Hotel Cuba tells the story of two Russian Jewish sisters, Pearl and Freida, who flee post-revolutionary Russia for Cuba, hoping to eventually reach America. The novel vividly portrays their harrowing Atlantic journey and the cultural shock they experience upon arriving in Havana during the Prohibition era. Pearl, a pragmatic seamstress, adapts to their new life, while the dreamier Freida yearns for the U.S. The author captures the sisters' struggles with immigration laws, cultural barriers, and survival in a beautifully detailed setting. Though a bit long, it's a compelling look at resilience, identity, and the immigrant experience.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I always read books that have to do with Cuba because I wish I could go there. This book helped with that and I love a book that takes me on a mental journey. This one did.

HOTEL CUBA

This was a really nice story based on the author’s grandparents’ attempt to immigrate from rural Turya Lithuania (Russia) to America in the 1920’s. The focus was on his grandmother Pearl Khan’s journey with her younger sister Frieda. Traveling on the SS Hudson, due to the ever changing immigration rules in the US, their first stop is the Hotel Cuba in Havana. How the two Jewish sisters adapt to their new tropical environment and pursue their dreams of going to America makes for a very realistic and enjoyable reading experience.

What I really liked about this book is how it gave me such a good appreciation of what these two young women had to go through to start a new life halfway around the world with so many challenges to face. Language barriers, cultural differences, supporting themselves, saving money to get to America, who to trust, getting access to the American Consulate, obtaining a visa, smugglers, changing immigration laws and tightening borders - all while struggling to develop their identities as young women in the world. Very amazing.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Aaron Hamburger, and HarperCollins Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Hotel Cuba is a captivating historical fiction novel that transports readers to the early 1920s and follows the gripping journey of two sisters, Pearl and Frieda, as they flee Russia after World War I in search of a brighter future in America. However, their paths take an unexpected turn when they find themselves compelled to pause in Cuba before continuing to their final destination.

The strength of Hotel Cuba lies in its complex and well-developed characters. Pearl emerges as a determined, resilient young woman who will stop at nothing to safeguard her sister, Frieda. In contrast, Frieda's innocence and trustfulness are counterbalanced by her unwavering loyalty to Pearl. The sisters' complicated bond is one of the novel's most compelling features. Through their interactions with each other and the other characters in the novel, it becomes clear that the connection between them runs deep — like a lifeline that connects them through thick and thin.

Alongside the sisters, a host of other memorable characters graces the pages of Hotel Cuba. A benevolent and compassionate figure takes the sisters under his wing upon their arrival in Cuba. On the other hand, the corrupt and merciless police chief becomes a formidable antagonist, relentlessly working to complicate the sisters' lives. Skillfully capturing the essence of the era, the author, Aaron Hamburger, vividly brings the 1920s to life. The novel delves into the cultural fabric of Cuba, showcasing its vibrant aspects as well as its darker undercurrents.

I found the realistic depiction of places and situations in Hotel Cuba exceptional. Pearl and Frieda's exquisite character growth and development deeply resonated with me. They began their journey as naive and inexperienced young women, but by the end of the novel, they had transformed into empowered and self-reliant individuals. Their journey was both inspiring and heartwarming.

To sum it up, Hotel Cuba is an enthralling read, full of exceptional characters, gripping stories, and vivid settings. Fans of historical fiction and immigration stories should not miss this compelling read. Its masterful construction ensures that its impact will be felt long after the book has been set down.

Cuba is a recurring theme on this blog; I definitely look at any book with this country in the title or description!

Today I’m writing about a book that was different than anything I’ve read before even though I’ve circled around similar topics, genres, and locations.

Two Jewish sisters are fleeing a violent and troubled area of Russia after World War I and the Soviet Revolution. Even though they have another sister already living in America, the two can’t get into the United States legally. So, instead, they sail to Havana, Cuba. Hence the name “Hotel Cuba” where they wait for the right opportunity to get to America. Of course, Havana has its charms and both sisters eventually find their own love for it. But will they stay in Havana or find a way to America after all?

What I liked about this book besides the setting is that it didn’t fall into presenting certain situations as only good or only bad. There were several plot points that weren’t simply presented as one way or the other but instead some of this and some of that. People, places, and situations are complicated, and that is what this book shows.

Although this author had not written historical fiction before, this book was based on his grandparents’ lives. Well done!

