The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba - Chanel Cleeton Page 0,131
found myself immersed in a larger-than-life world where newspaper magnates chartered yachts and sailed into battle. All of the outlandish behaviors in the book—the showgirls dancing on a yacht in Cuba as war rages on, the spies immersed in newsrooms, the extravagant celebrations, eccentric personalities, and more—are straight from the historical record. The Gilded Age was a time of excess, and there is no better example of that than in the newspaper business during this period. At the same time, it was an era of great insecurity. In my fictional heroine, Grace, modeled after the legendary Nellie Bly and other journalists like her, I was able to immerse myself in this fascinating world.
At the heart of all of the different story threads, I kept coming back to one place: Cuba. The war for independence from Spain is one of the darkest and most heartbreaking times in Cuban history. While there is a range of estimates, approximately one third of Cuba’s population was sent to Spanish reconcentration camps. General Weyler’s reconcentration camps are considered to be the first modern use of concentration camps and resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of Cubans.
In creating Marina’s character, I wanted to pay homage to the immense courage and strength of spirit of the real-life women who fought for Cuban independence and the plight of the reconcentrados. Through her character I followed my fictional Perez family through history, witnessing the beginning of Cuba’s independence, and learning a great deal about my heritage researching this time period in Cuba’s history.
Cuba ultimately gained its formal independence from the United States on May 20, 1902.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Publishing a book takes a village, and I could never do it without the support of all of the people who do such extraordinary work on my behalf and the friends and family who step in and offer help when I need it most along the way.
Thank you to my fabulous editor Kate Seaver and amazing agent Kevan Lyon who make all things possible. You’re the best team, and I am so happy to be on this adventure with both of you.
To my wonderful publicists Erin Galloway, Tara O’Connor, and Stephanie Felty, and fabulous marketing representative Fareeda Bullert—thank you for working so tirelessly on my behalf and for sharing your talents with me. Thank you to the team at Berkley Publishing for giving me such a welcoming and supportive publishing home: Madeline McIntosh, Allison Dobson, Ivan Held, Christine Ball, Claire Zion, Jeanne-Marie Hudson, Craig Burke, Tawanna Sullivan, and Mary Geren, as well as the sales department, subrights department, and the Berkley art department, particularly Sarah Oberrender who designed the stunning cover, and all of the others who support my books. Thanks to Patricia Nelson and Marsal Lyon Literary Agency for your efforts on my behalf. Thank you to Reese’s Book Club for all of your support for me and my books, and for welcoming me into your extraordinary community.
I couldn’t do this without my family and friends. Thank you for your love and for understanding when I sometimes disappear back in time even though dinner needs to be made and the laundry needs to be folded. You all jump in to help me when I need it most, and I couldn’t do it without you. Thank you to my wonderful author friends—especially my fellow Lyonesses—who are always there to offer guidance and encouragement.
I am so grateful to all of the booksellers, bloggers, librarians, readers, and reviewers who read and support my books and have embraced the Perez family. Thank you for making this dream of mine a reality.
READERS GUIDE
Readers guide for
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
The novel alternates between the three main heroines: Grace Harrington, Evangelina Cisneros, and Marina Perez. What heroine did you identify with the most? What similarities did you discover between them? What differences?
Both Evangelina and Marina are involved in the fight for Cuban independence. How do they set out to achieve this aim? How are their roles similar? How are they different?
The three heroines in the novel struggle to find their place in society and often rebel against the limitations placed on them. What examples of this did you see throughout the book? How do the women react and adapt to these circumstances?
While Evangelina was an international celebrity at the time, much of her story has been forgotten. What other lesser-known women can you think of who lived extraordinary lives?
Grace greatly admires the writing of legendary journalist Nellie Bly, who set an important path for women in the field, and at times, Grace attempts to emulate her throughout the novel. Are there women in your career field who you admire and who have greatly influenced you?
As a stunt reporter, Grace often finds herself in precarious positions in an attempt to advance her career. Did you see comparisons between the professional struggles of women during the Gilded Age and the challenges women face today? How do you think things have changed?
What parallels did you see about the discussion of the role of journalism in society in the 1890s and that of the role of journalism in modern times? What differences?
One of the major story lines in the book is the real-life rivalry between Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. What similarities did you find between the two men and their attitudes and strategies toward running a newspaper? What differences?
Grace begins her New York journalism career with a deep suspicion of William Randolph Hearst’s motives and tactics. How does her attitude toward him, his newspaper, and her own journalism career evolve throughout the novel? Do you agree with her perspective or do you disagree?
Do you see any similarities between some of the themes and events in this novel and contemporary events? How much do you think our understanding of history informs the present?
Grace and Rafael are both outsiders of sorts in society. How do they relate to each other? How does this bring them closer?
How does war affect the characters in the book?
Photo by Chris Malpass
Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Last Train to Key West, When We Left Cuba, and Reese’s Book Club pick Next Year in Havana. Originally from Florida, she grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Richmond, the American International University in London, and a master’s degree in global politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Cleeton also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
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