described by Libby as “a cross between Desperate Housewives and 24.”
Libby’s second series, also six novels now, follows Chicago PI Georgia Davis, a no-nonsense hard-boiled detective operating in the Northern suburbs and beyond.
In addition to her popular series, Libby has also written five standalone thrillers in diverse settings and historical periods that demonstrate her versatility as a writer. Readers will meet young activists during the late Sixties, a young American woman who marries and moves to Tehran, three women forced to make dire choices during WW2, and a female Mafia boss who chases power at the expense of love. And in A BEND IN THE RIVER, she takes a break from her thrillers to write an award-winning novel of two Vietnamese sisters trying to survive the Vietnam war. MAX is the upcoming 6th addition to the loosely-linked series she calls her "Revolution Sagas."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
January 16, 2016
Cuba with all it's beauty and tragedy is the backdrop for this family saga. Beginning with the last days of the Batista regime and continuing through Castro's rule to 2008, the Pacelli family lives through multiple tragedies.These tragedies are exclusively due to the desire to acquire and control power and people.
Ms. Hellman has a talent for engaging her reader in family and historical drama. While I did not enjoy Cuba as well as I enjoyed Iran in A Bitter Veil, I came away educated and entertained. And that is what a good story does. Mission accomplished.
Ms. Hellman has a talent for engaging her reader in family and historical drama. While I did not enjoy Cuba as well as I enjoyed Iran in A Bitter Veil, I came away educated and entertained. And that is what a good story does. Mission accomplished.
October 31, 2013
3.5***
The book opens in 1958. Francesca (Frankie) Pacelli is the pampered 17-year-old daughter of Tony Pacelli, a mobster who operates a large, luxurious casino resort in Havana under the protection of Meyer Lansky. Increased unrest escalates from posters and demonstrations to bombings, and Frankie’s parents decide to send her back home to Chicago. But unbeknownst to her parents, Frankie has been seeing a local boy and she runs away to be with him. Her impetuous bid for freedom will have long-term repercussions for generations to come.
Hellmann writes good thrillers. Her pacing is quick, she moves seamlessly from scene to scene, building suspense and keeping the reader turning pages. Hellmann also has proven that she does her research when using an historical setting. The pre-revolution Havana comes to life in all its tropical splendor and vibrancy; the post-revolution 1989 Havana is treated just as well, giving the reader a true sense of the poverty and decline that resulted from lack of investment in maintaining an infrastructure and capitalistic economy. Details of daily life – the foods, smells, colors, weather, sights – all add richness to the text and help to put the reader squarely in the midst of the story.
The difficulty I had with the novel was the way in which most of the characters were portrayed. The story covered three generations in three countries (on two continents) in only 300 pages. To fully flesh out this many characters would have taken a much longer book, so Hellmann chose to “tell rather than show.” To be honest this was mostly a problem in the last third of the book. I was completely engaged and interested in parts one and two, but the turns the plot took in the last 60-80 pages seemed unnecessarily complicated and rushed. Like the character tossed blindfolded into the back of the SUV (or was it the trunk?), I could tell by the way it careened around corners and wound its way through many streets that a big confrontation (certainly involving gunfire) was coming, but I couldn’t tell exactly what was happening. And like the character, I was glad it when it was over, but I wasn’t sure exactly what had happened or that it really was over. Might another generation of the Pacelli family appear in a future book?
It’s a good thriller, but with a little more work it might’ve been great.
The book opens in 1958. Francesca (Frankie) Pacelli is the pampered 17-year-old daughter of Tony Pacelli, a mobster who operates a large, luxurious casino resort in Havana under the protection of Meyer Lansky. Increased unrest escalates from posters and demonstrations to bombings, and Frankie’s parents decide to send her back home to Chicago. But unbeknownst to her parents, Frankie has been seeing a local boy and she runs away to be with him. Her impetuous bid for freedom will have long-term repercussions for generations to come.
Hellmann writes good thrillers. Her pacing is quick, she moves seamlessly from scene to scene, building suspense and keeping the reader turning pages. Hellmann also has proven that she does her research when using an historical setting. The pre-revolution Havana comes to life in all its tropical splendor and vibrancy; the post-revolution 1989 Havana is treated just as well, giving the reader a true sense of the poverty and decline that resulted from lack of investment in maintaining an infrastructure and capitalistic economy. Details of daily life – the foods, smells, colors, weather, sights – all add richness to the text and help to put the reader squarely in the midst of the story.
The difficulty I had with the novel was the way in which most of the characters were portrayed. The story covered three generations in three countries (on two continents) in only 300 pages. To fully flesh out this many characters would have taken a much longer book, so Hellmann chose to “tell rather than show.” To be honest this was mostly a problem in the last third of the book. I was completely engaged and interested in parts one and two, but the turns the plot took in the last 60-80 pages seemed unnecessarily complicated and rushed. Like the character tossed blindfolded into the back of the SUV (or was it the trunk?), I could tell by the way it careened around corners and wound its way through many streets that a big confrontation (certainly involving gunfire) was coming, but I couldn’t tell exactly what was happening. And like the character, I was glad it when it was over, but I wasn’t sure exactly what had happened or that it really was over. Might another generation of the Pacelli family appear in a future book?
It’s a good thriller, but with a little more work it might’ve been great.
July 16, 2013
It is Monday afternoon and I am on vacation. In fact, I’m at the beach and have only been here since Saturday afternoon! Libby Fisher Hellmann gave me a copy of her new novel, HAVANA LOST, to read and review so I brought it along. I thought possibly I could spend a little time here and there this week, lost in HAVANA LOST. I just finished reading the whole thing!
Once I began reading this book, I could NOT put it down. I mostly read the book on my iPad, but when the battery began to fail, I picked up my phone to continue reading as I charged the iPad’s battery. I could not put the book down! I continued my eReading game of tag because I simply could not put the book down.
I am disappointed as I still have 5 more days at the beach and am left with a dried and curled old Agatha Christie paperback. I did not want HAVANA LOST to end!
HAVANA LOST begins as the story of the headstrong 18-year old Francesca Pacelli, daughter of a connected American casino owner in old Havana, Cuba, at the end of the 1950’s. Francesca runs away with her lover, a freedom fighter with Fidel Castro as her father turns the island upside down trying to find her and send her to safety in the US. The story follows three generations of the Pacelli family, from the troubled streets of revolutionary Havana to the present as the past catches up in Chicago.
Ms. Hellmann paints a vivid and colorful picture of Cuba as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara fight the corruption of Batista as well as the post Soviet Union Cuba of abject poverty and a failed ideal.
Be prepared. Once you begin reading this book, you WILL NOT be able to put it down until you turn the last page. And you’ll turn that last page with reluctance because it will mean the end of a riveting story.
Once I began reading this book, I could NOT put it down. I mostly read the book on my iPad, but when the battery began to fail, I picked up my phone to continue reading as I charged the iPad’s battery. I could not put the book down! I continued my eReading game of tag because I simply could not put the book down.
I am disappointed as I still have 5 more days at the beach and am left with a dried and curled old Agatha Christie paperback. I did not want HAVANA LOST to end!
HAVANA LOST begins as the story of the headstrong 18-year old Francesca Pacelli, daughter of a connected American casino owner in old Havana, Cuba, at the end of the 1950’s. Francesca runs away with her lover, a freedom fighter with Fidel Castro as her father turns the island upside down trying to find her and send her to safety in the US. The story follows three generations of the Pacelli family, from the troubled streets of revolutionary Havana to the present as the past catches up in Chicago.
Ms. Hellmann paints a vivid and colorful picture of Cuba as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara fight the corruption of Batista as well as the post Soviet Union Cuba of abject poverty and a failed ideal.
