Jumia Books The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by C. Cleeton (Author)

"The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes" by C. Cleeton is a historical fiction novel told across three intertwined timelines and locations: 1900 Boston, 1966 Havana, and 2024 London. The story centers on a rare book titled "A Time For Forgetting," written by Eva Fuentes, a Cuban schoolteacher and aspiring author who travels to Harvard as part of a Cuban cultural exchange program. Eva’s experiences in America inspire her novel that later becomes a vital link connecting the lives of two other women.

In 1966 Havana, Pilar Castillo, a librarian whose husband has been imprisoned by Fidel Castro’s regime, is entrusted with protecting the only copy of Eva’s book. Pilar's storyline highlights the struggles of living under a repressive government and the power of literature as resistance and hope.

In 2024 London, Margo Reynolds, an antiquities buyer, is hired to find the elusive copy of Eva’s novel, uncovering dangerous secrets along the way, including a rekindling of her estranged relationship with her ex-husband, Luke. This timeline adds a modern mystery and romance element to the narrative.

The novel explores themes of political oppression, exile, forbidden love, betrayal, and the enduring power of stories to connect generations and provide identity and hope. The historical contexts—Spanish-American War, Cuban War of Independence, and Castro’s regime—are woven into the personal dramas of Eva, Pilar, and Margo, making the book an atmospheric, character-driven exploration of resilience and the importance of preserving one's heritage and voice through literature.