Our Last Days in Barcelona

Description

An NPR Best Book of 2022
 
“A master class in family and political drama, in star-crossed love stories and in capturing the enormity of what home is.”—NPR

When Isabel Perez travels to Barcelona to save her sister Beatriz, she discovers a shocking family secret in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s new novel.
 
Barcelona, 1964. Exiled from Cuba after the revolution, Isabel Perez has learned to guard her heart and protect her family at all costs. After Isabel’s sister Beatriz disappears in Barcelona, Isabel goes to Spain in search of her. Joining forces with an unlikely ally thrusts Isabel into her sister’s dangerous world of espionage, but it’s an unearthed piece of family history that transforms Isabel’s life.
 
Barcelona, 1936. Alicia Perez arrives in Barcelona after a difficult voyage from Cuba, her marriage in jeopardy and her young daughter Isabel in tow. Violence brews in Spain, the country on the brink of civil war, the rise of fascism threatening the world. When Cubans journey to Spain to join the International Brigades, Alicia’s past comes back to haunt her as she is unexpectedly reunited with the man who once held her heart.
 
Alicia and Isabel’s lives intertwine, and the past and present collide, as a mother and daughter are forced to choose between their family’s expectations and following their hearts.“There’s no one better than Cleeton at intertwining tales of mothers and daughters with war and revolution… a riveting tale.”
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

“Cleeton is a master at weaving together stories across dual timelines, and this is no exception. The novel pulses with her signature blend of intrigue, betrayal, and the redemptive power of unleashing family secrets.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Cleeton vividly describes Barcelona through the eyes of her protagonists; the city, and its mixture of art and tragedy, is the perfect backdrop for Alicia’s struggle and Isabel’s soul-searching…. The Perez women display their strength in very different ways, and Cleeton celebrates each for their fortitude…[and] sensitively explores the multiple factors that affect her characters’ decisions. Their lives are shaped not only by political events at home and abroad, but by their family’s expectations and their precarious social status as immigrants to the U.S. Full of rich historical detail and vibrant characters, Our Last Days in Barcelona stands on its own, but also gives readers another glimpse into the continuing story of the Perez family.”
—Shelf Awareness

“Cleeton weaves the three women’s stories together to create another charming historical novel about strong women facing adversity in life and love, who are passionately loyal to family and forever yearning for their lost homeland.”
—Booklist

“Cleeton’s devoted fans as well as readers new to her work will be captivated by this original and evocative story of love, loyalty, betrayal and redemption.”
—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman With the Blue Star

“A profoundly moving story about sacrifices made in the name of family and legacy, and the lasting repercussions of losing one’s homeland. Utterly captivating.”
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

“Since her bestselling debut, Next Year In Havana, Chanel Cleeton has been a go-to for historical fiction that delivers complex female characters and gripping family drama. … Cleeton is a master at weaving storylines brimming with intrigue and the prevailing power of love.”
—Oprah Daily

“This novel of family, loss, and war is not only an extraordinary journey through some of the 20th century’s most pivotal struggles, but also an epic tale of what can happen when we have the courage to face who we really are—perhaps the most revolutionary thought of all. I loved it.”
—Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names

“Nobody writes about the special bond between sisters as well as Chanel Cleeton. This is the book you’re going to want to read this summer!”
—Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan

“From Cuba to Barcelona to Palm Beach, Cleeton describes historical events so accurately and vividly that readers will feel transported to the 1930s and ’60s. Historical fiction fans will love this novel by Cleeton and its perfectly detailed descriptions of a long-gone era.” 
—Library Journal

“Travel back in time to Spain in the 1930s and 1960s in this riveting read.”
—BookBub

“This sun-splashed story is one of longing, loyalty, and the many complicated ways in which we can love within a family…. Told with heart and beauty [it] is irresistible.”
—Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

“Told with great care and sensitivity, this story will have you cheering for love’s ability to prevail.”
—Susan Meissner, USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

“Cleeton’s tender narration makes clear the warring factions of our (women’s) emotions as we make decisions that will affect social standing, not letting our family down, feelings of helplessness, and our own best interests. … she also expresses complex thoughts extremely effectively. … Book clubs that discuss Our Last Days in Barcelona will have a plethora of themes and topics to explore. Feminism, women in history, war, the fight for independence and our role in society are all ideas that will engender some serious conversations. It’s a lovely and entertaining read, but it’s also so much more.”
—BookReporter

