I Was Never the First Lady: A Novel

I Was Never The First Lady is a haunting, complicated, and linguistically beautiful novel that explores the complexities of identity and family, set against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 29 September 2022
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc

I Was Never The First Lady is a haunting,complex,and linguistically beautiful novel that explores the intersection of island and identity,and the ways in which they can shape our lives.
A rich, sensuous, and original tale of family, love, and history, set against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath. Nadia Guerra's mother, Albis Torres, left when Nadia was just ten years old. Growing up, the proponents of revolution promised a better future. Now that she's an adult, Nadia finds that life in Havana hasn't quite matched its promise; instead, it has stifled her rebellious and artistic desires. Each night, she DJs a radio show government censors block from broadcasting. Frustrated, Nadia finds hope and a way out when she wins a scholarship to study in Russia.

Leaving Cuba offers her the chance to find her long-lost mother and her real father. But as she embarks on a journey east, Nadia soon begins to question everything she thought she knew and understood about her past. As Nadia discovers more about her family, her fate becomes entwined with that of Celia Sanchez, an icon of the Cuban Revolution—a resistance fighter, ingenious spy, and the rumored lover of Fidel Castro. A tale of revolutionary ideals and promise, Celia's story interweaves with Nadia's search for meaning, and eventually reveals secrets Nadia could never have dreamed.

Translated from the Spanish by Achy Obejas, I Was Never the First Lady is a haunting, complex, and linguistically beautiful novel that explores the intersection of island and identity, and the ways in which they can shape our lives.

Weight: 195g
Dimension: 203 x 135 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780062990754