This story opens in 1970s Cuba when the law of the jungle ruled, brutal violence went unanswered, and silence was obligatory. Sexual hypocrisy reigns in Cuba’s patriarchal culture when sixteen-year-old Zé meets a Greek sailor her age, falls in love, and becomes pregnant. Her lover will return to sea before she finds out. She will have to tell her parents and is beaten by her father, forced to flee. Zé will find refuge with her musicologist aunt Adela in Matanzas, a city that is cultured and tolerant. She will blossom there as will her son Petros, who will be raised among women, including Zé’s mother Isabel and her lover Osiris.

This story highlights the strength and growth that can be gained if women support one another. It is a short read, which brings me to my complaint. We are shown Zé’s world and the cost of teen pregnancy in the opening pages. The brutal beating Zé’s father gives her is terrifying. The dialogue with Osiris is enlightening. Then the women flee to Matanzas, and we are only told what happens. There is a difference, and it matters because we can feel how these methods play out. We can only wonder how Zé becomes in possession of her own path, how Adela impacts Petros’s future, and how Isabel and Osiris become lovers at a great cost to both of them. This is unfortunate as these are evolutions that would best be shown.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I really enjoyed this story. I read it from start to finish without stopping. It really was interesting! I cant say much without giving away all the spoilers but the ending was everything i could have hoped for

While it wasn’t very long, there was a lot that happened in the story. I appreciated the brief glance into Cuban culture and politics as well. I wish that there was more character development all around as I didn’t feel very invested in the story. It was also a bit surprising when we jumped timelines as there was no indication of such. It took contextual clues and I had to re-read a few sentences the first time we jumped.

"For readers of Isabel Allende, Gabriela Garcia, and Julia Alvarez, the story of a woman who must fight for her love and her child in a Cuba suffocated by oppression"

With 144 pages, A Greek Love gives us a glimpse of life in Cuba and Greek-Cuban relations (which was all new to me!), as well as a young mother's love for her son and the misogyny that our FMCs experience. SO many topics covered in such a short book!! Highly recommend for those who like shorter reads--easy to get through and beautifully written.

Thank you NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the arc!

I loved this book! The window into Cuban society, the Greek connection and young love. Every page was a delight. I am literally going to read every single book Zoe Valdés has written!

this was such a good novel, I was invested in what was going on with the characters. I loved getting to know the characters and their world. It was a great read and I was invested in what was going on. Zoe Valdes does a great job in writing this and I'm glad I read this.

“Mamá, please. None of this is your fault. You aren’t to blame for what I did. But besides, I didn’t do anything wrong. I met Orestes by chance. Both of us were going to Regla, on the ferry, and I struck up a conversation with him. It was me, it wasn’t even him going after me. He’s the only child of a ship’s captain. That Greek boat that ran aground in the bay a few months ago.”

“a greek love” is the story of one woman’s life as she lives in cuba and has a great interest in greek culture. when zé becomes pregnant after a teenage fling with the son of a greek sailor, her father beats her. in cuba, soviet communists are well respected, but the greeks are hated. rather having a dead daughter than one pregnant by a greek, zé’s father makes life very hard for her. nonetheless she prevails. this is the tale of zé and her son, petros.

beautifully written and compact, zoe valdes compiles cuban social norms, greek art, and the love zé has for her son, her family, and someone special on the horizon. it’s a short, compelling novel that shows that valdes has an incredible range. one of the chapters is epistolary in nature and fits in perfectly with the narrative. the changing points of view are well done, never choppy. valdes has created a short masterpiece that captures the love between both friends and family.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Despite the title, this is less of a love story and more a brief, but interesting, view into Cuba, with a bit of Greek/Cuban relations thrown in.

It was hard to connect with the characters in such a short novella. The jumps between past and present don't seem to allow the storyline to develop enough for me.

I wasn't left fully satisfied by the end. But this is not a bad choice if you are looking for something different to read in one sitting.

A Greek Love, written by Zoe Valdes, is a translated short lyrical novel that has beautifully captured the oppression, abuse, passion, hope, and love of Cuba into words. I can only imagine what the book reads like in Spanish. The story flawlessly travels through Ze’s life as it starts at age sixteen when she gets pregnant by a Greek Sailor. In mid-1970s Cuba, this was considered a shame and a scandal. Labeled a “Greek’s Whore”, Ze’s father beats her and disowns her leaving her no choice but to live with her Tia in the countryside, where she raises her son. This book sheds light on what mid-1970s Cuban communism was like and how it affected people. Sadly, Cuba remains a communist government to this day. This book is worth the read if you’re looking for something different.