DNF this book at 20 percent.
Life is too short to read a book that I'm not into.
That being said, this might be up your alley.

I enjoyed this book when i read it. There were pieces that were entertaining and heartfelt. It did feel like it fell a bit short and I suspected I would not remember much. I recall the parent dynamic being very irritating.

In 1970s Havana the rhythm of daily life is intricately woven with societal expectations and personal dreams. Zé's unexpected pregnancy with a Greek sailor sets off a chain of events, leading her to navigate a tumultuous existence in a city where scandal lurks around every corner. Despite the telling nature of the narrative and occasional exposition-heavy dialogue, the glimpse into life in Cuba during this era is both fascinating and rare. Zé's struggles with familial abuse and her conflicted desires for a better life abroad versus loyalty to her roots offer a poignant exploration of identity and sacrifice. While not without its flaws, this novel offers a unique perspective on Cuban life and the complexities of personal ambition versus familial loyalty.

Thanks NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book. I originally read it in February/March of 2023 but only provided a review on StoryGraph.

This novella follows first a Cuban teenager who falls in love with a a Greek sailor and has to leave home once she discovers she is pregnant with his child. Later, we follow the son as he travels to Greece to find more about his father.

Honestly, while it was not a bad read, it fell flat for me. Everything was very surface level and I didn’t connect with the characters. I think this is due to the length, if it was longer we could have jumped in and explored more the social/economic issues and dive deeper into the characters relationships with one another.

A Greek Love by Zoe Valdes is a brief novella that packs a punch. It's rich in cultural exploration and explores themes of motherhood and family.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

A good read and an interesting presentation of events. The chapters were not in a chronological order which made the story more captivating and interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved the descriptions of setting and culture in A Greek Love. I enjoyed following Ze and her story. There was a bit too much telling and not enough showing for my personal taste, but overall this was a really enjoyable story.

"Being a woman means having to arm yourself with courage for any conflict that might come along"

Definitely a case of 'it's me and not you.' I just struggled to connect with this one. The violence right in the beginning was shocking and kind of shrugged off. From there, the timeline jumps around. One, she is older, the next her son is 5. Then she's writing a letter and I can't quite date it. It was confusing and kept me from really getting in to the story. I did like the conclusion and I just love the cover. It was eye opening to see the prejudice and hate towards the Greeks, something I wasn't aware of. I just wish I'd liked it more.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book

⭐⭐⭐.5

Book Review: A Greek Love: A Novel of Cuba by Zoé Valdés

In her novel A Greek Love: A Novel of Cuba, Zoé Valdés takes readers on a captivating journey through 1970s Cuba, exploring themes of love, endurance, and the pursuit of dreams. Through beautiful and lyrical prose, Valdés paints a vivid picture of a young woman’s struggle against societal norms and her unwavering determination to find her one great lost love.

Summary

The story revolves around Zé, a free-spirited teenager who finds herself pregnant after a brief love affair with a Greek captain’s son. Her father, driven by his ambitions in the Party, disowns her and casts her out of her home, leaving her vulnerable and alone. With the support of her mother and aunt, Zé seeks refuge in Matanzas, a town rich in Afro-Cuban culture. Here, she raises her child while being mentored by these three older women.

Years later, Zé’s son, Petros, becomes a world-class musician, blending Cuban and Greek traditions. When Petros is invited to give concerts in Greece, Zé seizes the opportunity to accompany him secretly. Both mother and son hold onto the hope of finding Petros’s father and Zé’s lost love.

Thoughts on the Book

Firstly, let’s address the stunning cover of A Greek Love. It immediately captures the attention and sets the tone for the story within. Now, onto the review. Valdés’s writing is truly captivating and evocative. The prose is lyrical and poetic, immersing readers in the richly setting of 1970s Cuba. Offering a glimpse into the vibrant culture and political climate of the time.

One aspect that makes reviewing this book challenging is its brevity. A Greek Love is essentially a novella, which means the entire story is condensed into a shorter format. While this allows for a quick and immersive read, it also limits the depth and development of certain aspects. Many important elements are mentioned but merely glossed over, leaving readers yearning for more.

