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King Robin
He robbed the rich and gave to the poor... until he became king. (Advance Reading Copy for editorial review. Publication February 15, 2021
296 pages, Paperback
Published September 20, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 5, 2018
Raúl Castro, brother to famed Fidel, was his top right-hand man during the early days of the revolutionary conflict in Cuba. Camilo Cienfuegos played a key role as commander in the revolution but was cut short when his small plane mysteriously disappeared leaving no traces behind.
Before Cienfuegos ventured to Cuba he met Clare Miller. They carried on a lurid love affair that began in the United States, later continuing in Cuba. She would come to bear his daughter. Unknown to her, his days were numbered. Castro succeeded in his revolution and so began his decade’s long reign of dictatorship.
The events highlighted in this book were just a few parts of the puzzle that were part of the revolutionary overthrow in Cuba. The narrative took me on a journey and supplied me with information I was not aware of about the historic coup. In the end, I came away knowing a little bit more about our neighbor to the south.
I offer my thanks to NetGalley and Beck and Branch for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Before Cienfuegos ventured to Cuba he met Clare Miller. They carried on a lurid love affair that began in the United States, later continuing in Cuba. She would come to bear his daughter. Unknown to her, his days were numbered. Castro succeeded in his revolution and so began his decade’s long reign of dictatorship.
The events highlighted in this book were just a few parts of the puzzle that were part of the revolutionary overthrow in Cuba. The narrative took me on a journey and supplied me with information I was not aware of about the historic coup. In the end, I came away knowing a little bit more about our neighbor to the south.
I offer my thanks to NetGalley and Beck and Branch for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
November 4, 2020
Most Americans know Fidel and Che. Some even know Raul. Very few know Camilo, perhaps the most charismatic Cuban rebel of them all. Thorndike does a masterful job of weaving a love story into an alternative history that showcases a fascinating historical figure.
July 16, 2018
Camilo Cienfuegos is not a name I knew but this novel brings him to life, his role as a key man in Castro's revolution and his mysterious disappearance after his small Cessna went missing in 1959. The historical aspects of Fidel, Raul and Camilo were the highlight as was the twist towards the end.
The story revolves around Clare Miller, an American photographer who had a sex-driven relationship with Camilo in New York before he joined Castro. She believes he died in the early days of Castro's return to Cuba. She moved on marrying an older man, a rich Cuban, living in Havana with the daughter she had with Camilo. Castro is triumphant, Camilo is part of his inner group and both Camilo and Clare are very happy to reunite. There's lots of bed hopping, then the fatal flight and a fictional account of what may have happened.
This is an easy read full of the tension of the early days of Castro's rule.
The story revolves around Clare Miller, an American photographer who had a sex-driven relationship with Camilo in New York before he joined Castro. She believes he died in the early days of Castro's return to Cuba. She moved on marrying an older man, a rich Cuban, living in Havana with the daughter she had with Camilo. Castro is triumphant, Camilo is part of his inner group and both Camilo and Clare are very happy to reunite. There's lots of bed hopping, then the fatal flight and a fictional account of what may have happened.
This is an easy read full of the tension of the early days of Castro's rule.
October 1, 2018
I am not very familiar with Cuban history. Yet, I enjoy reading historical books. Although, like many Americans I am familiar with the name Fidel Castro. Yet, as the book summary states, I am not familiar with the name Camilo Cienfuegos.
Instantly, I could tell that Mr. Thorndike is a talented writer. Right from the beginning, I was transported to Cuba from the descriptions of the scenery to the people. From the first introduction, I became a fan of Clare. She had a feisty spirit, even through she was in a foreign country. Plus, she came off as kind and the type of person that I would want to hang out with. Her and Camilo's relationship was filled with "real love". Sure, Camilo could have any woman or women that he wanted but the first time that they had sex; he was actually aware of Clare's feelings.
Additionally, this book shows the relationship between Camilo and Castro with Castro's rise into power. Anyone looking to read a really good book that is rich in storytelling as well as the people should pick up a copy of this book.