Be prepared. Once you begin reading this book, you WILL NOT be able to put it down until you turn the last page. And you’ll turn that last page with reluctance because it will mean the end of a riveting story.
August 1, 2013
This book had all the elements I hoped to find in a summer read: interesting historical context, great sun-drenched location, and multi-generational family intrigue. While it delivered on the location and the history, I didn't feel a connection with the characters or the writing itself.
There are many other reviews that summarize the plot, so I won't re-state the obvious. All of those reviews are glowing, which makes me wonder if I totally missed something with this book. Still, I had trouble each time I sat down with it, so I'm going with my gut here.
The characters felt stereotypical to me. Francesca seemed like the typical rich man's spoiled daughter. Sure, she dreams of having a life of her own, but in the crucial opening chapters, we don't see her doing anything except shopping and chasing men. By the time she grows up a little, it's too late...I've already started to dislike her. I didn't see enough there early on to make me care about her.
Her mother, father, and Luis also felt stereotypical to me. I knew what they were going to say and do because I'd read and/or seen this kind of storyline before. The whole first part of the novel failed to grab me and make me care about the characters, so the events that followed didn't resonate with me, either. I did like the change of setting and scenery to Uganda and then to Chicago and Miami, but I wasn't invested in the characters, so it couldn't hook me back in.
The writing didn't engage me, either. Large parts of the story seemed to be "told" instead of "shown." There was a lot of rushed explanation and glossing over of events to cover large blocks of time. I get that this is likely to happen when you're covering so much time and so many characters, but I would have liked to see the author slow down and focus on scenes instead of summaries.
There was some weird phrasing, too, things that really took me out of the moment. For example, "Ramon felt his eyes narrow." Why not just say he narrowed his eyes? Or, "Aloud he said, 'You’ll have to take it off.'" How else would he say this but aloud? I know these things are really picky, but they shook me out of the moment one too many times.
Again, most of the other reviews for this book are overwhelmingly positive. I'm glad so many others found lots to like in the book. It's an intriguing setting and a promising premise. I just couldn't get there.
I received an Advance Reader Copy in return for an honest review.
There are many other reviews that summarize the plot, so I won't re-state the obvious. All of those reviews are glowing, which makes me wonder if I totally missed something with this book. Still, I had trouble each time I sat down with it, so I'm going with my gut here.
The characters felt stereotypical to me. Francesca seemed like the typical rich man's spoiled daughter. Sure, she dreams of having a life of her own, but in the crucial opening chapters, we don't see her doing anything except shopping and chasing men. By the time she grows up a little, it's too late...I've already started to dislike her. I didn't see enough there early on to make me care about her.
Her mother, father, and Luis also felt stereotypical to me. I knew what they were going to say and do because I'd read and/or seen this kind of storyline before. The whole first part of the novel failed to grab me and make me care about the characters, so the events that followed didn't resonate with me, either. I did like the change of setting and scenery to Uganda and then to Chicago and Miami, but I wasn't invested in the characters, so it couldn't hook me back in.
The writing didn't engage me, either. Large parts of the story seemed to be "told" instead of "shown." There was a lot of rushed explanation and glossing over of events to cover large blocks of time. I get that this is likely to happen when you're covering so much time and so many characters, but I would have liked to see the author slow down and focus on scenes instead of summaries.
There was some weird phrasing, too, things that really took me out of the moment. For example, "Ramon felt his eyes narrow." Why not just say he narrowed his eyes? Or, "Aloud he said, 'You’ll have to take it off.'" How else would he say this but aloud? I know these things are really picky, but they shook me out of the moment one too many times.
Again, most of the other reviews for this book are overwhelmingly positive. I'm glad so many others found lots to like in the book. It's an intriguing setting and a promising premise. I just couldn't get there.
I received an Advance Reader Copy in return for an honest review.
May 23, 2013
In Havana Lost the talented Libby Fisher Hellmann, author of the superb Bitter Veil, again tackles the story of a country in the midst of revolution and shows how that unfolding drama affects the players involved. Set in pre-Castro’s Cuba, the novel explores the decadence of the tourism industry, the violence of mob-run casinos and the corruption of the Batista government. Against the lush backdrop of Cuba’s magnificent natural beauty, each faction pursues their agenda with passion.
Hellmann succeeds in creating a story that moves beyond the black and white and asks the reader to consider several questions. What is worth fighting for? Power? Wealth? Freedom? Love? When does the price become too dear?
Havana Lost begins prior to the ascension of Castro and continues to present day Chicago. From political princes to tycoons of industry, from revolutionaries to the mob, from lovers to mercenaries, each creates a legacy of death, destruction, and change. Forwarded by individuals determined to succeed regardless of the cost—financial, moral, or human—Havana Lost will grip you with well-drawn characters, surprising plot twists.
Havana Lost entertains and provokes thought, a winning combination. A great read.
HAVANA LOSTLibby Fischer Hellmann
Hellmann succeeds in creating a story that moves beyond the black and white and asks the reader to consider several questions. What is worth fighting for? Power? Wealth? Freedom? Love? When does the price become too dear?
Havana Lost begins prior to the ascension of Castro and continues to present day Chicago. From political princes to tycoons of industry, from revolutionaries to the mob, from lovers to mercenaries, each creates a legacy of death, destruction, and change. Forwarded by individuals determined to succeed regardless of the cost—financial, moral, or human—Havana Lost will grip you with well-drawn characters, surprising plot twists.
Havana Lost entertains and provokes thought, a winning combination. A great read.
HAVANA LOSTLibby Fischer Hellmann
July 30, 2013
Libby Fischer Hellmann, multi-award-winning author of two excellent long-running series in the mystery genre, has more recently been venturing into stand-alone thriller territory. She sent me an ARC of her latest effort, the soon-to-be-released Havana Lost, and this one is up to—even beyond—her usual high standards.
Hellmann is a master in telling stories that are part-historical, part-contemporary, always carefully researched, and full of engaging, believable characters in exotic settings. Havana Lost, after an explosive (literally) opening, takes us deep into 1950’s revolutionary Cuba, drops us for a time in 1980’s Angola, and carries us into 1990’s Chicago, mixing starry-eyed love with Mafia cynicism, naïve idealism with cynical power-lust.
Readers who like action and romance spanning three generations, laced with a hefty dose of the dark side of human nature, will love Havana Lost. Bravo!
Hellmann is a master in telling stories that are part-historical, part-contemporary, always carefully researched, and full of engaging, believable characters in exotic settings. Havana Lost, after an explosive (literally) opening, takes us deep into 1950’s revolutionary Cuba, drops us for a time in 1980’s Angola, and carries us into 1990’s Chicago, mixing starry-eyed love with Mafia cynicism, naïve idealism with cynical power-lust.
Readers who like action and romance spanning three generations, laced with a hefty dose of the dark side of human nature, will love Havana Lost. Bravo!
May 7, 2014
I love reading books that take me into a different time and place, and Havana Lost is just that. The author has done a wonderful job of creating a world that is long gone and beautifully atmospheric. I for one would've loved to have been able to visit Havana in the 1950's. Still, this is a story of change, loss, revenge and ultimately redemption. There's a reason why Libby Fisher Hellman enthralls her readers with each new offering—she's a master story teller.
August 16, 2013
It's no secret that most of us reviewing advance copies of a novel are writers and would-be writers. That makes the review suspect, because if the reviewer is a nobody like me he is either going to get down on his knees, pucker both lips, and suck it up big time with a glowing review to ingratiate himself with the author or pick it apart, perhaps needlessly. In the latter case it is ego gratification. The would-be writer is looking for some kind of motivation to finish his OWN novel - or he does it honestly trying to get a grasp on story-telling techniques. "This is what went wrong. This is why it doesn't work for me." because that's how he read it, with an eye on technique.
