A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Product Information

The book, Namey said, “hails straight out of my family album,” noting that she is the daughter and granddaughter of Cuban immigrants and is grateful that she could pay tribute to them in this way. “Many places, traditions, foods, and life lessons from my childhood are woven into the story,” she added. “I tried to take the spirit of people I love, and the truths I learned about identity and legacy and reimagine them into a coming-of-age novel that teens could relate to.” The shuttle bus was fine,” I say into her itchy wool shoulder. Her blond low bun is the same as I remember, but her accent sounds flatter than ever. Is this what twenty-five years in England does to a Venezuelan woman, born Catalina Raquel Mendoza? Here, in this Hampshire medieval town, with this husband, she is Cate Wallace. I hardly ever read books where the MC is from Florida (aka where I’m from), and it was so refreshing to see my home romanticized and painted in all its warm glory, instead of being made fun of 😂I loved England, too! I would have liked to experience more of it with our main character. I also would have liked to spend more time with the love interest. I didn’t care for him all that much, but I couldn’t help but swoon anytime he said “love”. Even though Kit is doing a new movie, don’t worry about his role in Heartstopper being reduced! Actors often do films and even other television shows between seasons. We don’t know when the next season of the Netflix series is going into production yet so I’m sure Kit’s team has handled things to ensure his filming obligations don’t interfere with his return to the show. A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is an absolute delight. Cozier than a hand-knit gray cardigan and richer than Abuela’s pastelito recipe, Namey takes you from Miami to Winchester, and leaves your heart belonging to both.” —Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart

Winchester. Honestly? I'm just putting this in here as someone who's been to Winchester on many occasions and loved reading Lila's obsession with how old everything is. I will forever find a huge amount of entertainment in the way non-brits write about the UK. (It's all so twee but I love it?) Winchester has always been home for Flora, but when her mother dies, Flora feels untethered. Her family expects her to apply to university and take a larger role in their tea-shop business, but Flora isn’t so sure. More than ever, she’s the chaotic 'hurricane' in her household, and she doesn’t always know how to manage her stormy emotions. So she decides to escape to Miami without telling anyone – especially her longtime friend Gordon Wallace. CW: Dealing with the loss of a loved one, breakups (friendship and romantic), mental health issues - girl runs to the brink of collapse and has suffered some significant damage to her body after a break down due to the loss of her abuela.Y ahora si hablamos de la historia; fue súper aburrida, nunca conecté con los personajes, para leer un párrafo tardaba de 3-5 minutos de lo poco que podía concentrarme.

My chest tightens around my heart and then… it happens. Here in the cozy Owl and Crow foyer with weathered wood planks beneath my sandals and tall canisters filled with pointy umbrellas at the door. It didn’t happen at Miami International when I wore an unbreakable scowl, even as I gave obligatory kisses to mis padres and my sister, Pilar. It didn’t happen as I watched the stardust lights of my city disappear behind the jumbo jet wing. I didn’t cry then. Wouldn’t. But Catalina-Cate Wallace gets me good right here and I can’t stop it. My eyes well, and my throat closes over a memory that won’t ever let me go. Next, please.” The London Heathrow customs officer waves me forward. “The purpose of your visit, miss?” he asks after I hand over my passport. Food addictions: Grilled cheese and tomato soup, avocado toast, cake, Cubano sandwich, ramen, pastelitos While details regarding Connor, del Castillo and Reficco’s exact roles have not been released, Deadline did reveal thatdocumentary filmmakerKatherine Fairfax Wright( Call Me Kuchu) will direct, marking her narrative feature debut. Savion Einstein ( Miss Conception) and Khaila Amazan(Anderson .Paak’s upcoming K-POPS!) will write the screenplay. In A Cuban Girl’s Guide, 17-year-old Lila is at her lowest when she lands in Winchester, England, following a trio of heartbreaking losses: the death of her abuela, the end of her relationship with her boyfriend, and her best friend bailing on their post-graduation plans. But she eventually hits the reset button for her future by embracing the charm of the English countryside and making a new friend in teashop clerk Orion, who becomes her personal tour guide and more. Throughout, readers are treated to tempting descriptions of food and Winchester, as Lila cooks in the kitchen at the inn run by her honorary tía Cate, and Orion helps Lila envision what her new life could be.