This story pulled me in and the more I read the more I wanted to know about Pearl. Her journey as a young immigrant was compelling. It was very moving for me with many correlations to my own family ancestry, language barriers, culture shock, values, religious prejudices, etc. The history was fascinating and well researched.
I was completely unfamiliar with the Cuban culture during the 1920s. Following sisters Pearl and Frieda as they left war torn Russia for America on a ship echoed stories of my grandmother. Pearl and Frieda were diverted as rules and laws kept changing. Their life in Havana is decidedly different for each of them. All Frieda dreams of is America and her fiancé, even as the engagement to Mendel is off and on. Pearl works tirelessly as a seamstress to continue their passage to America. The treatment of Jews, religious differences in each place was compelling and unique to the area. The sisters endure both the kindness of strangers and are betrayed, scammed and lied to repeatedly.
I won’t forget this piece of history, Pearl’s path to a better life, her dreams, love and dedication to family. If historical fiction is your passion do not miss this beautiful story. I had not read anything by this author and was impressed with the attention to details, vivid descriptions and expansive visuals I had while reading about so many countries and places on the immigrants journeys. It was touching and memorable.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing the digital advance reader copy of “Hotel Cuba” by Aaron Hamburger, HarperCollins Publishers. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Three Sisters. Three Countries. All sandwiched between two wars and three separate fates.
Mainly laid out over the bright colored city of Havana, the sisters are so set on seeking out a future in America that they get lost in the here and now that is shaping their lives daily.
As a lover of historical fiction, I feel as World War novels are played out, except the occasional non-fiction installment. But Hote Cuba, set between the wars, tackling immigration laws in a moment's notice, is a different tale of the great wars.
Everything from the weather to the music heard at the corner store, to the women scrapping together everything they can to buy a finer dress to woo a man who can take them away--is highly detailed and submerses you into the humid climate of the island nation, all while the thought of American is never too far away.

Based on family history, Aaron Hamburger imagines the journey of a pragmatic (and often exasperated) Jewish woman trying her best to get to the United States in Hotel Cuba. Pearl Kahn has always been the one who puts food on the table, keeps the house clean, and brings in money while her family members are, well, less than helpful. Rising anti-Semitism and poverty push Pearl to follow in the footsteps of older relatives and, with her lovelorn sister in tow, head for the New World. The journey is far from easy, not least because 1920s America is tightening restrictions on immigration (especially Jewish immigration) from Eastern Europe. Much of this novel is set during the long months Pearl spends in Havana, Cuba, the closest she and her sister could get to their target destination when they set out from a newly Soviet Russia.

While her sister Frieda frets about what her fiance might be up to in Detroit without her, Pearl does her best to keep the pair traveling in the right direction (towards America) and keep them fed. I felt for Pearl. It’s not that I have family members like Frieda (thank goodness), it’s that I know that my brain would be busily spinning as I juggled immigration regulations, earning money, finding lodgings, discerning who was trustworthy, and on and on the way that Pearl’s mind does. The months on the road (and the sea) must have been terribly anxious ones.

Pearl’s pragmatism is her best quality, even if everyone around her accuses her of worrying about the wrong things. When their way directly to the United States is barred, Pearl learns from other immigrants that Cuba is accepting Jews. They can wait there while they work out how to travel the last few thousand miles to New York and Detroit. The other option is to stay in Russia or Poland. Thinking that at least they’d be in the correct hemisphere, Pearl snags tickets on an ocean liner for herself and her sister. Once in Havana (I can only imagine the shocking heat and humidity for a pair of young women more used to Russia’s frigid climate), Pearl wrangles jobs working for a hat maker, who also agrees to board the pair. Even if she’s not quick with languages like her sister, Pearl’s fashion sense helps her come into her own in the foreign, confusing country.

When Pearl isn’t dressing hats or working gigs as a seamstress, her mind is busy trying to find a way to the United States. The most gripping parts of Hotel Cuba come when Pearl and Frieda work with smugglers to make their way north to Key West, the closest part of the United States to Cuba. Then as now, smugglers are scammers as often as they are genuine routes to where undocumented immigrants want to go. I won’t ruin that tension by revealing here whether or not the sisters make it but I will say that the plot arc of the book is a little odd. Instead of rising towards a climax before a denouement, the plot is more of a bell curve. That said, the slowness at the beginning and end of Hotel Cuba is more than made up for with vibrant descriptions of the settings.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction so accurate and well-written that it feels like you’ve stepped into a time machine will enjoy this one, as will readers who enjoy stories about coming to America.

Beautiful story, vividly rendered, about the unbreakable spirit of a woman determined to make a better life for herself and her sisters.

I really enjoyed following Pearl as she grew more confident and began to reassess her own goals and dreams for the future. Even as she sacrificed for her family, she kept her eye on the target and kept moving forward as best she could.

The depictions of Prohibition-era Havana — from the low-income communities of recent Jewish immigrants all the way to the glitzy restaurants and racetracks frequented by American tourists — were rich and immersive, I loved it. But more than that, it’s Pearl’s determination that drives the story forward and pulls you in.

Thanks to the author, Harper Perennial, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Hotel Cuba is available May 1!

I loved the storyline of Hotel Cuba, which is loosely based on the author's relatives' experiences. I was intrigued by life in Cuba and how Frieda and Pearl survived leaving their country as young women. But the writing was awkward in places and never fully expressed the reality of the situation. The characters lacked depth and I simply wanted more from the story than I got. Still, though, it is worth reading for the happy (?) ending, though somewhat predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It did make me wish I could visit Cuba!

