From the bestselling author of The Girls with No Names
Find Me in Havana
Find Me in Havana
The dazzling true story of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated Hispanic actresses and her daughter’s search for answers.
Cuba, 1936: When Estelita Rodriguez sings in a hazy Havana nightclub for the very first time, she is nine years old. From then on, that spotlight of adoration—from Havana to New York’s Copacabana and then Hollywood—becomes the one, true accomplishment no one can take from her. Not the 1933 Cuban Revolution that drove her family into poverty. Not the revolving door of husbands and fickle world of film. Not even the tragic devastation of Castro’s revolution that rained down on her loved ones. Thirty years later, her young adult daughter, Nina Rodriguez, is blindsided by her mother’s mysterious, untimely death. Seeking answers no one else wants to hear, the grieving Nina navigates the troubling, opulent memories of their life together and discovers how much Estelita sacrificed to live the American dream on her own terms. Based on true events and exclusive interviews with Nina Rodriguez, Find Me in Havana weaves two unforgettable voices into one extraordinary journey that explores the unbreakable bond between mother and child and the ever-changing landscape of self-discovery. AUDIOBOOK |
PICKED BY GOOD MORNING AMERICA AND ZIBBY OWENS AS
“16 January Reads for the New Year”
CHOSEN BY BuzzFeed IN
“19 Forthcoming Historical Fiction Books That Will Start 2021 Off Right”
AND THEIR ROUND UP OF
"14 Books That We Can't Stop Talking about"
INCLUDED IN BUSTLE'S
“Anticipated winter reads”
Praise for FIND ME IN HAVANA:
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"A poignant and gripping account of the life of Cuban actress Estelita Rodriquez… With great skill, Burdick weaves a heartbreaking narrative of a star’s rise and fall… A deeply affecting tragedy.”
BOOKLIST
“A sweeping historical account… The Hollywood glamour and the struggles of war will appeal to history fans while Nina and Estelita’s relationship will draw lovers of women’s fiction. The true gem in this story is learning how the author developed the tale of real-life Estelita through interviews with Nina.”
SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW
"…Always beautiful, feeling elegiac even during the first chapters… Serena Burdick did a wonderful job of capturing a time long past and telling a story that at once embraces a whole time and pinpoints one particular relationship.”
HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY
“Estelita’s tragic story captures the most beautiful and most painful moments of motherhood, artistic drive, and limitless ambition. More importantly, it explores the ceaseless destruction of sexual violence and finds hope in unexpected places. I highly recommend it..”
Nina Lopez
"Finally, my mother will get to be remembered. She will no loner be a forgotten star. I loved the book."
Bryn Turnbull, bestselling author of The Woman Before Wallis
"Serena Burdick brings Hollywood legend Estelita Rodriguez to vivid life in FIND ME IN HAVANA. Written with beautiful prose and searing honesty, this story of mothers and daughters will stay with you long after you turn the final page."
Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of The Next Ship Home
“Burdick brilliantly captures the glamour, and the grit, of life as a Cuban immigrant turned Hollywood star in her fascinating new novel about Estelita Rodriguez. Told in a series of letters, FIND ME IN HAVANA is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of mothers and daughters, and the American Dream that comes with the biggest price of all. I couldn’t put it down!”
"A poignant and gripping account of the life of Cuban actress Estelita Rodriquez… With great skill, Burdick weaves a heartbreaking narrative of a star’s rise and fall… A deeply affecting tragedy.”
BOOKLIST
“A sweeping historical account… The Hollywood glamour and the struggles of war will appeal to history fans while Nina and Estelita’s relationship will draw lovers of women’s fiction. The true gem in this story is learning how the author developed the tale of real-life Estelita through interviews with Nina.”
SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW
"…Always beautiful, feeling elegiac even during the first chapters… Serena Burdick did a wonderful job of capturing a time long past and telling a story that at once embraces a whole time and pinpoints one particular relationship.”
HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY
“Estelita’s tragic story captures the most beautiful and most painful moments of motherhood, artistic drive, and limitless ambition. More importantly, it explores the ceaseless destruction of sexual violence and finds hope in unexpected places. I highly recommend it..”
Nina Lopez
"Finally, my mother will get to be remembered. She will no loner be a forgotten star. I loved the book."
Bryn Turnbull, bestselling author of The Woman Before Wallis
"Serena Burdick brings Hollywood legend Estelita Rodriguez to vivid life in FIND ME IN HAVANA. Written with beautiful prose and searing honesty, this story of mothers and daughters will stay with you long after you turn the final page."
Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of The Next Ship Home
“Burdick brilliantly captures the glamour, and the grit, of life as a Cuban immigrant turned Hollywood star in her fascinating new novel about Estelita Rodriguez. Told in a series of letters, FIND ME IN HAVANA is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of mothers and daughters, and the American Dream that comes with the biggest price of all. I couldn’t put it down!”
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