The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba

4.5 rounded up to 5. I could have done without the romance between Gloria and Raefel. Solid depiction of an historical event.

I truly enjoyed this story about three women in different circumstances and locations but all connected in some way to the struggles in Cuba in 1896-1898. Evangelista is a beautiful woman who is unjustly imprisoned in Cuba. Marina is a wife, mother, and revolutionary who longs for freedom for her country. Grace is a young woman in New York City who finds herself writing articles for Hearst in the midst of a competition between Pulitzer and Hearst for the readership of the city. All three women are strong and stay true to themselves through challenges large and small. This is the second book I've read by this author and it is very well written and brings you right into the story and keeps you there. I learned a lot about what happened with Cuba, Spain, and the U.S. during this time period - things I probably should have learned long ago. Highly recommend!
Favorite quote: (Grace speaking of Evangelista, p 135) “She is indeed lovely, and still, it seems insulting almost in the face of all she has endured to remark upon her beauty as though it is her defining characteristic, to consign her to hues and angles rather than the strength of her character and spirit”.