Instantly, I could tell that Mr. Thorndike is a talented writer. Right from the beginning, I was transported to Cuba from the descriptions of the scenery to the people. From the first introduction, I became a fan of Clare. She had a feisty spirit, even through she was in a foreign country. Plus, she came off as kind and the type of person that I would want to hang out with. Her and Camilo's relationship was filled with "real love". Sure, Camilo could have any woman or women that he wanted but the first time that they had sex; he was actually aware of Clare's feelings.
Additionally, this book shows the relationship between Camilo and Castro with Castro's rise into power. Anyone looking to read a really good book that is rich in storytelling as well as the people should pick up a copy of this book.
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May 26, 2022Clare Miller is an American freelance photographer whose portraits capture the souls of her subjects. Camilo Cienfuegos (a Hundred Fires) is Cuban, a line cook at a top New York hotel, who wants to rid his country of its corrupt regime and raise its people out of poverty. They come from different worlds--Clare from an educated upper middle-class family, Camilo the son of poor tailors. Of course, they fall madly in love. Then Camilo is deported, and Clare discovers she’s pregnant. Clare resolves to raise the child, Alameda, herself, doubting she will ever see the father again.
At this point John Thorndike’s novel could have followed a familiar narrative path, documenting Clare’s struggle to balance her career and her role as a single parent. Instead, it takes a series of intriguing twists and turns. Clare ends up on assignment in Havana, where she meets and marries Domingo, a wealthy sugar mill owner and magazine publisher. He proves to be an attentive husband and lover, devoted to Alameda. They live in an upscale suburb, with a cook, a maid and a chauffeur for Domingo’s Chevy Impala. Life is good.
Then the world of Domingo and other wealthy Cubans collapses. It’s December 1958, and Fidel Castro’s ragtag columns are advancing on Havana from the Sierra Maestra. The revolutionary radio station announces that the second column is led by a charismatic commander, Camilo Cienfuegos, a trusted Castro confidante who trained with the revolutionaries in Mexico and talked his way on board the Granma that carried them to Cuba two years earlier. The dictator Batista flees, along with other “enemies of the people,” taking their fortunes with them. Those who remain face revolutionary justice—a quick trial, followed by prison or execution.
Clare is torn between her comfortable life with Domingo and her passion for the bearded revolutionary hero, a passion that seems to be shared by every other woman in Havana. Can they be reunited? Can Camilo become a true father to Alameda? Will he survive the palace intrigues of the new revolutionary regime?
Thorndike, who spent two years in the Peace Corps in El Salvador and another two on a backcountry farm in Chile before eventually settling in Athens, Ohio, shows a keen grasp of Latin American culture, history and personal relationships. His novel unfolds along the Cuban revolutionary timeline, with Fidel Castro and Che Guevara making cameo, yet critical, appearances in the plot. Thorndike’s portrayal of the streets, cafes and markets of Havana, and of rural areas, is vivid and evocative. The dialogue, liberally garnished with Cuban Spanish references to everything from cuisine to clothing, is fast-paced and nuanced, as the characters dodge, weave and manipulate each exchange to their advantage.
With the love story as its thread, Thorndike has his characters ponder the impact of implementing revolutionary ideology in practice. It’s one thing to be a guerrilla, living off the land and fighting for social justice. It’s another to be governing, figuring out who should own what and how to deal with your former enemies. Camilo knows his role as a soldier, but he is uncomfortable as a senior government official. Will he become disillusioned with the revolution? And if so, what will be his fate under the regime? Thorndike spins an intriguing plot that moves between Havana, New York, Miami and Costa Rica, and never slows down.
At this point John Thorndike’s novel could have followed a familiar narrative path, documenting Clare’s struggle to balance her career and her role as a single parent. Instead, it takes a series of intriguing twists and turns. Clare ends up on assignment in Havana, where she meets and marries Domingo, a wealthy sugar mill owner and magazine publisher. He proves to be an attentive husband and lover, devoted to Alameda. They live in an upscale suburb, with a cook, a maid and a chauffeur for Domingo’s Chevy Impala. Life is good.