“Place, family, and sacrifice complete the beautiful landscape painted in Chanel Cleeton’s riveting masterpiece.”
—Vanessa Riley, Bestselling Author of Island Queen

“Cleeton’s complex female characters and evocative settings, spiced with a dollop of political drama, make this a pleasing outing.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Superbly paced, suspenseful, and sumptuous!”
—Weina Dai Randel, award-winning author of The Last Rose of Shanghai
 
“The Perez sisters are back in this moving follow-up to Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba.”
—Lorena Hughes, author of The Spanish Daughter
 
“Fans who’ve come to expect Cleeton’s brilliant storytelling, vivid descriptions, historically accurate events, and beloved characters will rejoice in this extraordinary novel of heartbreak and resilience.”
—Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

“Thrills, excites and surprises you from the very first page.”
—Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Island

“A powerhouse of a novel. Amidst the glamour and violence of Barcelona, Cleeton wraps the reader in a story that deals with the power of love, the bonds of family, and the heartbreaking choices to protect the ones we love.”
—Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti

“Impeccably researched, Cleeton once again strikes that perfect balance between historical fiction and the kind of love story that appeals to the romantic in all of us.”
—Renée Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces
 
“At once thrilling, nostalgic, and utterly romantic…Readers will fall in love with the brave and charming Perez women.”
—Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

“A moving, beautifully written portrayal of the loss and limbo of displacement, and how women find the courage to begin again, to love again, and to ultimately become themselves against all odds.”
—Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of Portrait of a Scotsman
 
“Cleeton masterfully weaves a tale about mothers, daughters, and sisters, the sacrifices they make, the daring they brave, but most of all the eye opening journey of self discovery. Not to be missed!”
—Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop
 
“This beautiful reflection on family, politics, and love will keep you reading late into the night.”
—Bryn Turnbull, Author of The Woman Before Wallis
 
“Another satisfying story filled with all of the daring and glamour we have come to expect from the Perez sisters.”
—Kaia Alderson, Author of Sisters in Arms
 
“A mesmerizing novel filled with anticipation, romance and surprises that will captivate readers until the end.”
—Georgie Blalock, Author of The Other Windsor Girl
 
“A breathtakingly beautiful tale of love and loss. Readers will gasp, cry, and swoon and relate to the women in this incredible novel.”
—Alana Quintana Albertson, Author of Ramón and Julieta  

“A heartbreaking yet empowering story that beautifully depicts the strength of women as they bear the weight of familial obligation while trying to find their voice and follow their hearts.”
—Jane Igharo, Author of The Sweetest Remedy

Praise for the novels of Chanel Cleeton
 
“A beautiful novel that’s full of forbidden passions, family secrets and a lot of courage and sacrifice.”
—Reese Witherspoon

“A sweeping love story and tale of courage and familial and patriotic legacy that spans generations.”
—Entertainment Weekly
 
“Next Year in Havana reminds us that while love is complicated and occasionally heartbreaking, it’s always worth the risk.”
—NPR

“A thrilling story about love, loss, and what we will do to go home again. Utterly unputdownable.”
—PopSugar

“A remarkable writer”
—The Washington Post

“You won’t be able to put this one down.”
—Cosmopolitan

“With rich historical detail, incisive dialogue and a firebrand heroine, Cleeton paints a vivid portrait of a woman caught in the currents of a turbulent time yet determined to make her own way.”
—Shelf Awareness

“An exhilarating read with a fearless heroine.”
—Woman’s World

“Has sex, drama, suspense…and pairs perfectly with a mojito.”
—People

“This Cuban-set historical novel is just what you need to get that ~extra-summery~ feeling”
—Bustle

“The Ultimate Beach Read”
—Real Simple
 
“Historical fiction fans will love this novel and its perfectly detailed descriptions of a long-gone era. This is another slam-dunk from Cleeton.”
—Library Journal (starred review)Originally from Florida, Chanel Cleeton grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London, and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.Reader’s Guide
Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton
Discussion Questions:

1.   Our Last Days in Barcelona alternates between Isabel’s story in the 1960s and Alicia and Rosa’s stories in the 1930s. Which heroine did you identify with the most? What differences did you see in their characters? What similarities?

2.   Each of the Perez siblings handles exile differently. Which sister do you identify with the most? Whose experiences and perspectives could you relate to? What traits do the sisters share and how are they different?

3.   How does her exile from Cuba impact Isabel? How do her feelings change throughout the novel?

4.   Of all the Perez siblings, Isabel is the most like her mother, Alicia. What similarities did you see in their personalities? How did their life experiences impact their choices? What differences do you see between them?