I'm a pick it apart kind of person, but "Havana Lost" gives me no room for such shenanigans. Neither can I lay it on thick and indulge in hyperbole because Libby Fischer Hellman is a major writer in the making, one who just gets better with every book. You can't flatter that kind of highly developed talent. You can only hope to do the book justice within a brief space and urge you, the reader, to acquire and enjoy this gripping, well-researched novel.
About those snarky, one line reviews by people who haven't really read the book: They're beneath your contempt. They're attention junkies like Internet trolls, they'll go back to their caves when the sun rises.
The consensus among people who have read the novel is that it's a good one. Look at the other reviews. Libby Fischer Hellman does a superb job of bringing pre-Castro Cuba under Batista to life. I learned a lot I never knew about the Mafia's ties to "America's Playground." I had no idea that in addition to Castro and Che Guevara, there were other rebels in Cuba fighting to establish some kind of democracy. Most of us, caught up in the cold war propaganda, saw the fall of Batista in simple, black and white terms. Batista was the non-communist good guy and Castro was the bad guy. A few Russian missles aimed at the US in the 60s didn't help.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Batista himself was a two time ruler. In the thirties he was a popular leader, generally improving the government and improving the lives of most Cubans - but with a greedy streak he never overcame. When he left office the first time, he was a wealthy man. He then came to America and settled in Florida.
His absence from Cuba brought chaos and a return to widespread corruption. When the military overthrew the government and brought him back, this time as absolute dictator, eight years later, the country cheered - but the man had changed. Perhaps because he didn't have to worry about being re-elected, perhaps as he claimed it was the rising threat of Bolshevism, he jailed his opponents and used the traditional, banana republic dictator tactics of terror to maintain his grip on the country, all the while growing even richer as the Mafia moved in and transformed Havana into Las Vegas South, a place where "anything goes."
You've read the blurb and so you know that the book covers three generations of Mafia family history and a "McGuffin (plot device)" that revolves around Cuba's involvement in Angola. At first, I had a little trouble empathizing with the main character, Francesca, as she dumps her current, nice guy boyfriend and throws herself at a Cuban revolutionary. I was steeling myself for an embarrassing, Fem Lit wallow but kept noticing details about the character a Romance Diva wouldn't bother including. Eventually I realized that the reason I wasn't relating to the character was that I had brought modern preconceptions to the material. The 50`s were the age of "I Love Lucy," "Leave it to Beaver" and "The Donna Reed Show" and much more clearly defined role models for men and women than we have now. When I accepted that, I saw that Francesca is true to her time and upbringing when she acts like a spoiled, self-centered Mafia princess, a young girl who very well might throw herself into a frivolous but destructive relationship. More importantly, Libby Fischer Hellman makes us care for her, as indeed we come to care for each, succeeding generation of heroine and their unfortunate lovers. Francesca turned out to have facets I wasn't expecting. Indeed, all of the characters in Havana Lost turned out to be much more than cliché stick figures and were people I could believe actually existed. Soon, in spite of myself, I was rooting for Francesca as she tried to exercise some degree of control over her life - not easy when your father works for Meyer Lansky.
I also, initially, thought the book might be too episodic, but I was quickly won over and in the end just shut up, settled down and enjoyed "the read." Skilled mystery writer that she is, Libby puts more than enough character and plot hooks into the reader's mouth to keep us swimming after the next chapter and her inevitable but unlooked for ending scoops us up like a Salmon and wallops us into stunned silence. I thought: Of course the character is going to do that! Nothing else would be believable.
To reveal more would be to ruin the plot. Let me just caution you that there are some novels you can wolf down like fried fish and chips and enjoy, and there are some novels you want to consume slowly, with a fine bottle of wine and the pleasure of its good company. "Havana Lost" is the latter. Buy it. Read it and revel in its wealth of subtle, satisfying flavors.
Five stars - and yes, I got a free, advance, e book copy in return for my HONEST review. That's what you got.
I'm a pick it apart kind of person, but "Havana Lost" gives me no room for such shenanigans. Neither can I lay it on thick and indulge in hyperbole because Libby Fischer Hellman is a major writer in the making, one who just gets better with every book. You can't flatter that kind of highly developed talent. You can only hope to do the book justice within a brief space and urge you, the reader, to acquire and enjoy this gripping, well-researched novel.
About those snarky, one line reviews by people who haven't really read the book: They're beneath your contempt. They're attention junkies like Internet trolls, they'll go back to their caves when the sun rises.
The consensus among people who have read the novel is that it's a good one. Look at the other reviews. Libby Fischer Hellman does a superb job of bringing pre-Castro Cuba under Batista to life. I learned a lot I never knew about the Mafia's ties to "America's Playground." I had no idea that in addition to Castro and Che Guevara, there were other rebels in Cuba fighting to establish some kind of democracy. Most of us, caught up in the cold war propaganda, saw the fall of Batista in simple, black and white terms. Batista was the non-communist good guy and Castro was the bad guy. A few Russian missles aimed at the US in the 60s didn't help.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Batista himself was a two time ruler. In the thirties he was a popular leader, generally improving the government and improving the lives of most Cubans - but with a greedy streak he never overcame. When he left office the first time, he was a wealthy man. He then came to America and settled in Florida.
His absence from Cuba brought chaos and a return to widespread corruption. When the military overthrew the government and brought him back, this time as absolute dictator, eight years later, the country cheered - but the man had changed. Perhaps because he didn't have to worry about being re-elected, perhaps as he claimed it was the rising threat of Bolshevism, he jailed his opponents and used the traditional, banana republic dictator tactics of terror to maintain his grip on the country, all the while growing even richer as the Mafia moved in and transformed Havana into Las Vegas South, a place where "anything goes."
You've read the blurb and so you know that the book covers three generations of Mafia family history and a "McGuffin (plot device)" that revolves around Cuba's involvement in Angola. At first, I had a little trouble empathizing with the main character, Francesca, as she dumps her current, nice guy boyfriend and throws herself at a Cuban revolutionary. I was steeling myself for an embarrassing, Fem Lit wallow but kept noticing details about the character a Romance Diva wouldn't bother including. Eventually I realized that the reason I wasn't relating to the character was that I had brought modern preconceptions to the material. The 50`s were the age of "I Love Lucy," "Leave it to Beaver" and "The Donna Reed Show" and much more clearly defined role models for men and women than we have now. When I accepted that, I saw that Francesca is true to her time and upbringing when she acts like a spoiled, self-centered Mafia princess, a young girl who very well might throw herself into a frivolous but destructive relationship. More importantly, Libby Fischer Hellman makes us care for her, as indeed we come to care for each, succeeding generation of heroine and their unfortunate lovers. Francesca turned out to have facets I wasn't expecting. Indeed, all of the characters in Havana Lost turned out to be much more than cliché stick figures and were people I could believe actually existed. Soon, in spite of myself, I was rooting for Francesca as she tried to exercise some degree of control over her life - not easy when your father works for Meyer Lansky.
I also, initially, thought the book might be too episodic, but I was quickly won over and in the end just shut up, settled down and enjoyed "the read." Skilled mystery writer that she is, Libby puts more than enough character and plot hooks into the reader's mouth to keep us swimming after the next chapter and her inevitable but unlooked for ending scoops us up like a Salmon and wallops us into stunned silence. I thought: Of course the character is going to do that! Nothing else would be believable.
To reveal more would be to ruin the plot. Let me just caution you that there are some novels you can wolf down like fried fish and chips and enjoy, and there are some novels you want to consume slowly, with a fine bottle of wine and the pleasure of its good company. "Havana Lost" is the latter. Buy it. Read it and revel in its wealth of subtle, satisfying flavors.
Five stars - and yes, I got a free, advance, e book copy in return for my HONEST review. That's what you got.