Then the world of Domingo and other wealthy Cubans collapses. It’s December 1958, and Fidel Castro’s ragtag columns are advancing on Havana from the Sierra Maestra. The revolutionary radio station announces that the second column is led by a charismatic commander, Camilo Cienfuegos, a trusted Castro confidante who trained with the revolutionaries in Mexico and talked his way on board the Granma that carried them to Cuba two years earlier. The dictator Batista flees, along with other “enemies of the people,” taking their fortunes with them. Those who remain face revolutionary justice—a quick trial, followed by prison or execution.
Clare is torn between her comfortable life with Domingo and her passion for the bearded revolutionary hero, a passion that seems to be shared by every other woman in Havana. Can they be reunited? Can Camilo become a true father to Alameda? Will he survive the palace intrigues of the new revolutionary regime?
Thorndike, who spent two years in the Peace Corps in El Salvador and another two on a backcountry farm in Chile before eventually settling in Athens, Ohio, shows a keen grasp of Latin American culture, history and personal relationships. His novel unfolds along the Cuban revolutionary timeline, with Fidel Castro and Che Guevara making cameo, yet critical, appearances in the plot. Thorndike’s portrayal of the streets, cafes and markets of Havana, and of rural areas, is vivid and evocative. The dialogue, liberally garnished with Cuban Spanish references to everything from cuisine to clothing, is fast-paced and nuanced, as the characters dodge, weave and manipulate each exchange to their advantage.
With the love story as its thread, Thorndike has his characters ponder the impact of implementing revolutionary ideology in practice. It’s one thing to be a guerrilla, living off the land and fighting for social justice. It’s another to be governing, figuring out who should own what and how to deal with your former enemies. Camilo knows his role as a soldier, but he is uncomfortable as a senior government official. Will he become disillusioned with the revolution? And if so, what will be his fate under the regime? Thorndike spins an intriguing plot that moves between Havana, New York, Miami and Costa Rica, and never slows down.
July 13, 2018
“I meant that when you died, I had to live with that forever. I thought it was forever. My heart’s still damaged, because in it you’re dead. Here you are, alive, but I have to catch up.”
A Hundred Fires in Cuba by John Thorndike is the fictional story of Clare Miller, an American photographer married to a wealthy Cuban business tycoon in Havana, a man she'd settled for after a whirlwind affair with the prominent and revered revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos left her pregnant and alone at a time when such circumstances were unthinkable. When news reaches Clare that Cienfuegos is actually alive, Clare is confronted with the difficult choice of remaining in a marriage with the man who believes her young daughter, Alameda, was conceived by a wayward Puerto Rican, or seeking out a love she'd lost but never truly gave up on, in a charismatic legend of a man who is as difficult to hold on to as water in the hand.
A Hundred Fires in Cuba is a vivid and wonderfully written book that highlights a time and era when Cuba was at the apex of change, focusing on a woman caught in the crosshairs of men who are the antithesis of the other: a capitalist and a communist. And while Camilo Cienfuegos is central to the story, it is Clare who is our worthy protagonist, and it is through the narrative of her life that John Thorndike offers us a glorious view of the personal trials experienced in the midst of public timult. I absolutely adore this book. It has romance with perfectly fleshed out characters, dramatic scenery, tension, and all the right history to appeal to a wide readership. And while I have always been intrigued by Cienfuegos himself, it is Clare that I was grateful to have in the driver seat of this brilliantly engrossing story.
Review written for Readers' Favorite.
A Hundred Fires in Cuba by John Thorndike is the fictional story of Clare Miller, an American photographer married to a wealthy Cuban business tycoon in Havana, a man she'd settled for after a whirlwind affair with the prominent and revered revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos left her pregnant and alone at a time when such circumstances were unthinkable. When news reaches Clare that Cienfuegos is actually alive, Clare is confronted with the difficult choice of remaining in a marriage with the man who believes her young daughter, Alameda, was conceived by a wayward Puerto Rican, or seeking out a love she'd lost but never truly gave up on, in a charismatic legend of a man who is as difficult to hold on to as water in the hand.
