Loving Che

Description: In the aftermath of Castro's revolution, a man flees Cuba with his daughter's baby, and finds, pinned on its clothes, three lines of a Pablo Neruda love poem. Decades later, that baby returns to Havana as a young woman; armed with only this snatch of verse, she searches, apparently in vain, for the mysterious mother who abandoned her. On her return to America she receives a package - a collection of tattered photographs of Che Guevara, and a letter, apparently from her mother, which documents a passionate affair with the hero of the revolution. Now, the daughter must set out for Cuba once more, to find out whether this story is true or a ravishing fantasy, bred out of the savage and surreal drama of Cuba's history.

Review: There is much to be admired about Menendez's novel. Its fragmented narrative is engrossing and involving ... Teresa emerges as a fascinating character, torn between her love and obligations for her husband, and her illicit desires for her lover, while her work as an artist and tendency towards political apathy are torn by the revolutionary climate of her times. -- Big Issue 'Inventive and hypnotic ... a tart fable about history and identity that is equal parts detective story, travelogue and fever dream.' -- Los Angeles Times 'It's a book that gives us a rich choice of passions - the desperate longing of a lonely girl for her unknown mother, the eager heat between lovers, the quest for home and belonging, the desire for heroes... Menendez's book is clever and well-constructed, the descriptions of 1950s Cuba rich and resonant' Financial Times -- Financial Times 'A refreshingly different take on a subject and country about which few people are neutral' -- City Life, Manchester '[A] tale of desire and political upheaval ... powerfully told' -- The Guardian '[A] dreamy portrait of tropical Havana in gorgeous decay... the glimpses of vibrant 1950s Cuba and Teresa and Che's perfectly rendered relationship make this a moving novel from a writer to watch' -- Publishers Weekly 20031027 'Poised and elegant ... breathtakingly convincing ... Menendez's powerful novel is a significant achievement, brimming with insight and revelation' -- Irish Tatler 20031027 'a great read' -- Manly Daily, Australia 20031027 'A beautifully written poetic romance' -- Glasgow Herald 20031027



Author Biography: Ana Menendez is the daughter of Cuban exiles who fled to Los Angeles in the 1960s before settling in Miami in the 1980s. Loving Che is her first novel and has been translated into eleven languages. Her story collection In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd has also been translated into eleven languages. She lives in Miami Beach.