A novel is at the heart of “The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes,” the lost story being a book that one of the main characters, Eva Fuentes, wrote; but this heartfelt story is really about many things. In it, author Chanel Cleeton creates three main characters who live at different times but all of whom share a deep, abiding love of books.
Eva Fuentes is a teacher in Cuba, and we meet her in 1900 as she is set to embark on a summer trip to Cambridge to participate in a summer program offered to Cuban educators. She will be representing Cuba, and she is honored to go. She has spent years suffering through the war with Spain for Cuba’s independence, and she is ready to do something for herself. That summer, Eva gets more than she bargained for.
Pilar Castillo is working in Havana as a librarian in 1966 when a neighbor, who is fleeing Fidel’s Cuba, asks Pilar to safeguard a book, “A Time for Forgetting,” and to try to get it back to its author, Eva Fuentes. Pilar agrees, but her life is filled with danger in this time of unrest in Cuba. Her husband was arrested months ago for subversive activity, and she doesn’t know what has happened to him. Castro’s men look for contraband, and Pilar hides books that the government would confiscate, books that belong to families fleeing Cuba.
While the stories of both those women are interesting and touching, it’s Margo Reynolds’ storyline that is even more gripping; it’s set in 2024. Margo is hired by an anonymous person to find the book, “A Time for Forgetting,” of which only one copy exists. She’s not sure why she was hired to find it, but she quickly realizes that someone else is looking for the book as well. In fact, after a bookseller whose advice she sought about the book is murdered, Margo finds out that her ex-husband is also looking for the novel.
Margo’s storyline is akin to a thriller, so while we definitely feel empathy for both Eva and Pilar, as the chapters alternate telling the stories of the three women, we can’t wait to get back to Margo’s life to find out what happens next. Who is the guy following her? What is on the flash drive that Mr. Thornton presses into her hand as he is dying? And, closer to home and not about the search, why did she and Luke divorce?
The ending comes together beautifully. And by telling the story about Cuba in two different eras, Cleeton reminds us of how fleeting freedom can be. While Cuba obtained its freedom from Spain at great cost, all those gains — and more — were lost when Castro made Cuba bow to his will. Authoritarian leadership instead of freedom; jail cells and executions; people disappearing with no recourse. The power of the state something to fear with no civil rights, no personal freedom, all opposing voices silenced. Reading about that is perhaps all the more frightening as we see what is happening in America.
Margo’s story is apolitical and can be enjoyed for its suspense and mystery. There are many suspects, a soupçon of romance, and a wonderful main character who has grown and overcome many self-doubts. All together, all three stories work beautifully, and it’s obvious from Cleeton’s writing how much books and reading mean to her. One of the greatest love stories in the novel is that of the love of reading and how reading, especially fiction, can provide great truths. Reading can take us away on adventures we might not otherwise have, “unforgettable adventure.” And this book is all of that: filled with great truths and an unforgettable adventure.
This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.