Living under a dictatorship and miserable conditions, the author's family must leave their beloved home in Cuba, many friends, and relatives. Elena Sheppard takes us through her family history, and we see how difficult it is for her to separate herself from her genealogy.

The story takes us back and forth in time, inner feelings and memories pitted against global occurrences. A little poetic while trying to be accurate.

I found reading or listening to this on Kindle's text-to-speech feature less than ideal, even though I felt I followed the author's tale well. I would have loved it more with a narrator, preferably the author. One thing TTS does horribly is other languages. Even though Ms. Sheppard translates her few statements and poems gracefully, I would rather hear the language of Elena's life. Then again, I am not fluent in Spanish. I'd still need the translation.

I was lucky to get this copy from NetGalley.

I adored every sentence of this beautifully written, emotional memoir.

Elena Sheppard takes us along as she remembers her family's history. This includes the history of Cuba, the history of Cuban migration to the United States, and the history of her individual family members. While it is the story of her family, it is the story of many families who have to leave all they have behind for a better life, and the story of the new generations who are straddling a line between who their family is versus who they are as first, second, or third generation qualified Americans. She hits on themes of inheritance, mental illness, connectedness, identity, and motherhood. It is simply a beautiful story and it is even more beautifully written.

Admittedly, I am part of the Cuban diaspora and maybe I am not the most unbiased of readers, as I was deeply invested in this the moment I read the description. I loved it so much I didn't want it to end. A masterpiece, imho!

I was most interested in the relationships explored among family members in this new book. I don't love historical stories, but for this title, it is crucial to the overall subject. I learned about family traditions, the Cuban culture, and historic events. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Eternal Forest is a moving, beautifully written family history book interwoven with Cuban history. Highly recommend!

This is a gorgeously written memoir that blends Cuban history with family storytelling. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Memoir of the Cuban diaspora. A bit dry but gives a decent history lesson in addition to family storytelling. I had a hard time staying interested