A Hundred Fires in Cuba is a vivid and wonderfully written book that highlights a time and era when Cuba was at the apex of change, focusing on a woman caught in the crosshairs of men who are the antithesis of the other: a capitalist and a communist. And while Camilo Cienfuegos is central to the story, it is Clare who is our worthy protagonist, and it is through the narrative of her life that John Thorndike offers us a glorious view of the personal trials experienced in the midst of public timult. I absolutely adore this book. It has romance with perfectly fleshed out characters, dramatic scenery, tension, and all the right history to appeal to a wide readership. And while I have always been intrigued by Cienfuegos himself, it is Clare that I was grateful to have in the driver seat of this brilliantly engrossing story.
Review written for Readers' Favorite.
August 3, 2018
I love books that give me a side of history that I may not typically be familiar with, and John Thorndike's account of Clare and Camillo is human and heartbreaking. "A Hundred Fires in Cuba" will stick with you long after you have turned the last page.
July 30, 2021
Bringing Havana and the Cuban Revolution into sharp focus as partner characters in a story of romance and intrigue, John Thorndike captivates with riveting authenticity. Could not put A HUNDRED FIRES IN CUBA down and deeply grateful for the savoring flavors and heat of Havana.
January 26, 2026
Winner of the Eric Hoffer Award for Historical Fiction and named Best Indie Fiction of 2018 by Kirkus Reviews, A Hundred Fires in Cuba is a sweeping, intimate novel that reframes the Cuban Revolution through the private costs of love, exile, and political mythmaking.
Thorndike opens in 1956 New York, where a young American photographer, Clare Miller, falls into a brief but life altering affair with a Cuban line cook who is abruptly deported by Immigration. Pregnant and abandoned by circumstance rather than choice, Clare believes her lover has died during Fidel Castro’s invasion of Cuba. Years later, after marrying a wealthy Cuban businessman and relocating to Havana with her young daughter, Clare discovers the impossible truth: her first love is alive and not merely alive, but Camilo Cienfuegos, one of the most charismatic and revered commanders of the Cuban Revolution.
What distinguishes A Hundred Fires in Cuba is its refusal to reduce history to ideology. Camilo is rendered neither as untouchable legend nor fallen idol, but as a man split between revolutionary bravado and private vulnerability. Thorndike’s portrayal of Camilo as a fearless soldier who struggles with the quiet intimacies of fatherhood is particularly affecting, revealing how revolution magnifies human contradiction rather than erasing it.
Clare’s perspective grounds the novel emotionally. Her love is neither naïve nor heroic; it is compromised, complicated, and deeply human. Thorndike excels at depicting how political upheaval invades domestic life how love affairs are shaped, distorted, and sometimes destroyed by forces far beyond personal control.
Written with restraint and emotional precision, A Hundred Fires in Cuba is historical fiction at its most effective: illuminating a famous era by centering the lives history usually leaves in the margins. It is a novel about revolution, yes but more enduringly, about the costs of loving someone who belongs as much to history as to the present moment.
Thorndike opens in 1956 New York, where a young American photographer, Clare Miller, falls into a brief but life altering affair with a Cuban line cook who is abruptly deported by Immigration. Pregnant and abandoned by circumstance rather than choice, Clare believes her lover has died during Fidel Castro’s invasion of Cuba. Years later, after marrying a wealthy Cuban businessman and relocating to Havana with her young daughter, Clare discovers the impossible truth: her first love is alive and not merely alive, but Camilo Cienfuegos, one of the most charismatic and revered commanders of the Cuban Revolution.
What distinguishes A Hundred Fires in Cuba is its refusal to reduce history to ideology. Camilo is rendered neither as untouchable legend nor fallen idol, but as a man split between revolutionary bravado and private vulnerability. Thorndike’s portrayal of Camilo as a fearless soldier who struggles with the quiet intimacies of fatherhood is particularly affecting, revealing how revolution magnifies human contradiction rather than erasing it.