The author, Mr. Hamburger, is truly masterful in his evocation of the characters of the sisters Pearl and Frieda, and the environments in which they find themselves after escaping the miseries of their Polish shtetl in 1922. They hope to join their sister, Basha, in New York, but as restrictions on Jewish immigrants tighten, they end up in Cuba instead. This was an aspect I had never heard of and was very interesting to me. Pearl’s and Frieda’s different reactions to the food, clothing, and ambiance of Old Havana and working for the Steinbergs there are so different it is hard to believe they are related. In short, excellent character differentiation.

The various options to be illegally smuggled to the US from Cuba were new to me, as was the Jewish immigrant community in Cuba writ large. While I had heard adventurous stories of Russian Jewish immigrants making their way to NYC, the path through Cuba is, I think, generally unknown to Americans, fascinating and informative.

Mr. Hamburger’s writing is amazing at evoking the culture of these sisters: For example, Pearl is overcome by the new experiences of drinking lemonade and sitting in a ricking chair. She is careful to avoid any food which might not be kosher, and later, she is stunned by her he idea of women wearing slacks and later, by women buying her creations. Later, Frieda is afraid a rabbi is too “goyish” since he has no beard.

This is a wonderful historical novel based on the author’s family. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Using his family's story as the inspiration for Hotel Cuba, Aaron Hamburger spins a fascinating tale of the struggles of immigrating from Russia to the United States (with a significant diversion to Cuba) in the period following WWI. Although the story is that of three sisters, the focus is on Pearl, the sister on whom everyone relies. She has raised her younger sister Freida following their mother's death and she continues to be the dominant personality as the two sisters are diverted to Cuba due to a change in U.S. immigration law. The third sister, Basha, who was the first to immigrate (directly) is almost totally undeveloped. Hamburger raises many important questions about immigrants, although he glosses over the implications of illegal immigration with hardly a look back. He also briefly touches on homosexual subcultures in Havana and New York City, but he leaves much undeveloped. Of more significance is the way in which he portrays places - Havana, New York, and Detroit, that make them come to life. For the most part, however, Hamburger tells a compelling story and he tells it well.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: May 2, 2023

This is my first book by Hamburger and I have mixed feelings. I loved the idea and premise with all the historical fiction found within the book. However, the writing style really had me slogging through the book. I found that it was stilted and robotic. The book didn't feel like it could flow easily for me as a reader.

I love trying to find historical fiction books that don't center around WW2 so I was excited when I found this book on Netgalley. This is a case of the synopsis sounded better than the actual read for me.

Taking place in Post WWI Poland, Cuba of the old days , and the Prohibition era USA, Hotel Cuba by Aaron Hamburger is the beautifully told, important and engaging story of the plight of two brave refugee sisters. Implicit in this story is a greater understanding of the predicament of all refugees thought history.
The Kahn sisters, Pearl and Frieda, are growing up in Poland , struggling in the new Soviet Communist netherworld of poverty and political upheaval . Isolated, hungry, and frightened, the Jewish sisters are sent by their parents to the USA for a hopefully better life. Not knowing that the US immigration laws were restrictive and prejudiced against people of their heritage, the sisters are left with no choice but to flee to a lively, exciting, accepting Cuban society, where they were welcomed and employed as hat makers.
Cuba was at the height of its popularity with the rich and famous, looking to exchange the severe morality of US prohibition for parties and fun. How could two sheltered emigré’s possibly adjust and understand the shocking lifestyle into which they were thrust? And how might they ever gain entry to the USA and the family awaiting them there.?
The moral dilemma of the status and condition of refugees is a timely topic and the author delves deeply into the circumstances of his very well defined characters. I enjoyed every page of this novel and highly recommend it. I look forward to any future books by the author. I received an ARC of this book and sincerely thank # NetGalley and #HarperCollins publishing for trusting me to read and write an honest review.

Pearl and Freida are escaping the terror of the Soviet Revolution. They begin their journey to America to meet up with their sister and the man that Frieda plans to spend the rest of her life with. They are faced with trouble from the beginning. Due to new immigration laws, they are sent to Cuba. They find shelter and employment making hats, but Frieda is much more interested in the life around her and getting to America. Pearl is able to get Freida to America but is left to struggle daily and begin to make her way to what she sees is the promise land.
This was the first historical novel that I have read that dealt with immigration laws and being sent to Cuba. Aaron Hamburger was able to paint the picture of Havana and the struggle to survive so well that you felt you were there. It came to a point that you didn’t know where to cheer her on to find a way to New York or celebrate her life in Cuba. There were so many pros and cons of both. Hotel Cuba is not only an enjoyable read but also shines alight on immigration story that is often left untold.
Thank you, NetGalley, Aaron Hamburger and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.