What a great read! I could relate to this memoir on many levels - not as a Cuban American, but as a great-granddaughter of Irish immigrants, and as someone fortunate enough to have visited Havana.

The author recounts growing up feeling like she didn't belong as a "real Cuban" until she visited her mother's homeland as an adult. She paints her family in rich strokes, letting the reader see how they helped shape her upbringing and her confusion about her heritage. She shares details of her trip to Havana in such a way that brought back sweet memories for me as a visitor.

This was a relatively short read (I finished it in one day as a slow reader), and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Chanel Cleeton's books, is interested in Cuban history, or simply enjoys reading memoirs. This one is told beautifully and masterfully.

Looking for your heritage when you don't have real connections to your homeland isn't easy. And if this homeland is Cuba it wasn't easy to go and see for yourself where you come from, where your grandparents lived. I guess a lot of people are on the same journey. By looking for your identity, heritage might play an important role.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I believe it is important to learn and experience your culture and that's what Barbara was doing. Learned quite a bit about Cuba's history and some traditions. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

I read this while traveling and thought it was an inspiring way to think about the intersection between cultural identity, family, and language. We learn through Caver's journey about the importance of history and healing in Cuba. The descriptions of food and buildings felt nostalgic and made me feel like I was dusting off someone's diary and reading a narrative of their entries.

I enjoyed this book. Two sentences that stood out to me: "Not remembering is different from forgetting" and "Assumptions are dangerous." We must remember history and learn from it. We must not make assumptions about people based on appearances. Barbara was open about the struggle to find how she fit and how her family's Cuban origins were a part of her.

This book was right up my alley - I love reading about the nuances and complexities of cultural identity.

"A Little Piece of Cuba" is a memoir about Barbara, a second-generation Cuban American who has struggled with what that label truly means and what her Cuban heritage means to her. Even though her mother was born in Cuba, she fled the country after Castro's rise to power when she was just 7 years old. As a result, her mom has a complicated relationship with Cuba, rarely speaks Spanish, and prefers not to discuss or dwell on the past.

Understandably, Barbara grows up with a lot of curiosity about Cuba, but not many answers. The book delves into her journey as a 30-something adult finally traveling to Cuba for the first time. She gets to experience the country as it is now, and discover what it must've been like for her family back then.

I’ve personally struggled with cultural identity and with questions around what it means to be Hispanic, especially the feeling of not being “authentic” enough. I really appreciated reading about Barbara’s exploration of her heritage, food, and traditions, and how she ultimately redefined what Cuban identity means to her through this journey.

I also learned a lot about Cuba's history and culture I wasn't familiar with. Her description of the streets, the people, and the ambience made me feel like I was traveling alongside her to Cuba.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

What a beautiful story! Barbara Caver takes us on her journey of discovering her Cuban roots in a way that makes you feel like you are right there with her, whether that's on her grandparents farm in Louisiana or in the middle of Havana. A Little Piece of Cuba is well worth the read.
Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.