Beautifully and lovingly written, this is the story of one family’s flight from Cuba to the United States. Intermingled with a thorough, but not overwhelming history of Cuba, it delves into the lives of three generations of Cuban women and their extended family. Is it not often the women who hold the families together and are the guardians of memories?

I enjoyed learning more about the history of this island nation and, in fact, saw some concerning parallels that serve as a cautionary for our times.…rewriting history, making people doubt, making people forget, maps changing when government changes.

As the author recounts her family history, I couldn’t help but smile at some of the stories and how it’s often the case that there are several different versions of how events unfolded. Most impressive is the lifelong love and caring that the author and her mother expressed for the matriarch of the family, the abuela who, with her husband, made the difficult decision to flee Cuba upon the rise of Fidel Castro. Despite leaving behind the island they had called home, there is always a pull and emotional connection that binds them to it, a connection that spans generations.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for the DRC.

I was swept ip into this book with the first paragraph. It is non-fiction that reads like an intricate fictional story. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I just finished this book. It was a breezy read, but I found it to be mostly a run down of historical events of the Cuban revolution and relationship to the US. It tries to tell the story through a Cuban family in exile perspective, but there wasn’t much excitement, drama or character development that could make this an exciting family saga despite the topic. It only delivers a bit of this emotion towards the end without much detail of the family’s journey from Cuba, their struggles or experiences to survive in a new land. It mostly felt like a matter-of-fact history class that thankfully was not very long. I guess I expected more given such human and emotional topic.

The Eternal Forest is a poignant and heartfelt rendering of a family whose roots stretch between Cuba and the States. Sheppard artfully blends history as it pertains to generations of her family and Cuba.

Sheppard uses three pillars-her grandmother, mother, and herself-to weave a history that spans over one hundred years. The experiences that each generation faces- from regime change in Cuba, fleeing Cuba, and trying to grapple with identity as a Cuban American- is impactful and thought provoking.

With an identity that lies between two countries, Sheppard grapples with the rich tapestry that is her history and that of the Cuban diaspora.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the opportunity to respond to this book with my honest opinions.

In 1959, Fidel Castro seized power and the author’s family’s lives were changed forever. Sheppard’s grandfather was marked for possible execution so he, his wife and their two young daughters migrated to Florida in the “first wave” of Cuban exiles who expected a short lived revolution and a quick return to their beloved country. 28 years later, the author becomes the first family member born in American yet she feels a compelling connection to the people, place and history of her family’s roots. She explores her place in this “eternal forest” by collecting the many stories, told and repeated by her extended family, about their everyday lives and experiences, as well as appreciating the parallels and close relationship between herself, her mother and her grandmother. In her lyrical sharing of those stories, we learn not just about the Cuban diaspora but how memories and generational experiences affect and influence us and bind us to our ancestors.

In "The Eternal Forest", author Elena Sheppard takes readers on a journey her and her family's past, weaving stories passed down by family members and her own extensive research over the time periods. Growing up Cuban-American in the United States, she has long heard tales of her family's beginnings in Cifuentes, Cuba and the long, complicated path that led the grandparents to flee the country due to the Cuban Revolution - all because her grandfather had run (but hadn't won!) for mayor in the years leading to Fidel Castro's rise.

While this work may be titled a memoir, it is better described as a literary exploration or rumination; Sheppard weaves in detailed historical research, references to other literature and writers, elements of fantasy/mythology, the stories her grandmother, mother, and other family members passed down, and her own experiences and perspectives. This is a complex work as she explores her own identity and the historical events that led to her own existence; the legacy of her ancestors - both good and bad - including the looming fear of suicide passed through the generations; and her return to Cuba as an adult as she meets the family and family friends that she has only heard about in stories.

The prose in this work was beautiful and transportive, and as someone who knew very little about the Cuban Revolution, it gave me a better grasp of the event both historically and how it caused the upheaval of life for many Cuban civilians during the time. I did struggle at times with the structure of this book; it doesn't follow a clear chronological format and jumps between time periods and settings frequently, which made it difficult at times to keep track of all the different characters and events. While I think it would have benefited from a little more organization of passages, it didn't detract from the work as a whole.

Very much a recommended read when "The Eternal Forest" is published in September 2025!

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