Clare’s perspective grounds the novel emotionally. Her love is neither naïve nor heroic; it is compromised, complicated, and deeply human. Thorndike excels at depicting how political upheaval invades domestic life how love affairs are shaped, distorted, and sometimes destroyed by forces far beyond personal control.
Written with restraint and emotional precision, A Hundred Fires in Cuba is historical fiction at its most effective: illuminating a famous era by centering the lives history usually leaves in the margins. It is a novel about revolution, yes but more enduringly, about the costs of loving someone who belongs as much to history as to the present moment.
May 22, 2020
Although this book was great in the beginning & even until the middle of the book I was really enjoying it especially because it’s a fast read.. the reason I gave it a 3 star was because I felt like the ending was very rushed! By the end of the book Clare and Camilo were just getting predictable & annoying haha. All in all I really did enjoy most of the book and don’t regret reading it!
October 29, 2018
“A Hundred Fires in Cuba” is the latest tome from John Thorndike, wordsmith and storyteller extraordinaire. Others have summarized the story so I will just tell you to brew yourself a nice cup of tea, read and enjoy.
September 3, 2018
An authentic love story told against the backdrop of Havana, Cuba in the 50s. A beautiful book.
April 10, 2019
Intriguing and well written story culminating in the possible alternative history about the mystery surrounding Camilo Cienfuegos disappearance in a plane crash shortly after the Cuban revolution.
May 27, 2019
More love story than history.
November 7, 2018
Halfway historical, halfway fiction, A Hundred Fires in Cuba blends them well—for the most part. Hope you like practicing your Spanish because there's plenty of it peppered within the text. Sometimes it's translated for you, sometimes not.
From the writing alone, you can understand how Camillo can be idolized today and how he has escaped some of the harsher criticism given to Castro's other subordinates. It may not be realistic, a bit like a warm caricature of him at times, but enough of his famous characteristics are there to distinguish him. A marvelous addition to the scary political tension that set Castro's rise to power. Many historical narratives often include some preaching of modern morals from the author due to hindsight; A Hundred Fires in Cuba is tastefully written to avoid a good majority of that. If it's in there, it's because a character is saying this not the author. So I appreciated that.
On the fictional side, though, I had mixed feelings. It's a flawed love triangle of impulsive passion and mostly one-sided sentiments. Clare was explained so quickly to us in the story that she ended up feeling a bit dry. I know she's a bold wildstar, an independent, working, and stubborn single mother, but her flaws were too much for me to really like her. And she's meant to be the emotional glue that unites history with fiction. Yeah, that's a unsettling disconnect. Especially when it came to the second half of the book, and it felt like Clare's development petered out to me rather than fleshing out. Which is unfortunate to me since I liked what her presence added to the historical sections of the narrative.
While I had reservations with Clare, it was the other fictional characters who kept me empathetic to the emotional aspects of the story's setting. Clare's daughter, Ala, and her wily instance for Spanish only responses. Domingo and his prudent and luxurious lifestyle clashing with Camillo's macho and rebellious beliefs. Eliseo and his intense car chats. Engracia and her talk of goddesses. Debbie and her youthful desire to raise a child contrasting with Rosa and her bittersweet care-taking. It's a rich world of characters who keep the reader aware of how the Cuban and North American societies reacted to the revolution.
A Hundred Fires in Cuba had an awkward start to me, but it gradually worked its way to being a charming if somber story of Camillo and his fame. If you aren't aware of him right now, you'll probably learn something new. Personally, I liked the first half better than the heavily fictional second half. But the ending was given a proper build up and delivery; it didn't feel too rushed and leaves with a hopeful exit. Within a setting marked by distrust and death, it is a worthwhile conclusion for me. Give this a try if Cuban historical fiction tickles your fancy.
