Welcome to Havana, Senor Hemingway

So begins an intriguing journey of discovery to Cuba. Many years ago, Javier Lopez Angulo met the celebrated writer and introduced him to Prohibition-era Havana, which throbbed with revolution and rumba. Now, his grandson returns to find out why their friendship ended so abruptly.

This exciting and entertaining novel portrays Hemingway from a Cuban perspective, and recreates a fascinating period of Cuban history, the bloody overthrow of the dictator Machado in 1933. It will appeal not just to Hemingway fans and those intrigued by Cuba but also anyone interested in richly detailed historical fiction. .

A literary time machine that will take you to pre-Castro Cuba with a fresh perspective.

February 18, 2004

I try to read and review the books that are presented to me within an acceptable timeframe. However, as I read the first words of this novel and proceeded to the conclusion, I did not want to miss one word! I found myself reading and rereading various sections in an attempt to take in every aspect of this book with no exceptions.

In Senor Estrada's novel, he begins by painting a diverse and colorful background utilizing culture rich Havana. He assembles a combination of visual and physical necessities that create a backdrop in front of which this novel unfolds. Each character is meticulously developed through the writing and their actions described by our narrator. Once developed, these multi-faceted characters interact with the multi-faceted background to play out the story.

Enter Harvard educated Javier Lopez Angulo and legendary American writer
Ernest Hemingway, two of the author's main characters that form a bond after a near miss - with each others' fists. The two form a bond of sorts and Javier leads Ernest "call me Papa" Hemingway through Cuba in a series of interesting events that take place prior to and during the violence that enthralls Cuba as it approaches the prohibition era riddled with social revolution.

In the author's descriptions, you sit at a small table in the nightclubs Javier and Hemingway frequent. You watch the two of them drinking together, engaged in conversation about the ladies or the fishing - two of Hemingway's many passions. Every so often you witness a patron in the bar challenge Hemingway to a fight, only to be disposed of in a melee that entertains the crowd immensely.

The two characters cross each other often, either in boxing matches or in matters of the heart. You get the sense that their relationship is evolving from a state of serenity to that of rivalry. Just like the Cuba that they live in during this time, things are going to change and they do. Senor Estrada will take you on this personal journey in an attempt to discover what caused the rift in the relationship between his grandfather and Hemingway. You unravel this mystery utilizing Estrada's visual artistry in due time but every word from beginning to end will captivate you instantly.

Add this one to your library, just as I have and revisit it often.

Senor Estrada, thank you for the journey!


A must for Hemingway enthusiasts   August 18, 2004
You've read all the literature by the man, all the books about the man, and now you've reached the point of reading fictionalized accounts of the man. It's all part of the natural transition of the die-hard Hemingway fan.
"Welcome To Havana, Senor Hemingway" is a well researched novel that entertains and informs, covering a little known period in Hemingway's life. His relationship with Jane Mason, based on fact, is convincingly portrayed, as is the marlin fishing with Joe Russell on the "Anita". The flavor and turmoil of 1930's Cuba are effectively brought to life, giving the novel its greatest strength.
Estrada is an excellent, descriptive writer.