June 20, 2013
Excellent emotionally satisfying Historical Fiction/Mystery! Its mature-complex --(deeper than the other novels I've read by Libby). In my opinion, Libby's VERY BEST novel to date!
Fascinating History of Cuba --with fun-flowing-storytelling! (works 'perfect' together). I've read another Historical book which take place in Cuba (interested in the topic) --but the history and story just didn't 'blend' (wasn't as fun enjoyable reading like this one). This WAS a 'BLAST!
Not only does this novel span 3 family generations -(a passionate journey with tensions building page after page) --dealing with family identity, culture, dreams, (power/money/love/hate/adversity/peace)...
AND....
Not only are the characters vividly drawn --each with their own growth, responsibilities, independently walking their own path in life --
BUT....
My personal favorite strength of this book are THE WOMAN characters!
Its BECAUSE of "THE WOMAN" I was left thinking for many hours about "Havana Lost" once I arrived at 'the ending' of this story. I love that this is a book that ends with a desire to 'have-a-conversation'.
For example: What type of 'normal' life do YOU want? Have your followed YOUR dreams? Or --did you follow your family wishes for you? (Its not always a simple answer).
Fascinating History of Cuba --with fun-flowing-storytelling! (works 'perfect' together). I've read another Historical book which take place in Cuba (interested in the topic) --but the history and story just didn't 'blend' (wasn't as fun enjoyable reading like this one). This WAS a 'BLAST!
Not only does this novel span 3 family generations -(a passionate journey with tensions building page after page) --dealing with family identity, culture, dreams, (power/money/love/hate/adversity/peace)...
AND....
Not only are the characters vividly drawn --each with their own growth, responsibilities, independently walking their own path in life --
BUT....
My personal favorite strength of this book are THE WOMAN characters!
Its BECAUSE of "THE WOMAN" I was left thinking for many hours about "Havana Lost" once I arrived at 'the ending' of this story. I love that this is a book that ends with a desire to 'have-a-conversation'.
For example: What type of 'normal' life do YOU want? Have your followed YOUR dreams? Or --did you follow your family wishes for you? (Its not always a simple answer).
January 20, 2020
3.75 stars
Set mainly in Cuba in 1958, the story revolves around Francesca Pacelli and her family during the Batista regime.
Francesca and Vasquez have just witnessed an explosion in Banco Pacifico bank, a few blocks from Vasquez’s jewelry store. Francesca Pacelli’s father is the manager and part-owner of La Perla, a luxurious resort casino in Havana.
Eighteen-year-old Francesca Pacelli and Nick Antoinetti are sweethearts and their families have known each other from way back. Nick is looking forward to going to business school after his senior year at Penn.
Concerned for his daughter’s safety, Tony Pacelli decides to fly her out of Cuba immediately, against her wishes. She has little say in the matter and so she agrees to leave in three weeks. She’s supposed to join Nick who has already left for the States.
One day while Frankie is trying to get Ramon, a waiter at the resort, to help her with her suitcases, she sees him talking to another guy who introduces himself as Luis Perez, Ramon’s childhood friend.
Frankie and Luis both feel a spark between them. When they meet again at a coffee shop—though he followed her there—Frankie learns that Luis is with the rebels. This time they can’t deny the chemistry that’s sparked between them.
With only a few days before she’s to be shipped off to States, Frankie realizes she has little time left in Cuba to spend with Luis. So she starts sneaking out of the house, making excuses much to the consternation of her mother. Call it a mother’s intuition but Frankie’s mother suspects Frankie’s been seeing a local.
On the night before Frankie’s due to leave Cuba, she runs away to be with Luis. When Tony learns that Frankie's been seeing a local, he becomes outraged and has men looking for the Ramon thinking Ramon’s the local Frankie’s been seeing.
Tony suspects Ramon knows his daughter’s whereabouts—he was fired earlier from stealing hotel supplies.
Meanwhile, Luis and his group—including Ramon— had hatched a plot to kidnap Frankie for a ransom knowing that her father could afford it. But Luis's emotions get in the way and now he has to keep her safe from the group and hide from Frankie’s father.
An interesting read spanning three generations and set in Cuba, Angola, and Miami. I thought the book started off with a bang and sort of petered out halfway through part two. I struggled through part three—way too many secondary characters to keep track of.
The book, however, was beautifully written and the author did an excellent job of painting a pretty picture of Havana in different time periods. Would recommend
Set mainly in Cuba in 1958, the story revolves around Francesca Pacelli and her family during the Batista regime.
Francesca and Vasquez have just witnessed an explosion in Banco Pacifico bank, a few blocks from Vasquez’s jewelry store. Francesca Pacelli’s father is the manager and part-owner of La Perla, a luxurious resort casino in Havana.
Eighteen-year-old Francesca Pacelli and Nick Antoinetti are sweethearts and their families have known each other from way back. Nick is looking forward to going to business school after his senior year at Penn.
Concerned for his daughter’s safety, Tony Pacelli decides to fly her out of Cuba immediately, against her wishes. She has little say in the matter and so she agrees to leave in three weeks. She’s supposed to join Nick who has already left for the States.
One day while Frankie is trying to get Ramon, a waiter at the resort, to help her with her suitcases, she sees him talking to another guy who introduces himself as Luis Perez, Ramon’s childhood friend.
Frankie and Luis both feel a spark between them. When they meet again at a coffee shop—though he followed her there—Frankie learns that Luis is with the rebels. This time they can’t deny the chemistry that’s sparked between them.
With only a few days before she’s to be shipped off to States, Frankie realizes she has little time left in Cuba to spend with Luis. So she starts sneaking out of the house, making excuses much to the consternation of her mother. Call it a mother’s intuition but Frankie’s mother suspects Frankie’s been seeing a local.
On the night before Frankie’s due to leave Cuba, she runs away to be with Luis. When Tony learns that Frankie's been seeing a local, he becomes outraged and has men looking for the Ramon thinking Ramon’s the local Frankie’s been seeing.
Tony suspects Ramon knows his daughter’s whereabouts—he was fired earlier from stealing hotel supplies.
Meanwhile, Luis and his group—including Ramon— had hatched a plot to kidnap Frankie for a ransom knowing that her father could afford it. But Luis's emotions get in the way and now he has to keep her safe from the group and hide from Frankie’s father.
An interesting read spanning three generations and set in Cuba, Angola, and Miami. I thought the book started off with a bang and sort of petered out halfway through part two. I struggled through part three—way too many secondary characters to keep track of.
The book, however, was beautifully written and the author did an excellent job of painting a pretty picture of Havana in different time periods. Would recommend
May 18, 2019
The story begins with the spoiled daughter of a mob boss in Havana, and carries her story through three generations of women. It is well crafted with surprises and parallels in the lives of the women, presenting their strengths and the ways each wrestles with ethical issues, death, and conflict. I found few of the characters likeable, but I admired their strength and determination. I learned a lot about Havana during the revolution and rise of Castro. I recommend this book, especially to those who enjoy epics in a shorter format.
August 16, 2013
When Libby Fischer Hellmann went to Cuba last year with her daughter, I knew a book was in the works. And, sure enough, an ARC appears in my mailbox last month. HAVANA LOST is the final thriller by Chicago crime writer Hellmann in her Revolution Trilogy. The first is SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE about political revolution in 1968 Chicago.
The title of this novel itself is intriguing: What had Libby found in Havana that was lost? Cuban-American Andy Garcia lost a few loves in Cuba, a lovely girl and a casino, when he directed and starred in the movie The Lost City. Robert Redford's gambling character in the movie Havana is probably still standing on the southernmost beach of Florida awaiting his Cuban love... So what was lost in 1950's Havana to young Francesca Pacelli and her ruthless Mafia-boss father?
