Wow! eBook
Havana Lost
Author(s): Libby Fischer Hellmann (Author)
- Publisher: The Red Herrings Press
- Publication Date: May 1, 2013
- Edition: First Edition
- Language: English
- Print length: 382 pages
- ISBN-10: 193873338X
- ISBN-13: 9781938733383
Book Description
Her father wanted to run Havana. Her rebel lover wanted to burn it down.
On the eve of the Cuban Revolution, headstrong 18-year-old Francesca Pacelli flees from her ruthless Mafia-boss father in Havana to the arms of her lover, a rebel fighting with Fidel Castro. Her father, desperate to send her to safety in the US, resorts to torture and blackmail as he searches the island for her.So begins the first part of a spellbinding saga that spans three generations of the same family.
Decades later, the family is lured back to Cuba by the promise of untold riches. But pursuing those riches brings danger as well as opportunity, and ultimately, Francesca’s family must confront the lethal consequences of their choices. From the troubled streets of Havana to the mean streets of Chicago, HAVANA LOST reveals the true cost of chasing power instead of love.
HAVANA LOST is award-winning author Libby Fischer Hellmann’s tenth novel and third thriller that explores how strife and revolution affect the human spirit. The novel is a testament to Hellmann’s gift for authentic historical detail as well as her talent for writing compulsively readable thrillers
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
The Cuban Revolution is the rich backdrop for this riveting historical thriller. In the days just prior to the revolution, life in Cuba is difficult. Spies are everywhere. Poverty and hunger are rampant. But for American Francesca Pacelli, life is easy. Her Mafia-boss father owns a luxury hotel and casino in Havana, where they live. When Francesca meets Luis Perez, a rebel fighter, she falls in love fast and runs away with him. Her father tracks her down and sends her back to the States, where the brokenhearted and pregnant Francesca is pushed into an arranged marriage. All their lives are changed by these events, and the story follows these characters from 1950s Cuba to present-day Chicago, where Francesca is now head of the family and is as ruthless as she needs to be. Meanwhile, Luis ends up in South Africa, where he stumbles upon a crew mining coltan, a rare mineral necessary in the production of computers, and finds himself in serious danger: blood diamonds aren’t the only export causing brutal violence in South Africa. This multigenerational page-turner is packed with intrigue and shocking plot twists. --Stacy Alesi
Review
"A riveting historical thriller... this multi-generational page-turner is packed with intrigue and shocking plot twists..." Booklist
"Masterfully crafted...Hellmann has a superb gift for the colorful depiction of her characters. I can't imagine any noir aficionado not enjoying Havana Lost."
Rich Reeder, aliteraryreeder"A many layered adventure... smart writing done in accomplished style by an author who never talks down to her readers."
"Libby Fischer Hellmann is already an icon of the Chicago mystery scene. (Now) she heads in a bold new direction and masterfully evokes a Cuba past and present in a heartrending tale of broken families and lost loves."
Sean Chercover, THE TRINITY GAME"Libby Hellmann offers a literary tour de force...lush with the details of another place and time--and full of lovers whose stars are tragically crossed with cold-war politics. The writing will take your breath away."
William Kent Krueger, NY Times best-selling author of ORDINARY GRACE & Cork O'Connor seriesBook Description
On the eve of the Cuban Revolution, headstrong 18-year-old Francesca Pacelli flees from her ruthless Mafia-boss father in Havana to the arms of her lover, a rebel fighting with Fidel Castro. Her father, desperate to send her to safety in the US, resorts to torture and blackmail as he searches the island for her.
So begins the first part of a spellbinding saga that spans three generations of the same family. Decades later, the family is lured back to Cuba by the promise of untold riches. But pursuing those riches brings danger as well as opportunity, and ultimately, Francesca’s family must confront the lethal consequences of their choices. From the troubled streets of Havana to the mean streets of Chicago, HAVANA LOST reveals the true cost of chasing power instead of love.
HAVANA LOST is award-winning author Libby Fischer Hellmann’s tenth novel and third thriller that explores how strife and revolution affect the human spirit. HAVANA LOST is a testament to Hellmann’s gift for authentic historical detail as well as her talent for writing compulsively readable thrillers.
From the Author
Following is a short Q&A with Libby about HAVANA LOST.
What attracted you about a plot set in Cuba? Where did the inspiration come from?
I was talking to my sister on the phone after I'd finished A BITTER VEIL. I knew I wasn't ready to go back to my Georgia Davis series, even though I was already about 60 pages into it. I'd been thinking about doing a World War Two thriller--I'm continually drawn back to that period of time. Unfortunately, I ultimately realized there was probably nothing I could write about the period that hadn't been done better by someone else.
The conversation turned to other time periods and settings, and my sister brought up Cuba. As soon as she mentioned it, I started to get that itch. It's the kind of itch that can only be scratched by delving more deeply into the subject. I told her how I remembered my parents flying down to gamble in Havana. This was when Batista was still in power. I must have only been about 6 or 7, but I remember being jealous that they were going to a foreign country and culture. I wanted to go too. Of course, they didn't take me.
A few years later Fidel took over and Cuba became off limits to Americans. Plus, it turned Communist! Communism was our enemy. Because of that, Cuba seemed even more mysterious and exotic, and I remember wanting to know more about it. Then, of course, there was the Cuban Missile Crisis, which made Cuba even more impenetrable and distant. So close and yet so far.
Finally, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, I recalled one of the Godfather films where Al Pacino (Michael Corleone) and Lee Strasberg (Meyer Lansky) are on a rooftop supposedly in Havana discussing how they're going to own the island. Shortly after that, Michael sees a rebel willing to die to overthrow Batista and changes his mind about doing business with Lansky.