For example, characters like Adela, Isabel, and Osiris are intriguing figures who play significant roles in the story. However, their backstories and relationships could have been explored further to enhance the overall narrative. Similarly, Zé’s brothers are briefly mentioned but not given the attention they deserved. These missed opportunities prevent the story from reaching its full potential as a sweeping tale encompassing Cuban history and family dynamics.

Despite these limitations, A Greek Love remains an enjoyable read. The novella format allows readers to experience the story in one sitting, immersing themselves fully in the world Valdés has created. The themes of passion, endurance, and hope resonate strongly throughout the narrative, drawing readers into Zé’s tenacious pursuit of love.

In conclusion, A Greek Love: A Novel of Cuba by Zoé Valdés offers readers a captivating glimpse into 1970s Cuba and explores themes of love, endurance, and hope. Valdés’s beautiful and poetic writing creates a vivid portrayal of the setting and characters. However, the novella format restricts the depth of certain elements, leaving readers longing for more. Despite this limitation, A Greek Love is still worth reading for its immersive storytelling and exploration of human resilience in the face of societal constraints.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This was a lovely novella about motherhood, sexuality, and womanhood in oppressive communist Cuba translated from the Spanish.

As a teenager, Ze finds herself pregnant after a tryst with a Greek captain's son. She soon faces the wrath of her party line walking father yet finds safety and family with her mother, aunt, and Osiris "the Greek sailorman's whore." Much later in life, Ze's son Petros is a famous Cuban musician who takes her on tour to Greece where she reunites with his father.

This story makes clear the tragedy and heartbreak of mothering, loving, and surviving as a woman in an oppressive dictatorship masked as communism. I loved this taste of Cuban life.

Thanks to NetGalley and SkyHorse for the e-ARC.

"A Greek Love" - Zoé Valdes (translated by David Frye)

My thanks to @netgalley and @skyhorsepub for my copy of this one.

Zé is only 16 when becomes pregnant. In 70s Cuba, her situation comes with even more complications: the father is a Greek cabin boy who has left Cuba, her own father is an abusive member of the Communist Party, and her mother seems incapable of helping at first. An encounter with Orestes, owner of a house of ill repute where the young lovers met, upends many lives and sets them on new paths.

The book alternates this story with one 30 years in the future, with her son a famous musician and herself an academic on Greek culture. A chance arises for both of them to go on a tour of Greece, maybe 's only opportunity to find the father of her child, her first and greatest love.

There is probably less romance in this book than both the title and my description suggest. What there is instead is a critique of Cuban government and Havana society, of the bureaucracy and scheming of the party members to get to the top, and the racism towards certain foreigners and groups. There are themes of "what if' and changes in life, held in place by several strong mothers or mother figures.

It was a brief and readable short novel, but not the best thing I've ever read. Could be a nice beach read for summer, but don't go out of your way looking for it.

a very thoughtful novella that i binged in like two hours! appreciated how concise this was and how the characters developed. still not a fan of the dad though idk if i believe his redemption arc...

Told between Ze's past and becoming pregnant with Petros in Havana to her move to Matazanas to raise her son after being kicked out by her father for getting pregnant by a Greek sailor's son, this story tells of a woman's journey in Cuba. The story continues with Ze's eventual trip to Greece to reconcile with her past and move on despite the constraints put on her as a Cuban woman. It's an interesting and moving story.

A GREEK LOVE delves into the life of a Cuban woman who harbors a deep love for her son, despite him being born out of wedlock to a Greek sailor. Through a captivating narrative, the reader learns of the woman's unwavering devotion to her family over the course of several years, providing a glimpse into the realities of life in Cuba during different time periods. While it may have taken some time for me to fully immerse myself in the story, I can appreciate the author's eloquent writing style and the underlying themes of love, loyalty, and sacrifice that were skillfully interwoven throughout. Ultimately, while this particular piece may not have been my preferred genre, I must commend its noteworthy merits. Beautifully written.

3.⁵⭐

"The world needs dreamers, poets, now more than ever."

This story is fast-paced but still very deep. I really liked the description of Cuban landscapes, many of which I have heard about but have not been lucky enough to visit.

The women in this story are the focal point: we see their strengths, their perseverance, and their moments of struggle.