Hellmann begins her tale in the waning months of 1958 on the Caribbean island of Cuba, some ninety miles south of mainland Florida. Fidel Castro, the illegitimate son of a wealthy farmer, along with his brother Raul and friend Che Guevara have formed a group to overthrow the regime of Fulgencio Batista.
The city of Havana of 1958 is a pleasure-seeker's paradise, a jet-setter's haven, filled with casinos with neon signs. Nightclubs like the Tropicana and the Sans Souci are world-famous, along with the Floridita Bar where Ernest Hemingway drank his daiquiris. But there is rampart corruption in the lucrative tourist industry: hotels, bars and casinos are controlled by American gangsters in open collusion with the government.
We meet silver-tongued Tony Pacelli, the mobster owner of La Perla Casino in the opening paragraphs. Pacelli is concerned about his daughter Francesca's safety and arranges for her to return to America. We meet Luis Perez and Ramon Suarez, sons of Cuban sugar cane plantation workers, who move to Havana to attend university and become followers of Castro. Luis and Francesca fall in love after an aborted kidnapping plan. Ramon betrays his friend and helps Tony Pacelli find his pregnant daughter.
Although we follow the young Cuban rebels briefly to Angola to fight in Castro's failed war, the rest of the tale is centered around Francesca Pacelli and her family. The story is told in linear form, which is helpful for most readers, but the long gaps of years between the storyline is disconcerting. There are more kidnappings, mobster killings, rebel conflicts, a hunt for a rare mineral mine map, short glimpses of Cuban American relationships in Miami and Chicago, and several additions to the family of one proud and independent mobster's daughter....although her ruthlessness is softened somewhat by two female relatives - Carla Garcia and Luisa DeLuca.
All we lost in Havana, it seems, is the exciting "clink of martini glasses, the jangle of the slots, the clack of dice on green felt tables and the shuffle of cards"
...and a few good Cuban men.
The title of this novel itself is intriguing: What had Libby found in Havana that was lost? Cuban-American Andy Garcia lost a few loves in Cuba, a lovely girl and a casino, when he directed and starred in the movie The Lost City. Robert Redford's gambling character in the movie Havana is probably still standing on the southernmost beach of Florida awaiting his Cuban love... So what was lost in 1950's Havana to young Francesca Pacelli and her ruthless Mafia-boss father?
Hellmann begins her tale in the waning months of 1958 on the Caribbean island of Cuba, some ninety miles south of mainland Florida. Fidel Castro, the illegitimate son of a wealthy farmer, along with his brother Raul and friend Che Guevara have formed a group to overthrow the regime of Fulgencio Batista.
The city of Havana of 1958 is a pleasure-seeker's paradise, a jet-setter's haven, filled with casinos with neon signs. Nightclubs like the Tropicana and the Sans Souci are world-famous, along with the Floridita Bar where Ernest Hemingway drank his daiquiris. But there is rampart corruption in the lucrative tourist industry: hotels, bars and casinos are controlled by American gangsters in open collusion with the government.
We meet silver-tongued Tony Pacelli, the mobster owner of La Perla Casino in the opening paragraphs. Pacelli is concerned about his daughter Francesca's safety and arranges for her to return to America. We meet Luis Perez and Ramon Suarez, sons of Cuban sugar cane plantation workers, who move to Havana to attend university and become followers of Castro. Luis and Francesca fall in love after an aborted kidnapping plan. Ramon betrays his friend and helps Tony Pacelli find his pregnant daughter.
Although we follow the young Cuban rebels briefly to Angola to fight in Castro's failed war, the rest of the tale is centered around Francesca Pacelli and her family. The story is told in linear form, which is helpful for most readers, but the long gaps of years between the storyline is disconcerting. There are more kidnappings, mobster killings, rebel conflicts, a hunt for a rare mineral mine map, short glimpses of Cuban American relationships in Miami and Chicago, and several additions to the family of one proud and independent mobster's daughter....although her ruthlessness is softened somewhat by two female relatives - Carla Garcia and Luisa DeLuca.
All we lost in Havana, it seems, is the exciting "clink of martini glasses, the jangle of the slots, the clack of dice on green felt tables and the shuffle of cards"
...and a few good Cuban men.
August 11, 2013
Author Libby Fischer Hellmann takes you to a different place and time and brings you back to the present in her soon-to-be released thriller, HAVANA LOST. It’s a mesmerizing story of lost love, conflict and suspense.
The story begins on the eve of the Cuban Revolution as Francesca ‘Frankie’ Pacelli, a headstrong 18-year-old American, flees the luxury of her father’s casino and lifestyle to be with her lover, Luis Perez. Frankie’s father, Tony Pacelli, is a ruthless Mafia boss determined his daughter should return to the U.S.
Life with Luis, a rebel fighting with Fidel Castro, is different. But Frankie quickly adapts and enjoys life. She becomes pregnant and the couple plan their life together. Meanwhile, Frankie’s father uses any means necessary - blackmail, torture - to find his daughter. He has her kidnapped from her home while Luis is away on a mission. The life Frankie dreamed of is shattered as she’s sent back to the states.
Thirty-plus years later a member of the Pacelli family is lured back to Cuba. But what is discovered is far more significant than the untold riches others are seeking. The consequences of those actions have dangerous results that come to a head twenty-plus years later.
HAVANA LOST is a spellbinding saga that follows three generations of a troubled family looking for wealth and happiness, but finding pain and sorrow with only glimmers of what might have been. The family’s search goes from the war-torn streets of Havana to the mean streets of Chicago. The story explores how strife and revolutions affect those it touches, and how the need for power and wealth can destroy.
Hellmann has created realistic, well-developed characters with secondary characters that add flare and depth to the story. Her protagonist Frankie is a character you will first love, then come to dislike, but will still have empathy for.
With an eye for authentic historical detail, Hellmann’s vivid descriptions of Havana and the sights and sounds of the Revolution places the reader in the middle of the action. You can almost feel the mist from the ocean, hear the musicians in the streets, and feel the terror and joy of a new life promised by the Revolution.
HAVANA LOST draws you in and holds you enslaved to know more. You feel the characters joy and happiness, as well as their pain and sorrow. A roller coaster ride of emotions and fast-pace action, the story will leave you wanting more.
For Frankie, HAVANA LOST is when love goes awry leading to a life never wanted, but one embraced with complete control and denial. A gripping tale of love, betrayal and absolute power.
FTC Full Disclosure - A digital download of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
The story begins on the eve of the Cuban Revolution as Francesca ‘Frankie’ Pacelli, a headstrong 18-year-old American, flees the luxury of her father’s casino and lifestyle to be with her lover, Luis Perez. Frankie’s father, Tony Pacelli, is a ruthless Mafia boss determined his daughter should return to the U.S.
Life with Luis, a rebel fighting with Fidel Castro, is different. But Frankie quickly adapts and enjoys life. She becomes pregnant and the couple plan their life together. Meanwhile, Frankie’s father uses any means necessary - blackmail, torture - to find his daughter. He has her kidnapped from her home while Luis is away on a mission. The life Frankie dreamed of is shattered as she’s sent back to the states.
Thirty-plus years later a member of the Pacelli family is lured back to Cuba. But what is discovered is far more significant than the untold riches others are seeking. The consequences of those actions have dangerous results that come to a head twenty-plus years later.
HAVANA LOST is a spellbinding saga that follows three generations of a troubled family looking for wealth and happiness, but finding pain and sorrow with only glimmers of what might have been. The family’s search goes from the war-torn streets of Havana to the mean streets of Chicago. The story explores how strife and revolutions affect those it touches, and how the need for power and wealth can destroy.
Hellmann has created realistic, well-developed characters with secondary characters that add flare and depth to the story. Her protagonist Frankie is a character you will first love, then come to dislike, but will still have empathy for.