I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
From the writing alone, you can understand how Camillo can be idolized today and how he has escaped some of the harsher criticism given to Castro's other subordinates. It may not be realistic, a bit like a warm caricature of him at times, but enough of his famous characteristics are there to distinguish him. A marvelous addition to the scary political tension that set Castro's rise to power. Many historical narratives often include some preaching of modern morals from the author due to hindsight; A Hundred Fires in Cuba is tastefully written to avoid a good majority of that. If it's in there, it's because a character is saying this not the author. So I appreciated that.
On the fictional side, though, I had mixed feelings. It's a flawed love triangle of impulsive passion and mostly one-sided sentiments. Clare was explained so quickly to us in the story that she ended up feeling a bit dry. I know she's a bold wildstar, an independent, working, and stubborn single mother, but her flaws were too much for me to really like her. And she's meant to be the emotional glue that unites history with fiction. Yeah, that's a unsettling disconnect. Especially when it came to the second half of the book, and it felt like Clare's development petered out to me rather than fleshing out. Which is unfortunate to me since I liked what her presence added to the historical sections of the narrative.
While I had reservations with Clare, it was the other fictional characters who kept me empathetic to the emotional aspects of the story's setting. Clare's daughter, Ala, and her wily instance for Spanish only responses. Domingo and his prudent and luxurious lifestyle clashing with Camillo's macho and rebellious beliefs. Eliseo and his intense car chats. Engracia and her talk of goddesses. Debbie and her youthful desire to raise a child contrasting with Rosa and her bittersweet care-taking. It's a rich world of characters who keep the reader aware of how the Cuban and North American societies reacted to the revolution.
A Hundred Fires in Cuba had an awkward start to me, but it gradually worked its way to being a charming if somber story of Camillo and his fame. If you aren't aware of him right now, you'll probably learn something new. Personally, I liked the first half better than the heavily fictional second half. But the ending was given a proper build up and delivery; it didn't feel too rushed and leaves with a hopeful exit. Within a setting marked by distrust and death, it is a worthwhile conclusion for me. Give this a try if Cuban historical fiction tickles your fancy.
I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
August 3, 2018
Reviewed by Ben Green for Reader Views (07/18)
“A Hundred Fires in Cuba” is an excellent read. Actually, let me just put this out there right from the start: “A Hundred Fires in Cuba” by John Thorndike is one of the best books I have ever reviewed for Reader Views and is well deserving of the five stars I am giving it.
The story is mostly set in late 1950s Cuba and told from the perspective of the main character Clare, a photojournalist who finds herself in a love triangle between a Cuban business man and the father of her child, Camilo Cienfuegos, who also happens to be one of Castro’s head commanders. While both Clare and Camilo are well written and interesting characters, so are many of the other supporting characters. In fact, almost everyone is interesting.
The plot sounds simple enough, but it is so well done that at no point do you even consider that this story has been told a thousand times before. Thorndike creates such believable and interesting characters and settings that the plot moves along smoothly without issue or feeling repetitive. In fact, I made it all the way through the first five chapters before I started to think this might actually be a romance. To be fair romance is a big part of the story but it is the less interesting part and really just works as a tool to move this character around this well-written world.
It is hard to explain just how well this book is written. Thorndike transports the reader into newly liberated Cuba right at the coming of power of Fidel Castro. He uses this historical backdrop to really bring the characters to life. The small details in both the characters and setting make every moment believable. Historically the book seems genuine and accurate. As well, the dialogue fits the time and unlike so many historical fictions, it never seems like Thorndike is overworking to remind you when and where these characters live.
In conclusion, I guess what I am trying to say is this is an excellent read which you should really take the time to check out. It is clearly written by a mature author who knows what he is doing and isn’t concerned with impressing the reader with the cheap tricks that often fill books of this type. Everything here is well done: the character, the setting, the dialogue, the story, and pacing all work well together. To restate what I said at the beginning, “A Hundred Fires in Cuba” by John Thorndike is a five-star read, and one of the best books I have reviewed in a long time.
“A Hundred Fires in Cuba” is an excellent read. Actually, let me just put this out there right from the start: “A Hundred Fires in Cuba” by John Thorndike is one of the best books I have ever reviewed for Reader Views and is well deserving of the five stars I am giving it.