Personalized picks at your fingertips

You will want to eat baked goods whilst reading this. I suggest having some ready in advance. Go for something a bit decadent like a bakery pastry, *whispers* I had 3, because a dry chocolate chip cookie will not cut it (nor will the next 2). If you are a baker, have all the ingredients ready so you can whip up a sweet masterpiece in the kitchen. A CUBAN GIRL’S GUIDE TO TEA AND TOMORROW is an absolute delight. Cozier than a hand-knit gray cardigan, and richer than Abuela’s pastelito recipe, Namey takes you from Miami to Winchester, and leaves your heart belonging to both. Best enjoyed with a steaming cup of your favorite signature tea.” – Rachael Lippincott, author of “Five Feet Apart” For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart. the fact that Lila's grandmother was someone so special to her hit me right in the heart- I feel like in many Latinx cultures, the grandmothers hold a special place in their grandchildren's hearts and I definitely felt this in this novel.

lately, I have been OBSESSED with England and Europe in general, so this definitely helped my need to travel grow even more. I haven't been outside of the US except for a vacation to Canada and I need to go to Europe so much. Unfortunately, this didn't work for me. I struggled a lot with our main character. I found her incredibly stubborn and entitled, which made me roll my eyes on numerous occasions. I understood why she acted the way she did, especially in the beginning, but I still didn't warm up to her, even as the book went on. I feel like instead of being open-minded and trying to experience British culture, she just kept trying to make England feel like Miami. We only see her criticize British food, and while all the food that Lila prepared sounded absolutely AMAZING, I wish we would have seen her get out of her comfort zone. Instead, we saw Lila act as if she knew better than everyone, which was irritating. If you go in wanting a cute read, then you'll get it! It just feels like one of those cosy reads with great emotional depth. Namey) shines at characterization and portraying self-discovery . . . A heartwarming romance paired with a well-written setting add up to a satisfying read on multiple levels.” -Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review ⭐️ Este libro fue literal lo peor que he leído en lo que va del año. Fue doloroso leer cada capítulo porque está escrito horripilantemente.the side characters and MAIN LOVE INTEREST- they all felt so real. I hate when side characters are given no personality or plot aside from just being side characters. everyone in this book was so clearly distinguished in their own ways, it made me care about them and the subplots in this book. the love interest, Orion, was such a good match for Lila. not only do they share the experience of losing a family member, but they actually communicated with each other so well!! a huge pet peeve of mine is miscommunication in books- (no one has time for this and this trope has to die.) Orion and Lila's relationship is one the reader will root for because it is so perfect and wholesome. let me know if you DON'T cry at the end... the ACCURATE nods to Miami and Cuban culture. it's normal for someone to feel hesitant when their culture is written about, and not gonna lie, I felt apprehensive about the representation. BUT WOW- Laura Taylor Namey knows what she's talking about. in my past experience, it's easy for Miami culture to come off as cheesy and try hard but the details and references sprinkled throughout the story were just the perfect amounts- like a perfectly constructed recipe.

Oh, the food. A little side note here: don’t read this while hungry. It will make you hungry, anyway. The delicious Cuban pastries and mix and matches of Cuban and English food, the character’s love for baking will make your mouth water. A girl that says she loves food but doesn't study or try to learn things to improve and gain more knowledge? That was HIGHLY OFFENSIVE and dismissed all the hard work and time of studying that EVERY SINGLE GOOD COOK (that wants someday to be a chef) puts into their education.

Foreign Editions:

The story: Lila has her future planned out, but then life happens, and she goes through some relatable heartache. I enjoyed hearing about Cuban culture and British Culture, as well as the descriptions of food, tea, Miami, and England. However, I didn’t connect with any of the characters. The story line is cute, cheesy, and at times unrealistic, and Lila does some bratty things, too (a teenager going into someone’s kitchen at a business and acting like you know more than them? Rude.). The romance is trope-y and cheesy, and I rolled my eyes more than once. I did like that Lila learned to appreciate a new culture and also learned she wasn’t perfect, took charge, and made changes to her life. That is respectable. As a cook I felt directly offended and pissed by how the author portraits not only people from my profession, but also the environment and everything that surrounds the work life in a kitchen. To All The Boys’ Producer Ace Entertainment Adapting Latinx YA Novel ‘A Cuban Girl’s Guide To Tea And Tomorrow’; Maia Reficco, Kit Connor & Kate Del Castillo To Lead Film’s Cast Speaking of incredibly young business owners, the English love interest himself practically owns his father's tea shop as well. One of his friends is also a successful singer/songwriter so y'know, no one is very relatable for those who have no idea what direction the rest of their life is going to go (i.e. MOST teenagers). Regardless, these are minor issues.