With an eye for authentic historical detail, Hellmann’s vivid descriptions of Havana and the sights and sounds of the Revolution places the reader in the middle of the action. You can almost feel the mist from the ocean, hear the musicians in the streets, and feel the terror and joy of a new life promised by the Revolution.
HAVANA LOST draws you in and holds you enslaved to know more. You feel the characters joy and happiness, as well as their pain and sorrow. A roller coaster ride of emotions and fast-pace action, the story will leave you wanting more.
For Frankie, HAVANA LOST is when love goes awry leading to a life never wanted, but one embraced with complete control and denial. A gripping tale of love, betrayal and absolute power.
FTC Full Disclosure - A digital download of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
August 14, 2013
On my office wall hangs a vintage travel poster depicting a passenger aboard a Pan Am flight enjoying the view of Havana, Cuba, through a window. That poster captures so well my own feelings about an island country that is so close – only 90 miles from Key West, Florida – and yet, due to our country’s restrictions on travel there, so far away. It feels as though I have experienced this forbidden land only through the windows that others who have been there have shared.
In her tenth novel, “Havana Lost,” Libby Fischer Hellmann opens up her own window to a country that seems frozen in time. This novel may seem like somewhat of a departure for Hellmann, who built her resume as a novelist in the mystery/thriller genre, including two series, “The Ellie Foreman Mysteries” and “The Georgia Davis PI Thrillers.” Recent readers of her work, however, have seen that she is an author who is not so easy to label and one who is willing to take risks. “Havana” is actually the third novel in her “revolutionary” thriller series, following “Set the Night on Fire” and “A Bitter Veil,” where she explores how strife and revolution affect the human spirit.
Cut in the vein of Mario Puzo’s epic novel, “The Godfather,” “Havana” is an ambitious effort, spanning three generations of a Cuban crime family and its struggle to control the underworld of Havana against the backdrop of the Cuban revolution. The window that Hellman opens gives glimpse into an ancient world of honor and vendetta, Cuban family tradition, and friendship and loyalty, where betrayal is punished with merciless vengeance. Even after the family flees to Chicago, we see how its Cuban past continues to haunt it and touches all connected to it.
Hellmann’s story races with such urgency, sometimes you wish that she slowed the pace a little – especially when one of her richly drawn characters is lost too fast. This minor critique in no way diminishes the power of the author’s storytelling, which is boosted by her evocative description of the Cuban landscape and its history.
Until the doors of Cuba are freely open to us here in the states, we have to settle for the windows into its world that others are able to share with us. The window that Hellmann opens is one that I didn’t want to close and one that I will not soon forget. Take this adventure with her. It is one worth getting lost in. If and when our country eases travel restrictions to this island country in the Caribbean, Hellmann’s story is one that I will pack in my luggage so that I can view it against my own window.
In her tenth novel, “Havana Lost,” Libby Fischer Hellmann opens up her own window to a country that seems frozen in time. This novel may seem like somewhat of a departure for Hellmann, who built her resume as a novelist in the mystery/thriller genre, including two series, “The Ellie Foreman Mysteries” and “The Georgia Davis PI Thrillers.” Recent readers of her work, however, have seen that she is an author who is not so easy to label and one who is willing to take risks. “Havana” is actually the third novel in her “revolutionary” thriller series, following “Set the Night on Fire” and “A Bitter Veil,” where she explores how strife and revolution affect the human spirit.
Cut in the vein of Mario Puzo’s epic novel, “The Godfather,” “Havana” is an ambitious effort, spanning three generations of a Cuban crime family and its struggle to control the underworld of Havana against the backdrop of the Cuban revolution. The window that Hellman opens gives glimpse into an ancient world of honor and vendetta, Cuban family tradition, and friendship and loyalty, where betrayal is punished with merciless vengeance. Even after the family flees to Chicago, we see how its Cuban past continues to haunt it and touches all connected to it.
Hellmann’s story races with such urgency, sometimes you wish that she slowed the pace a little – especially when one of her richly drawn characters is lost too fast. This minor critique in no way diminishes the power of the author’s storytelling, which is boosted by her evocative description of the Cuban landscape and its history.
Until the doors of Cuba are freely open to us here in the states, we have to settle for the windows into its world that others are able to share with us. The window that Hellmann opens is one that I didn’t want to close and one that I will not soon forget. Take this adventure with her. It is one worth getting lost in. If and when our country eases travel restrictions to this island country in the Caribbean, Hellmann’s story is one that I will pack in my luggage so that I can view it against my own window.
August 7, 2013
Havana Lost is a thriller, a women’s novel, and a political drama. It’s a story of universal themes—love and loss, betrayal and revenge—set across a backdrop of revolution and decay. The story starts in Cuba, in 1958, and sweeps through three generations and across two continents, following the life of Francesca Pacelli.
Francesca, also known as Frankie, lives in Havana in a casino run by her father, Mob boss Tony Pacelli. Frankie seems to have it all: a college-bound fiancé, wealth, luxury, and status. But she wants something her family and fiancé can’t offer: excitement and passion. When she falls desperately in love with a revolutionary, her choice seals her life’s course and ripples through the generations, to her son and her granddaughter.
As the plot moves from Cuba to Miami to Chicago and Angola, Libby Fischer Hellman doesn’t miss a beat. Ms. Hellman evokes Cuba on the cusp of a revolution as easily as she describes the life of a Cuban immigrant to Miami in the early 1990s or a miner in the Angolan jungle in the 1980s. The settings are rich, exotic, and authentic, for example: “Nightfall came hard and fast in Angola. This close to the equator twilight was an illusion. Minutes after sunset, night slammed into earth like a giant boulder, obliterating the day with an explosion of dark.”
Havana Lost spans thirty-plus years, from 1958 to 1992. Libby Fisher Hellman does an amazing job of capturing Frankie through many stages of her life, showing the reader the complex array of regrets and hopes, dreams and reality. What particularly resonated with me was Ms. Hellman’s ability to create a character right from the get-go who was spoiled, demanding, and bossy, but who had somehow retained a streak of empathy despite her family roots, “…a family that would as soon cut off your hand as shake it.” And, to this reader, Frankie was utterly compelling, catapulting me head over heels into the novel, preventing me from putting it down.
There’s no letting up in this book. You’ll want to keep reading to find out what happens. But when you finish, I guarantee you won’t forget it. You’ll be full of questions about Cuban history, about love and the choices we make, about greed and about power.
Note: I was given an advance review copy by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Francesca, also known as Frankie, lives in Havana in a casino run by her father, Mob boss Tony Pacelli. Frankie seems to have it all: a college-bound fiancé, wealth, luxury, and status. But she wants something her family and fiancé can’t offer: excitement and passion. When she falls desperately in love with a revolutionary, her choice seals her life’s course and ripples through the generations, to her son and her granddaughter.
As the plot moves from Cuba to Miami to Chicago and Angola, Libby Fischer Hellman doesn’t miss a beat. Ms. Hellman evokes Cuba on the cusp of a revolution as easily as she describes the life of a Cuban immigrant to Miami in the early 1990s or a miner in the Angolan jungle in the 1980s. The settings are rich, exotic, and authentic, for example: “Nightfall came hard and fast in Angola. This close to the equator twilight was an illusion. Minutes after sunset, night slammed into earth like a giant boulder, obliterating the day with an explosion of dark.”
Havana Lost spans thirty-plus years, from 1958 to 1992. Libby Fisher Hellman does an amazing job of capturing Frankie through many stages of her life, showing the reader the complex array of regrets and hopes, dreams and reality. What particularly resonated with me was Ms. Hellman’s ability to create a character right from the get-go who was spoiled, demanding, and bossy, but who had somehow retained a streak of empathy despite her family roots, “…a family that would as soon cut off your hand as shake it.” And, to this reader, Frankie was utterly compelling, catapulting me head over heels into the novel, preventing me from putting it down.