The story is mostly set in late 1950s Cuba and told from the perspective of the main character Clare, a photojournalist who finds herself in a love triangle between a Cuban business man and the father of her child, Camilo Cienfuegos, who also happens to be one of Castro’s head commanders. While both Clare and Camilo are well written and interesting characters, so are many of the other supporting characters. In fact, almost everyone is interesting.
The plot sounds simple enough, but it is so well done that at no point do you even consider that this story has been told a thousand times before. Thorndike creates such believable and interesting characters and settings that the plot moves along smoothly without issue or feeling repetitive. In fact, I made it all the way through the first five chapters before I started to think this might actually be a romance. To be fair romance is a big part of the story but it is the less interesting part and really just works as a tool to move this character around this well-written world.
It is hard to explain just how well this book is written. Thorndike transports the reader into newly liberated Cuba right at the coming of power of Fidel Castro. He uses this historical backdrop to really bring the characters to life. The small details in both the characters and setting make every moment believable. Historically the book seems genuine and accurate. As well, the dialogue fits the time and unlike so many historical fictions, it never seems like Thorndike is overworking to remind you when and where these characters live.
In conclusion, I guess what I am trying to say is this is an excellent read which you should really take the time to check out. It is clearly written by a mature author who knows what he is doing and isn’t concerned with impressing the reader with the cheap tricks that often fill books of this type. Everything here is well done: the character, the setting, the dialogue, the story, and pacing all work well together. To restate what I said at the beginning, “A Hundred Fires in Cuba” by John Thorndike is a five-star read, and one of the best books I have reviewed in a long time.
January 18, 2019
John Thorndike's A Hundred Fires of Cuba is a novel where the growth of the characters and the movement of the story are driven like a harnessed pair. It takes place in the time of Fidel Castro's Revolution. We encounter principally a challenging love story under highly unusual circumstances. It is also a work of historical fiction, and it is the way that genre ought always to be done. Here we have a writer who has deeply absorbed many levels of historical information: political, biographical, geographical and cultural. Because of this, he does not deploy packages of facts as historical window-dressing. Thorndike's thoroughly digested understanding of a special time and place informs his storytelling in ways both natural and subtle. Overall it creates an emotionally convincing setting, and therefore provides the ground for a compelling plot and authentic set of characters. And yet in Thorndike's hands the story is also timeless, because of his mature appreciation of human psychology. All his characters, like real human beings, are imperfect in the choices they make. They aspire to live fuller lives, even as they struggle to figure out what they want out of a life that takes unpredicted turns. As an author, Thorndike's point of view shows he is a keen-eyed student of the spectrum of human experience. His perspective rewards the reader because it is multifaceted, and generously embraces life's true complexity rather than presenting a black and white viewpoint. The author does not romanticize the era, but he does show how people of the time did. Through it all, his writing style carries you like clear flowing water, and so the novel percolates through the mind like a vivid dream. When the reader is done, it is impossible for the heart to dismiss the fictional from the factual. In some parallel universe it had to have happened just as Thorndike wrote it.
October 31, 2018
I have been search for a historical fiction book from a period which I rarely read and when I came across John Thorndike's A Hundred Fires in Cuba, I thought that it would fit the bill. As an added bonus, I hoped to learn something about the Cuban revolution.
This is a novelization of a period in the life of Camilo Cienfuegos, whose name means, you guessed it a hundred fires. It is a revolutionary tale and love story between Camilo, a real person and fictional character, Clare Miller an American photographer.
Clare and Camilo have an affair in New York City where she lives and he is working as a line cook. Camilo is sent back to Cuba by immigration and Clare discovers she is pregnant.
Fast forward a few years and Clare lives in Cuba with her daughter Alameda and husband Domingo when she discovers that Camilo is not dead as she assumed, but living.
I found discovering the story about the revolution interesting and applaud the book for that. I was not always sympathetic with Clare and at times didn't quite believe her.
I enjoyed the twist at the end which veers from the story about Camilo which I found in Wikipedia.