That clinched it. I realized I had most of the elements for a terrific thriller: revolution, crime, conflict, and an exotic setting. There was only one other element I needed. I enjoy--actually it's more than that... it's probably an obsession--writing about women and the choices they make. I needed a female character who would have been thrown into the middle of the revolution. It would be fascinating to see what she did and how she coped. Once I came up with Frankie Pacelli, the daughter of a Mafia boss who owns a Havana resort, the rest was, as they say, is history.
I do want to say that this is a more noir story than A BITTER VEIL. In some ways it's a mirror image of VEIL, but through a much darker lens. Just as some people turn into heroes when faced with the extreme conflict and stress of revolution, others become cowards... and worse. Judge for yourself as you read it. And let me know what you think.
Are any of the female characters in HL based on you? If so, which aspects of their personalities are inspired by yours?
None of my female characters are based on me. All of my female characters are based on me. I think it's impossible for an author not to share shades of themselves through their characters. The issue isn't so much what comes from me, though; it's their own authenticity. Once they're on the page, they have to be true to themselves. Consistent. They can't do one thing on Monday, and the opposite on Wednesday, even if I want to.
Have you been to Cuba? What did you think / feel about it?
Absolutely, I went to Cuba. My daughter and I went in 2012 on a cultural tour that coincided with the Havana International Book Fair. It turns out that the Book Fair is one of the largest in Latin America, and it was packed. We were there for 9 days. Of course we did a lot of other things and saw other places (Varadero, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad), and one day, we even ditched the tour and went on our own to Regla. I had written most of the book by then, so it was a perfect opportunity to fact-check. I'm glad I did. I got the geography of Regla wrong.
What attracted you about a plot set in Cuba? Where did the inspiration come from?
I was talking to my sister on the phone after I'd finished A BITTER VEIL. I knew I wasn't ready to go back to my Georgia Davis series, even though I was already about 60 pages into it. I'd been thinking about doing a World War Two thriller--I'm continually drawn back to that period of time. Unfortunately, I ultimately realized there was probably nothing I could write about the period that hadn't been done better by someone else.
The conversation turned to other time periods and settings, and my sister brought up Cuba. As soon as she mentioned it, I started to get that itch. It's the kind of itch that can only be scratched by delving more deeply into the subject. I told her how I remembered my parents flying down to gamble in Havana. This was when Batista was still in power. I must have only been about 6 or 7, but I remember being jealous that they were going to a foreign country and culture. I wanted to go too. Of course, they didn't take me.
A few years later Fidel took over and Cuba became off limits to Americans. Plus, it turned Communist! Communism was our enemy. Because of that, Cuba seemed even more mysterious and exotic, and I remember wanting to know more about it. Then, of course, there was the Cuban Missile Crisis, which made Cuba even more impenetrable and distant. So close and yet so far.
Finally, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, I recalled one of the Godfather films where Al Pacino (Michael Corleone) and Lee Strasberg (Meyer Lansky) are on a rooftop supposedly in Havana discussing how they're going to own the island. Shortly after that, Michael sees a rebel willing to die to overthrow Batista and changes his mind about doing business with Lansky.
That clinched it. I realized I had most of the elements for a terrific thriller: revolution, crime, conflict, and an exotic setting. There was only one other element I needed. I enjoy--actually it's more than that... it's probably an obsession--writing about women and the choices they make. I needed a female character who would have been thrown into the middle of the revolution. It would be fascinating to see what she did and how she coped. Once I came up with Frankie Pacelli, the daughter of a Mafia boss who owns a Havana resort, the rest was, as they say, is history.
I do want to say that this is a more noir story than A BITTER VEIL. In some ways it's a mirror image of VEIL, but through a much darker lens. Just as some people turn into heroes when faced with the extreme conflict and stress of revolution, others become cowards... and worse. Judge for yourself as you read it. And let me know what you think.
Are any of the female characters in HL based on you? If so, which aspects of their personalities are inspired by yours?
None of my female characters are based on me. All of my female characters are based on me. I think it's impossible for an author not to share shades of themselves through their characters. The issue isn't so much what comes from me, though; it's their own authenticity. Once they're on the page, they have to be true to themselves. Consistent. They can't do one thing on Monday, and the opposite on Wednesday, even if I want to.
Have you been to Cuba? What did you think / feel about it?
Absolutely, I went to Cuba. My daughter and I went in 2012 on a cultural tour that coincided with the Havana International Book Fair. It turns out that the Book Fair is one of the largest in Latin America, and it was packed. We were there for 9 days. Of course we did a lot of other things and saw other places (Varadero, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad), and one day, we even ditched the tour and went on our own to Regla. I had written most of the book by then, so it was a perfect opportunity to fact-check. I'm glad I did. I got the geography of Regla wrong.
I took hundreds of pictures, and you'll be able to see some of them in the coming weeks.
About the Author
Libby Fischer Hellmann left a career in broadcast news in Washington, DC and moved to Chicago a long time ago, where she, naturally, began to write gritty crime fiction. She soon began writing historical fiction as well. Eighteen novels and twenty-five short stories later, she claims they'll take her out of the Windy City feet first. She has been nominated for many awards in the mystery and crime writing community and has even won a few. She has been a finalist twice for the Anthony and the Shamus; and four times for Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year. She has also been nominated for the Agatha, the Daphne, and she won the Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year in 2021. She has won the IPPY, Foreword Magazine's Indie Awards, and the Readers Choice Award multiple times. Her latest novel is Max's War: The Story of a Ritchie Boy, a novel about the little known group of German Jewish immigrants to the US who escaped Hitler and joined the Army to fight Nazis.
