Review of A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

 A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey 

Boy did this book make me want to eat all the pastries and Cuban food! This was such a fun read for me. It's been a while since I've picked up a Young Adult book and I forgot how amazing they can be. Namey has such an amazing way of describing not only the delicious-sounding food but also the people and places we met throughout the story. It's really a story about family, loss, dealing with grief, and where your home is. It's about dealing with things that are hard to put into words and hard to tell anyone, especially when you're a teenager. It's about finding your home in the most unlikely of places. But mostly it's about food and how it can bring everyone together. 

Our main character is the bold Lila Reyes and boy is she really bold and brave and confident and strong. The spring before she graduates High School a series of moments send her spiraling until she can't get a hold of herself anymore. Her family makes the choice to send her to her Aunt's house in England for the summer for her to get out and reset. She is a skilled baker and meets a group of people who will change her in so many different ways. 

Stand out quote: 

"I think of how we freeze foods to use later. To preserve them so they don't rot away. Maybe this is what my family wanted. To freeze a flame-star heart, a burn-planet body, while it heals. P 68 

Some questions to ponder: 

1. What is your favorite superstition? 
2. Do you think the Reyes Family made the right call in sending Lila away? 
3. The book discusses ways to deal with loss and pain, what are some healthy ways you've learned to deal with both? 
4. Do you think Lila has learned how to deal with her emotions at the end? 

Thanks for stopping by! 

-MDB