There’s no letting up in this book. You’ll want to keep reading to find out what happens. But when you finish, I guarantee you won’t forget it. You’ll be full of questions about Cuban history, about love and the choices we make, about greed and about power.
Note: I was given an advance review copy by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 21, 2013
This exciting thriller opens in Havana on the eve of the Cuban Revolution. Frankie Pacelli, the 18-year-old daughter of a ruthless Mafia boss, escapes the confines of her overprotected life to seek happiness with her Cuban lover, a revolutionary and confidante of Fidel Castro. Frankie’s father will stop at nothing, including torture and murder, to get her back and whisk her off to safety in the United States.
Packed with authentic historical detail, the novel spans five decades and three generations. It moves from pre-Revolutionary Cuba in the 1958s to war-torn Angola (which, as one character puts it, was “Cuba’s Vietnam") and the deprivations of Castro's Cuba in the 1990s, ending up on the mean streets (and boardrooms) of present day Chicago.
This often heartbreaking story explores the theme of how the choices we make shape the kinds of people we become and the consequences of choosing power over love. It juxtaposes socialist ideology with the abundant materialism of capitalism. Yet the author never falls into stereotypes. Her socialist ideologues are portrayed as people pursuing what they believe will be a just and more equitable society. They are neither exalted heroes nor cold-blooded totalitarians. While Frankie’s Mob boss father leaves a bloody trail of terror and betrayal in his wake, I never doubt that, in his mind at least, he’s doing what he feels he must to protect his child. He simply lives in a world where no one is to be trusted and everyone is a potential threat.
Havana Lost is a fast-paced thriller, populated by compelling characters and filled with surprising plot twists, set against the backdrop of major historic events that have helped shape the world we live in.
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an Advanced Reader's Copy of this novel. Havana Lost will be released on August 16.
Packed with authentic historical detail, the novel spans five decades and three generations. It moves from pre-Revolutionary Cuba in the 1958s to war-torn Angola (which, as one character puts it, was “Cuba’s Vietnam") and the deprivations of Castro's Cuba in the 1990s, ending up on the mean streets (and boardrooms) of present day Chicago.
This often heartbreaking story explores the theme of how the choices we make shape the kinds of people we become and the consequences of choosing power over love. It juxtaposes socialist ideology with the abundant materialism of capitalism. Yet the author never falls into stereotypes. Her socialist ideologues are portrayed as people pursuing what they believe will be a just and more equitable society. They are neither exalted heroes nor cold-blooded totalitarians. While Frankie’s Mob boss father leaves a bloody trail of terror and betrayal in his wake, I never doubt that, in his mind at least, he’s doing what he feels he must to protect his child. He simply lives in a world where no one is to be trusted and everyone is a potential threat.
Havana Lost is a fast-paced thriller, populated by compelling characters and filled with surprising plot twists, set against the backdrop of major historic events that have helped shape the world we live in.
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an Advanced Reader's Copy of this novel. Havana Lost will be released on August 16.
June 20, 2013
Havana Lost is an ambitious novel by an author unafraid to tackle big projects. Libby Hellmann did an excellent job of researching pre-Castro Cuba and the effects of the revolution on the country, the people, and the mobsters who had made Havana their own personal playground. The story follows the life of Francesca, daughter of the mobster and owner of the fanciest hotel/casino in Havana in 1958. She is faced with choosing between her family and all the privileges she'd always known, and the lure of the revolution and one revolutionary in particular.
Mob bosses are used to having their way, and so begins the tragedy. The story jumps through four generations as the past follows Francesca's family to Chicago where they build a new Family empire. Love, greed, revenge, and grief all play a role in this family saga. The Chicago-based chapters clip along at an exciting pace and give a very satisfying ending.
Mob bosses are used to having their way, and so begins the tragedy. The story jumps through four generations as the past follows Francesca's family to Chicago where they build a new Family empire. Love, greed, revenge, and grief all play a role in this family saga. The Chicago-based chapters clip along at an exciting pace and give a very satisfying ending.
August 20, 2013
I loved this book! It came to me as a pre-sale freebie. Having already read The Bitter Veil, which I loved, I was looking forward to reading this book, Havana Lost. They both deal with revolutionary ideals, love and loss over a lengthy period of time.
I love that the characterization and physical descriptions of the main characters are so vivid that the words paint clear pictures for me.
The book is set in the tumultuous period of the struggle in Cuba for power, among Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and Battista. I have never really wanted to know very much about Cuba until now. This particular story made me want to do more extensive reading about Cuba.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction. Libby is a superb talent and I hope she will continue to craft stories of such high calibre. You won't be able to put it down either!
I love that the characterization and physical descriptions of the main characters are so vivid that the words paint clear pictures for me.
The book is set in the tumultuous period of the struggle in Cuba for power, among Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and Battista. I have never really wanted to know very much about Cuba until now. This particular story made me want to do more extensive reading about Cuba.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction. Libby is a superb talent and I hope she will continue to craft stories of such high calibre. You won't be able to put it down either!
July 5, 2016
Ms. Hellmann’s Havana Lost is a delightful and intriguing step back in time to another era on the colorful island of Cuba, with a well drawn and paced mystery. The writing has a smooth breath-like pace with concise, authentic descriptions of a wonderful and curious city. The flavors, scents, lighting and sounds are all there, enhancing the mystery and the lives of the main characters and those they live among.
I was reminded of the excellent fiction of Mario Puzo, by both the development of dramatic events and interesting (and menacing) characters, as well as the short works of both Graham Greene and Somerset Maugham, who were also exacting prose painters of stories set in the warm climates.
I was reminded of the excellent fiction of Mario Puzo, by both the development of dramatic events and interesting (and menacing) characters, as well as the short works of both Graham Greene and Somerset Maugham, who were also exacting prose painters of stories set in the warm climates.
July 17, 2013
Libby Fischer Hellman certainly researched the pre-Castro Cuba era to show the readers about the resorts, casinos and American tourists that visited Cuba during that time. Havana Lost is a story of love and war and how it affects a young girl's life. It follows a fictional mob family in the last days prior to the fall of the Cuban government and Castro's take over.
This is a five-star historical novel that will keep you turning the pages while you learn about Cuba's past and wonder about how the girl will turn out in all the turmoil.
This is my first time reading any of Libby's books, but you can bet I will be looking for more of her work.
This is a five-star historical novel that will keep you turning the pages while you learn about Cuba's past and wonder about how the girl will turn out in all the turmoil.
This is my first time reading any of Libby's books, but you can bet I will be looking for more of her work.
July 28, 2020
While certainly an easy and entertaining read, I just felt like things were too contrived to get me to that next level. I bought this hook at an author’s event in 2013 and net the author, talking about my own trip to Cuba the prior year. This book brought back great memories of that trip and mixed in some home town locations too, so things were very familiar.
The problems I had were the overly dramatic and sweeping plot lines. Daughter of mafioso tries to run away with revolutionary and is ripped from him, having his child in America and marrying in an arranged wedding. That child then grows up to eventually meet his father in a twisted espionage type scenario that kills them both, but not before he impregnates a Cuban woman he just met and puts her on a boat to America. The resulting child ends up with the first woman (her grandmother) and involved in a plot about Coltran in Angola that goes back to a map her grandfather drew and gave to her father who in turn gave it to her mother who gave it to her grandmother. Dizzy? I was by this point. Then she’s kidnapped over the map, but not before starting a relationship with her grandmother’s original fiancé’s grandson and he gets shot!
Cue giant Scarface type ending with murders, and slow deaths, and the grandmother all alone in her empire.