5.   Both Isabel and Diego are influenced by the impact war and exile has played on their families and lives. How have those experiences shaped their decisions and personalities? How does that affect their relationship?

6.   What parallels do you see between Spain and Cuba’s political histories? What differences?

7.   Family loyalty and expectations play a large role in the novel. How does each heroine grapple with the expectations that are placed on them? Do you agree with their choices? How would you have handled them?

8.   How did your opinion of Alicia and Isabel change from the previous novels once you read Our Last Days in Barcelona from their points of view? Did the novel help you to understand their behavior in Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba? Was there anything new you learned about them? Did anything surprise you?

9.   Many of the characters make sacrifices for their families and for those around them. What examples of sacrifice did you see in the novel? How do you think you would have acted in similar situations?

Chapter One

Isabel

 

1964

 

Palm Beach

 

It’s a crowded party, a veritable who’s who of Palm Beach society ready to close out the social season, but I don’t care about any of that. I cut through the crowd with a single purpose:

 

To find Senator Nicholas Preston.

 

He’s standing on the fringe alone, a drink of something dark and heavy in his hands. I was prepared to finagle some privacy between us, to separate him from his coterie of friends and political mates, but to find him alone like this is a blessed opportunity I can’t miss. I walk toward him, and as I do, our gazes connect across the room. His eyes widen, and he takes a step forward, and he freezes, his expression changing, as though he saw an apparition only to realize it wasn’t real after all.

 

It isn’t the first time I’ve been told I resemble my sister Beatriz.

 

I close the distance between us on slightly shaky legs, filled with the unmistakable sensation that I’m inserting myself in a drama that’s already started. I stop right in front of him, offering a silent prayer that we haven’t just become an object of fascination for the entire room.

 

“I’m sorry, I know we’ve seen each other around, but I realize we’ve never been formally introduced. My sister Beatriz—”

 

“—I know who you are.” He interjects, none of the legendary Preston charm I’ve heard about on visible display. He looks a bit terrified, and he clears his throat, his gaze drifting down to the glass in his hand as though he’d like to take a swig for courage.

 

I’ve never cared for him. What little I knew of him was that he was engaged to another woman and somehow Beatriz became his mistress. I never liked his position on Cuba much, either—his rumored closeness to the late President Kennedy who seemingly abandoned us after the Bay of Pigs. But looking at him now, it’s impossible to miss how he’s changed since I last saw him. His tuxedo isn’t as impeccably tailored as I remember, his body leaner than it used to be, his skin paler than it was, his eyes devoid of that twinkle that used to appear when he’d cast his gaze on Beatriz.

 

He looks like a man who’s lost a great deal, and being no stranger to loss myself, it’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for him.

 

Almost.

 

“Perhaps if we could go somewhere in private,” I reply, more out of consideration for his reputation than mine. As a married woman who rarely engages with society these days, I hardly attract the sort of attention others do. But at present, Nicholas Preston is a single, wealthy United States senator with political aspirations for more, and everyone’s eyes are perpetually on him.

 

He nods, and I follow him from the room, down a hallway, and into a small library just off the main wing of the house. He closes the door behind us and walks over to an elegant desk, leaning against the edge of the wood.

 

“Is Beatriz all right?” he asks without preamble.

 

“I don’t know. She’s in Spain. Our sister Elisa used to speak with her nearly daily, but we haven’t heard anything from her in weeks.”

 

He says nothing, but there’s the barest flinch at the news that Beatriz is gone, and he looks like a man bracing himself for another blow.

 

“Did you know she was in Spain?” I ask. “Have you heard from her? Did she leave you? Elisa thinks she has, but Beatriz refuses to talk about it. Are you—?”

 

“Wait.” He holds up a hand. “Stop for a moment. Please.”

 

“I’m worried. We’re all worried. It’s not like Beatriz to just disappear like this.”

 

I’ve been worried about Beatriz for a long time now, even as she’s made it clear that she wants to make her own way in the world, even as she’s thrown herself into Cuban politics in exile, her determination to see Fidel Castro removed from power and vengeance won for our brother Alejandro all-consuming.

 

“Doesn’t your family have a cousin in Spain?” he asks. “Has she checked on Beatriz?”

 

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that he and Beatriz shared a life together once, that he was one of the most important people in my sister’s world, if not the most important person. As much as I dislike him on principle for the tears my sister shed over him, the fact that Beatriz loved him coupled with the evidence before me that he loved her as well is enough to make me rethink my ire.

