Customer Reviews

The Cuban Chronicles: A True Tale of Rascals, Rogues, and Romance

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Wanda St. Hilaire has the travel bug. She loves Hispanic countries and Mexico is one of her favorites. However, she decided to step out of bounds and go to Cuba, a country she hadn't been to in twenty years. She experiences the strangeness of life in this communist country and the thrill and terror of a love affaire gone wrong.
This book is formatted as a diary-letter to Wanda's good friend, Monique, and we don't have an all knowing narrator, but a writer who is sharing events as she experiences them. It creates an unfolding drama that draws the reader into the tale.
It all starts off with a first trip to Cuba. This trip is a wonderful experience where many men court her and it is a flurry of dancing and flirting. While she is there she meets a suave journalist named Pablo that to all appearance is a fine gentleman. He is so wonderful; Wanda decides she will spend Christmas with this new opportunity.
Absence reveals the strangest things. Her knight in shining armor becomes needy and pleading when they are apart and Wanda begins to wonder about this new Romeo. Despite her doubt, she goes to Cuba again. There, things take a terrible turn.
This is both an interesting story and a warning to would be travelers. It is very fascinating to mentally go with a person and experience Cuba first hand. Americans are still not welcomed and I was eager to know what life is like in Castro's Cuba. Like any Communist country, it is a place of poverty and despair for the actual people. Natives watch as tourists live a life they can never have. It creates a society of desperate men who want to latch onto richer foreign.
This is also a tale that warns single girls about the perils of dating. Travel, the internet, and phone services connects women to men from all over the world and many want to date these exciting men who are so different from the guys in their home country. However, there is also a chance of women being put in dangerous situations and this story is an example of how things can go wrong.
I enjoyed the book but it was slightly confusing. It was written as a letter to an old friend and Wanda refers to people and events that Monique must know but the reader doesn't understand. I also would have liked to have more details about the country itself, but it is an interesting read and I do recommend it.

I picked this little gem up simply expecting to learn a little more about Cuba, a country I had visited a few years back on vacation. Little did I know how completely it would instantly transport me back to Havana. The descriptions of both the scenery and the people are so vivid that I found myself walking the streets of this amazing city once again. "I was there! I remember someone saying that! I want to experience that taste again!" All of these thoughts and more raced through my mind as I explored this story cover to cover. Now, even if you set the Cuban piece aside, Wanda writes some hilarious dialogue. Whether she's talking with her Cuban paramour , her Canadian boy toy or her druken Cuban homestay host, I found myself laughing out loud at her characters' interactions.
I read alot, I travel alot and I love to people watch. The Cuban Chronicles was quite simply, a perfect read.

The very first thing that stood out to me is the format of this story. It is written in a diary/letter format very similar to Sands of Time. I found the style and structure to be something that brought me into the writers mind and moments.

What this story really does well is set the scene and deliver the essence of who she is. Wanda sets out on a trip to Cuba and she invites the reader into her timeline with descriptive and eventful writing. Wanda's Cuban adventure is a great ride for those who have never been to Cuba and even for those who know the country well. The honesty within the words of what it is to be a foreigner in Cuba shines through in her writing. The whirlwind of Wanda's romantic flirtations with many men finally ends up with her and Paulo together. But she doesn't live in Cuba... so the journey continues with a return to Cuba and the drama really heats up.

This is as much a travel journal as it is a romantic story as it is a dramatic nail-biter in some spots. It is a very enjoyable story to read and fascinating slice of life.

i read this book about 2 years ago.......it was not only entertaining but also taught me alot about Cuba.
wouldnt mind if someone did a part two??? come on Wanda, we are waiting for an update

I bought this book before leaving on a holiday to Cuba to get a taste of the country I'd be visiting. I really enjoyed Wanda St. Hilaire's personal account of this very different land. Her romantic entanglements were gripping and, frankly, more daring than any I'd undertake. The author portrays them honestly, without shying away from her own frailties and errors or avoiding the racy bits. In the end, it becomes a learning experience.

Through it all, St. Hilaire and the reader learn a lot about Cuba. Many of her observations reinforced or explained my own later experiences there.

Part memoir, part travelogue and all round great entertainment. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Cuba as it exists today and those who like true stories of women's adventures in exotic locales.

I bought this book with out any expectations and was so delighted by my choice. Getting into the book, I found it had such depth as the detail and emotion that Wanda uses literally transports you to Cuba. You not only feel her emotions, but you get to live along side her as she reveals a pretty fantastic experience that at times can be jaw dropping! There is alot to learn in this book, it has many layers and reminded me to explore life, take a leap, but to trust that inner voice! She is very truthful and spares no detail to ensure it leaves you wanting more! I couldn't put it down and even called in sick from work to stay home and read this book until the end. This is a gem - so much so that I won't lend it out as I know it would never be returned.

Great story, and even more exciting as it is true. Gives excellent insight into the Cuban lifestyle, especially for someone who has never traveled there or may be interested in going.