I expect this to be a book which some enjoy and others, not so much.
This is a novelization of a period in the life of Camilo Cienfuegos, whose name means, you guessed it a hundred fires. It is a revolutionary tale and love story between Camilo, a real person and fictional character, Clare Miller an American photographer.
Clare and Camilo have an affair in New York City where she lives and he is working as a line cook. Camilo is sent back to Cuba by immigration and Clare discovers she is pregnant.
Fast forward a few years and Clare lives in Cuba with her daughter Alameda and husband Domingo when she discovers that Camilo is not dead as she assumed, but living.
I found discovering the story about the revolution interesting and applaud the book for that. I was not always sympathetic with Clare and at times didn't quite believe her.
I enjoyed the twist at the end which veers from the story about Camilo which I found in Wikipedia.
I expect this to be a book which some enjoy and others, not so much.
August 24, 2018
John Thorndike's A Hundred Fires in Cuba is an intriguing love story that also brings to vivid life an important historical moment. Camilo Cienfuegos--the character is based on a historical figure--is a guerrilla fighter, a hero of Castro's revolution. The book is set in the early years of the revolution, and Camilo carries all the tough, world-weary glamour you'd expect of a victorious military commander. Camilo and Clare had a passionate affair in New York some time before the book begins. When Clare, now a skilled professional photographer returns to Cuba, she is unaware that her one-time lover is still alive. What Camilo doesn't know is even more telling: Clare has a two-year-old child, and he is the father.
I'm not sure what I liked most about A Hundred Fires in Cuba: the profound, complex and very human relationship between Clare and Camilo, the subtle, intelligent way in which the novel communicates both the righteousness and the corruption of Castro's revolution, or the beautiful clarity of Thorndike's prose.
I'm not sure what I liked most about A Hundred Fires in Cuba: the profound, complex and very human relationship between Clare and Camilo, the subtle, intelligent way in which the novel communicates both the righteousness and the corruption of Castro's revolution, or the beautiful clarity of Thorndike's prose.
October 21, 2018
John Thorndike’s “A Hundred Fires in Cuba” is a terrific love story set in the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. All the historical figures are there, Fidel, Raul, Che, and the sensual Camilo Cienfuegos, who’s involved in a passionate affair with Clare Miller, a NYC photographer chronicling the early stages of Castro’s overthrow of Batista’s government. Thorndike paints a colorful picture of 1959 Cuba, a heady time as the rebels work to implement reforms on the island. The story is gripping, the characters real, especially Clare, a passionate lover and loving mother of Camilo’s child. She’s challenged to balance her independent, zestful spirit with the everyday responsibilities of caring for her young daughter. Thorndike clearly knows Cuban culture and history and shares it in vivid prose, as Clare drinks “sweet dark coffee served in little screws of paper” on her way to photograph men cutting sugar cane, whose movements are a “dance, more like a waltz than a rumba.” “A Hundred Fires” is a beautifully written love story.
May 16, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! I received it in a Good Reads giveaway and am glad I did because I would not have ordinarily picked it up to read! The life of old time Cuba and it's history is so well documented! I love the history of Cuba as told which is interspersed with a love story. The historical facts are so interesting. I learned a lot from the book, from early time Fidel Castro's reign to present. Very interesting and educational. My copy was also signed by the author on a postcard which makes it even more special. Thank you Good Reads for this book!
November 18, 2018
What a fantastic story about a figure that I knew very little about, Camilo Cienfuegos. It was absorbing to see the unfolding of his relationship with Clare Miller in the middle of the Cuban revolution. The historic events of the day and the progression of these characters was wonderful.
November 18, 2018
I’ve read other books by this author and I really enjoy his writing, but I know almost nothing about Cuba so I was not sure what to expect of this book initially. It turned out to be a great read! The characters are so beautifully written, and the details so finely rendered, that I was transported to another time and place. It’s such a pleasure to read a novel by a writer of this caliber. I was sad to see this book end, and it’s stayed with me since. Highly recommend it.
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January 28, 2019Hard Copy
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