I think that, even with very little participation, the character of Petros is very interesting to read; a young man with Cuban and Greek roots who manages to combine these cultural influences to create music and make the listener fall in love. This would not have been possible without the women in his life: his mother Zé, his grandmother Isabel, Osiris and his aunt Adela.

It is a story of difficult, very heartbreaking and violent times for Cuban society, which are strongly contrasted with glimpses into the future. We see the physical, emotional and psychological violence from Gerardo, Zé's father, who is the main reason why she is forced to leave Havana in order to have her child. Then, we jump to his elderly life in which he needs care from the family to get by.

"I know you’ll say that those were terrible times, that even though other things still happen, we don’t have to put up with the violence we endured in those years. That does nothing to relieve our past suffering."

I enjoyed this story, it was a quick read and easy to carry but with a lot of emotional and cultural impact. It is definitely a book that I would recommend reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the ARC.

- - Spanish - -

Esta historia tiene un ritmo rápido pero, aún asi, es muy profunda. Me gustó mucho la descripción de paisajes Cubanos, muchos sobre los que he escuchado pero no he tenido la suerte de visitar.

Las mujeres de esta historia son el punto focal: vemos sus fortalezas, su perseverancia y también sus momentos complicados.

Creo que, aún con muy poca participación, el personaje de Petros es muy interesante de leer; un joven con raíces Cubanas y Griegas que logra juntar esas influencias culturales para crear música y enamorar al oyente. Esto no hubiera sido posible sin las mujeres en su vida: su madre, Zé, su abuela Isabel, Osiris y su tía Adela.

Es un relato de tiempos difíciles, muy desgarradores y violentos para la sociedad Cubana, que son fuertemente contrastados con vistazos al futuro. Vemos la violencia física, emocional y psicológica por parte de Gerardo, el padre de Zé, quien es la razón principal por la cual ella se ve obligada a abandonar Havana para poder tener a su hijo. Luego, saltamos a su vida anciana en la que necesita de los cuidados de su familia en su día a día.

Disfruté esta historia, fue una lectura rápida y fácil de llevar pero con mucha carga emocional y cultural que impacta. Definitivamente es un libro que recomendaría leer.

A Greek Love has been translated from Spanish and is a quick and somewhat enjoyable read. While some twists and turns help propel the story, many parts feel forced. For this reason, I found myself quickly losing interest in the actual characters. I continued reading because I wanted to know how it ended and hoped that it got better.

I think that what makes this read worth it was seeing the lengths a mother will do for her child. I find the bond between a child and a single mother heart-wrenching because of its beauty and its sadness. This is also true “watching” how the different relationships evolved.

I believe that there is an audience for this story but I just wasn't it. I do however think the story is well written and after learning more about the author, I gained more appreciation for it.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher and the author, Zoé Valdés.

This was an interesting and beautiful story with a variety of lessons sprinkled throughout the story. This was a story like no other I've read before. The author took you on a journey to another country and everything ends up full circle. Although it was a pretty quick read, I didn't feel that it needed anymore added to it.

A GREEK LOVE - ARC REVIEW

This was a quick read about a Cuban woman's love for her son born out of wedlock to a Greek sailor, as well as her loyalty to her family. The story crosses years and shows the reader a glimpse into life in Cuba throughout the time periods. It took some time for me to get into this story so overall I don't think it was for me but I can appreciate the style of writing and the overall themes the author used, such as love, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this one because it is not a genre that I usually read so I wanted to branch out, and was also interested because it is a translated work by a Cuban author (and I'm trying to find more books by authors outside the US and UK). However, this one wasn't for me. I found the writing to be too flowery (very beautiful in some parts, just not what I am drawn to), and the violence/ abuse suffered by Ze and her mother was too much for me to stomach.

A short and easy novella based in Cuba of the 1970's, a conservative society grappling with authoritarian governance. Ze, a teenager, finds herself pregnant from a one-night stand with a Greek sailor boy. Fortunately, the women in her life provide a supportive environment and her boy grows up to be a talented musician. Will she be successful in her quest for love? Will she be united with her long-lost lover? Read this heartwarming story to find out. Interesting glimpses into the Cuba of the time. This was a refreshing filler novel after all the heavy reading Ive been doing. Perfect for a quick and easy summer beach read.
Thanks to Net Galley, Skyhorse Publishing and Zoe Valdes for the ARC.