The problems I had were the overly dramatic and sweeping plot lines. Daughter of mafioso tries to run away with revolutionary and is ripped from him, having his child in America and marrying in an arranged wedding. That child then grows up to eventually meet his father in a twisted espionage type scenario that kills them both, but not before he impregnates a Cuban woman he just met and puts her on a boat to America. The resulting child ends up with the first woman (her grandmother) and involved in a plot about Coltran in Angola that goes back to a map her grandfather drew and gave to her father who in turn gave it to her mother who gave it to her grandmother. Dizzy? I was by this point. Then she’s kidnapped over the map, but not before starting a relationship with her grandmother’s original fiancé’s grandson and he gets shot!
Cue giant Scarface type ending with murders, and slow deaths, and the grandmother all alone in her empire.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2017
For me, there is a certain romanticism in Cuba in the time leading to the Revolution. That's where this novel begins -- with the teenage daughter of a mobbed up Havana casino owner. She is on the eve of being shipped out to Chicago to get away from the oncoming dangers of the Revolution. But she has other ideas, and her fateful decision sets in motion a decades long story.
In three distinct sections each separated by about two decades, Lost Havana covers three generations of women in the same family, all impacted by the fateful decision the matriarch made as a young woman who defied her family.
For me the story lost a little of its appeal when it moved away from 1950s Cuba. But to be fair to the author, I think that was more because of my fascination with 1950s Cuba rather than the story falling short of the mark. This is an enjoyable read that keeps a quick pace throughout the more than 50 years that it spans.
In three distinct sections each separated by about two decades, Lost Havana covers three generations of women in the same family, all impacted by the fateful decision the matriarch made as a young woman who defied her family.
For me the story lost a little of its appeal when it moved away from 1950s Cuba. But to be fair to the author, I think that was more because of my fascination with 1950s Cuba rather than the story falling short of the mark. This is an enjoyable read that keeps a quick pace throughout the more than 50 years that it spans.
December 25, 2024
This author continues to amaze with her versatility and intimate knowledge of the places her stories are set in. This time she chooses Cuba and Chicago for her settings.
At first the story seems pretty straight forward, but then the first twist comes. And then another, and another. It is not at all predictable. This story is a journey through the lives of three generations of women and a bit of the 4th generation of the man who put it all into motion.
In these pages we find mystery, romance, sorrow, intrigue, violence and characters trying to find their way through and in face of history's fallout and intractable attitudes.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Cuba scenes. The descriptions are rich and colorful, transporting me there in my imagination. It is an incredible and at times sad tale. The women of each generation are tenacious and aren't about to let someone else tell them what to do - for good or for ill . . .
At first the story seems pretty straight forward, but then the first twist comes. And then another, and another. It is not at all predictable. This story is a journey through the lives of three generations of women and a bit of the 4th generation of the man who put it all into motion.
In these pages we find mystery, romance, sorrow, intrigue, violence and characters trying to find their way through and in face of history's fallout and intractable attitudes.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Cuba scenes. The descriptions are rich and colorful, transporting me there in my imagination. It is an incredible and at times sad tale. The women of each generation are tenacious and aren't about to let someone else tell them what to do - for good or for ill . . .
November 17, 2019
In my view this book could have been three books easily. There was so much going on and it was so dense that easily each part could have been extended to a much bigger piece.
I loved the atmosphere in the first part, Havana 1959. The heat, the music, the passion. The revolution.
When the next part started it took me ages to get into it. It almost felt like a different story, very disjointed. I had to get to know new characters, it all felt new. Even Frankie wasn’t familiar anymore.
Then the third part brought it all together again and apart at the same time.
The book got me interested in the Cuban revolution. I also keep thinking about the characters, what if....
But I also thought the sentences were too prescriptive. Too much explanation. Too many words were none were needed.
I loved the atmosphere in the first part, Havana 1959. The heat, the music, the passion. The revolution.
When the next part started it took me ages to get into it. It almost felt like a different story, very disjointed. I had to get to know new characters, it all felt new. Even Frankie wasn’t familiar anymore.
Then the third part brought it all together again and apart at the same time.
The book got me interested in the Cuban revolution. I also keep thinking about the characters, what if....
But I also thought the sentences were too prescriptive. Too much explanation. Too many words were none were needed.
October 30, 2024
A história cobre três gerações, 3 países, 2 continentes!
Em minha opinião, a primeira e quase metade da segunda parte do livro são muito interessantes pois, apesar de se tratar de uma novela, as decrições feitas aproximam-se bastante da realidade ou, parecem bastante verosímeis... Já última parte do livro, é demasiado intensa e pouco realista, a personagem "Frankie / Francesca" muda muito drásticamente de personalidade, sem que eu tenha percebido bem como; a actividade da máfia soa demasiado fantasiada.
A leiura é boa para despertar interesse sobre alguns factos da história recente (a queda de Baptista; a presença de Cuba em Angola; o Coltan...), mas depois tudo isso precisa de ser aprofundado.
Em resumo, gostei mas depois fiquei desapontada, mas recomendo a leitura.
Em minha opinião, a primeira e quase metade da segunda parte do livro são muito interessantes pois, apesar de se tratar de uma novela, as decrições feitas aproximam-se bastante da realidade ou, parecem bastante verosímeis... Já última parte do livro, é demasiado intensa e pouco realista, a personagem "Frankie / Francesca" muda muito drásticamente de personalidade, sem que eu tenha percebido bem como; a actividade da máfia soa demasiado fantasiada.
A leiura é boa para despertar interesse sobre alguns factos da história recente (a queda de Baptista; a presença de Cuba em Angola; o Coltan...), mas depois tudo isso precisa de ser aprofundado.
Em resumo, gostei mas depois fiquei desapontada, mas recomendo a leitura.
April 5, 2019
I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction and I knew next to nothing about events in Cuba other than what I probably ignored in high school history, but I was pleasantly surprised with this novel as it has well-crafted characters, a dynamic plot, romance, espionage...the list goes on! We are immediately drawn into Frankie's world as her father, mob boss in Havana, controls most of her actions. But when she falls for the handsome Luis and attempts to start a new life for herself, events spin out of control and the plot thickens. Spanning several generations and continents, the novel held my attention like no history class ever could! Now to investigate her other books!
June 20, 2017
I enjoyed reading this multi-generational family adventure featuring mobs, revolutions, war, love and murder. I learned more about pre-Castro Cuba and about Cuban soldiers in Angola. I liked following the story through the decades. I didn't like it when the good guys kept getting knocked off (just like in Game of Thrones), but the guesswork as to who would survive kept me interested. I got this book as part of a 14-book box set (Death, Lies, and Duct Tape) and this was the seventh I've read (and the third-best so far!) I will look for more books by Libby Fischer Hellman.
July 6, 2019
Multi-generational story of Cuban family
The book told the story of 3 generations of a Cuban family starting around the time of the revolution. The story progresses quickly and there are many times of fright and tension. I would have liked to have more detail of the family as the story skips quickly from one generation to another. It was a good, interesting read
The book told the story of 3 generations of a Cuban family starting around the time of the revolution. The story progresses quickly and there are many times of fright and tension. I would have liked to have more detail of the family as the story skips quickly from one generation to another. It was a good, interesting read
August 30, 2019
This was an interesting story with a few twists. I learned some things about the Cuban revolution, about the Cubans fighting in Angola (which I didn't know about), about coltan, and about the mob. I found some of the story implausible. However, I couldn't put it down. Now I want to read "A Bitter Veil".
December 13, 2019
This book spanned 40 years of family history that involved Cuba, Angola, Chicago, crime syndicates and a lot of dead bodies! I enjoyed parts of it and other parts I just wanted to get through to find the outcome. I liked the descriptive details about Cuba and the revolution, didn't like the crime syndicate part of the story and really felt that the ending left too many questions unanswered.
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