 

“She does, but I think Rosa and her husband are traveling out of the country on diplomatic business. They’re unreachable. I hoped you might have heard from Beatriz considering how close the two of you are.”

 

“I haven’t.”

 

“Are the rumors true—have you really ended things?”

 

“Yes, they’re true. Beatriz left me.”

 

“Did something happen?”

 

“Isn’t that a bit of a personal question?”

 

“Not when it concerns my sister. All I care about it is Beatriz’s safety and well-being.”

 

“And you think I don’t? I love Beatriz. I always will. She knows that. I asked her to marry me before she left.”

 

The last part comes out with an air of frustration, the sound of a man who has been turning something around and around in his mind, unable to reconcile himself with the unavoidable conclusion he reaches each time.

 

Shock fills me.

 

Our stature in America is nothing like it was in Cuba, and for someone with Nicholas Preston’s political ambitions and position in society to throw all of that away on a wife who would never be more than a massive political liability, a wife who had engaged in espionage—

 

I’d always assumed he viewed Beatriz as a dalliance, worried as only an older sister is wont to do that he was taking advantage of her, but now—

 

“I would have given up my career, everything to be with her. I told her that.”

 

“And she still left?” I ask.

 

What of love, Beatriz?

 

“She did.”

 

“Beatriz—” I struggle to find the right words to describe my brilliant, passionate, complicated sister.

 

“Beatriz is unlike anyone else. The qualities that made it hard for us to be together were also the things that made me fall in love with her,” he interjects. “I’m not sure what that says about me. Maybe I’m a masochist.”

 

“Or you both found each other in difficult circumstances. What happened in Cuba, the losses our family suffered, the death of our brother, it left a mark on all of us. Beatriz perhaps most of all considering how close she and Alejandro were. But that’s why I worry about her so much. She’s chasing ghosts and fighting old battles that cannot be won, and I’ve already lost one sibling to this madness. I can’t lose another.”

 

“You think she went to Spain because she’s still working with the CIA.”

 

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

 

An oath falls from Nicholas Preston’s lips.

 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know why she went to Spain. I haven’t heard from her since I asked her to marry me and she ended our relationship. But given the way we left things, and her determination to keep working with the CIA, the current situation with Franco—” He frowns. “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s in Spain for political reasons.”

 

I knew it was a long shot coming here, but with Beatriz an ocean away, Nicholas Preston was my best hope for a lead on my sister.

 

“What will you do now?” he asks me.

 

“I don’t know. We’ve written to her.” Well, Elisa wrote to her. I haven’t quite summoned the courage to do so. “I suppose we’ll keep writing to her in the hope that she will respond.”

 

“I can place some inquiries if you like, reach out to connections I have at the Agency. I don’t know how involved I should be, how involved she would want me to be, but if she’s in danger, please let me know. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her, nothing I wouldn’t give to make sure she’s safe.”

 

“Thank you. I’m just not sure what to do. Beatriz is a grown woman. She’s entitled to her life and privacy. I don’t think she’d care very much for us inserting ourselves in her affairs. Beatriz doesn’t need someone to rescue her; she’s always been perfectly capable of rescuing herself. But she’s my sister and I love her, and I’m worried about her.”

 

“Just because someone is strong doesn’t mean they don’t need help, Isabel.”

 

“I know that. But she has made it perfectly clear that she has no room in her life for me—”

 

“You had a fight. And no one holds a grudge like Beatriz. However, even if Beatriz is still angry with you, she misses you,” Nick says, surprising me.

 

“Beatriz talked about me? About the disagreement we had?”

 

“She didn’t tell me all the details—I imagine there are some secrets that will always be between sisters—but it was clear she was hurting, that she missed you terribly. That maybe she had regrets, too. Beatriz can be proud, and she can be stubborn, but she’s loyal, and when she loves, she does so deeply, without reservation.” He hesitates. “Trust me, the worst thing is loving someone and having regrets about how you left things between you, the things that were unsaid, the opportunities that were missed.”

 

He says it almost casually, but knowing the keen politician Nicholas Preston is, I can’t imagine this wasn’t his endgame all along:

 

“You know, if you’re worried, you could always go to Spain to make sure she’s safe.”

 

Chapter Two

 

As I sit on the flight from Palm Beach to Barcelona, wondering what possessed me to embark on this misguided adventure, it’s the look in Nicholas Preston’s eyes from our conversation a few days earlier that I remember most. There was no doubt that this was what he wanted, that he was worried about Beatriz as I was, but given their breakup and his desire to respect the boundaries they’d set, he was reluctant to involve himself, choosing instead to appeal to my romantic and sympathetic nature so I would do his bidding for him.

 

It’s a move Beatriz would make in a heartbeat, and it’s crystal clear how two people could be both utterly perfect for each other and impossibly doomed.

 

It’s been my experience that relationships are often about balance: one person tends to be the star, and the other is there to support them, to play those all-important background roles of advice and support. And sometimes, maybe, the roles shift a bit, although in my reality it has been almost entirely the man who is held in such a place of honor and esteem. Knowing my sister as I do, and her inevitable draw to the limelight whether intentional or otherwise, I can’t see her playing the role of the-woman-behind-the-man while Nicholas Preston ascends to political greatness. And I can’t imagine a man with such political ambitions and connections being happy throwing it all away for a life of relative obscurity.

 

If Beatriz is in Barcelona nursing a broken heart, the big sister in me wants to be there for her.

 

The flight is uneventful, the last hours passed staring out the window, questioning the decision to send me rather than Elisa as the family envoy, weighing the odds of Beatriz being happy to see me against the far more likely possibility that she’ll be less than enthused.

 

“I have a four-year-old,” Elisa pointed out when I suggested she would be more successful and welcomed by Beatriz. “How am I supposed to leave for Spain? Do you suggest I take Miguel with me?” She laughed at that, and given how energetic my nephew is, I can’t quite blame her for not wanting to bring him on an international flight to Europe by herself.

 

In the end, after much prevarication, and a fair dose of pleading with Thomas, who thought it both unseemly for his wife to travel by herself and has always harbored a strong dislike for Beatriz and her reputation, he reluctantly acquiesced, giving me a week away.

 

Armed with the return address on Beatriz’s letters to Elisa, a bit of money, my suitcase, and little else, I step off the plane when it lands at the airport in Barcelona and hire a taxi to take me to Beatriz’s home.

 

After a few initial minutes of conversation in Spanish, the driver leaves me to my own devices, and I stare out the window of the cab as he makes the twenty-minute journey, my gaze on the city.

 

I thought of dialing Beatriz’s number from the airport, warning her of my arrival before I showed up on her doorstep, but any attempts to call her before this trip have been met with silence, and I must admit I worried a bit that if Beatriz did answer the phone this time, she might tell me to turn back around and return to Palm Beach.

 

The farther we get from the airport, the more congested the city becomes, and I realize we’re near the center of Barcelona now.

 

Beatriz’s return address from her letter is a smart building on Las Ramblas with a beige stone facade and little balconies with red wrought iron railings. The taxi lets me off right before it.

 

It’s the sort of place I can imagine Beatriz living—elegant with a dash of whimsy. I can envision my sister leaning over the balcony railing, her dark hair billowing around her as she calls out good-naturedly to pedestrians, her laughter ringing down Las Ramblas. It is quintessentially Beatriz, both the privilege seeped in living in one of the city’s most desirable locales and the slight bohemian bent a city like Barcelona thrives on: art, music, and culture seemingly on every street corner.

 

It is a far cry from my life and the one our mother wanted for us in Palm Beach; no doubt, much of the allure for Beatriz was escaping to a place where there is anonymity in the crowded streets and bustling pace, where the need to see and be seen does not reign paramount.

 

But still, it raises the ever-important question that has been on my mind since Elisa first told me Beatriz had left:

 

Why?

 

Why Barcelona?

 

And given the environs where she’s chosen to live, who is funding this adventure?

 

A list of names of apartment residents is affixed near the building entry. I scan the directory until I settle on a “B. Perez.”

I set my suitcase down on the ground and lift my gloved hand, my heart pounding as I press the buzzer next to Beatriz’s name.

US

Additional information

Dimensions	0.8800 × 5.2600 × 7.9600 in
Imprint	Berkley
ISBN-13	09780593197820
ISBN-10	0593197828
Author	Chanel Cleeton
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	FIC014000, FIC051000
Subjects	historical books, gifts for her, FIC051000, chanel book, fiction books, books fiction, women gifts, historical novels, historical fiction books, cultural heritage, historical fiction novels, hispanic books, hispanic american fiction, latino fiction, chanel cleeton books, next year in havana, cuban revolution, when we left cuba, gifts for women, summer reading, novels, beach reads, FIC014000, women's fiction, book club, hispanic, Summer reads, historical, historical fiction, latinx, strong women, latino, Barcelona, books for women, womens fiction