When Isabel Perez travels to Barcelona to save her sister Beatriz, she discovers a shocking family secret in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s new novel.
Barcelona, 1964. Exiled from Cuba after the revolution, Isabel Perez has learned to guard her heart and protect her family at all costs. After Isabel’s sister Beatriz disappears in Barcelona, Isabel goes to Spain in search of her. Joining forces with an unlikely ally thrusts Isabel into her sister’s dangerous world of espionage, but it’s an unearthed piece of family history that transforms Isabel’s life.
Barcelona, 1936. Alicia Perez arrives in Barcelona after a difficult voyage from Cuba, her marriage in jeopardy and her young daughter Isabel in tow. Violence brews in Spain, the country on the brink of civil war, the rise of fascism threatening the world. When Cubans journey to Spain to join the International Brigades, Alicia’s past comes back to haunt her as she is unexpectedly reunited with the man who once held her heart.
Alicia and Isabel’s lives intertwine, and the past and present collide, as a mother and daughter are forced to choose between their family’s expectations and following their hearts.
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Penguin/Berkley
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Praise for our last days in barcelona
Cleeton is a master at weaving together stories across dual timelines, and this is no exception. The novel pulses with her signature blend of intrigue, betrayal, and the redemptive power of unleashing family secrets.
Entertainment Weekly
Chanel Cleeton has a cinematic way of making multigenerational stories tangible, weaving lives together like threads in a tapestry. … Cleeton shows the butterfly effects of oppression and rebellion in Cuba and Spain and what happens when you’re forced to choose among loyalty to your country, family and love. Our Last Days in Barcelona is a master class in family and political drama, in star-crossed love stories and in capturing the enormity of what home is.
NPR
Since her bestselling debut, Next Year In Havana, Chanel Cleeton has been a go-to for historical fiction that delivers complex female characters and gripping family drama. … Cleeton is a master at weaving storylines brimming with intrigue and the prevailing power of love.
Oprah Daily
Cleeton’s complex female characters and evocative settings, spiced with a dollop of political drama, make this a pleasing outing.
Publishers Weekly
Cuban American novelist Chanel Cleeton (Last Train to Key West; When We Left Cuba) returns to her lush, compelling saga of the Cuban American Perez sisters in her fifth historical novel, Our Last Days in Barcelona. … Cleeton deftly weaves Isabel's narrative together with that of her mother…. Cleeton sensitively explores the multiple factors that affect her characters' decisions. … Full of rich historical detail and vibrant characters, Our Last Days in Barcelona stands on its own, but also gives readers another glimpse into the continuing story of the Perez family.
Shelf Awareness
There’s no one better than Chanel Cleeton at intertwining tales of mothers and daughters with war and revolution. Cuban exile Isabel arrives in Barcelona in search of her wayward sister, only to stumble on a family mystery instead: their mother Alicia’s secret journey to Spain decades earlier, in the throes of the Spanish Civil War. OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA is a riveting tale.
Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye
In her new book, OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA, Chanel tells the story of Isabel, who returns to Barcelona in 1964 to save her sister and discovers secrets about her mother Alicia’s past there in the dark days leading up to World War II. Cleeton’s devoted fans as well as readers new to her work will be captivated by this original and evocative story of love, loyalty, betrayal and redemption.
Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman With the Blue Star
Cleeton’s tour de force of a novel . . . is a profoundly moving story about sacrifices made in the name of family and legacy, and the lasting repercussions of losing one’s homeland. Utterly captivating.
Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace
OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA is a delicious plunge into mid-century Spain, Cuba, and Florida, as the women of one strong, conflicted family struggle with love, duty, loss, and leaving their beloved homeland behind. This novel of family, loss, and war is not only an extraordinary journey through some of the 20th century's most pivotal struggles, but also an epic tale of what can happen when we have the courage to face who we really are--perhaps the most revolutionary thought of all. A fast-paced, colorful story -- saturated in the deep grief and overwhelming joy that come with the unfolding of history -- that will leave you enchanted and inspired anew to face whatever this century sends our way. I loved it.
Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The Book of Lost Names
The fabulous Perez sisters, plus the glorious backdrop of Barcelona – what more could any reader want? I absolutely loved this story of courage, sacrifice, family and love. Nobody writes about the special bond between sisters as well as Chanel Cleeton. This is the book you’re going to want to read this summer!”
Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan
Chanel Cleeton has gifted readers with a sweeping journey that moves from the ravaged countryside of Franco’s Spain to the whimsical world of Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, from the glitzy, gritty world of Florida’s Cuban exiles to Manhattan’s art galleries. This sun-splashed story is one of longing, loyalty, and the many complicated ways in which we can love within a family. Told with heart and beauty, this latest installment of the Perez women is irresistible.
Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
Chanel Cleeton delivers a perfectly rendered novel of three memorable women bearing both the unfair weight of family expectations and the regrets of missed opportunities, but who nevertheless refuse to give up on hope and second chances. Told with great care and sensitivity, this story will have you cheering for love’s ability to prevail.
Susan Meissner, USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things
Cleeton weaves the three women’s stories together to create another charming historical novel about strong women facing adversity in life and love, who are passionately loyal to family and forever yearning for their lost homeland.
Booklist
Place, family, and sacrifice complete the beautiful landscape painted in Chanel Cleeton's riveting masterpiece, Our Last Days in Barcelona. Cleeton expands the Perez family with a sweeping portrait of mothers and daughters and sisters retaining their special bonds while finding their unique places in a world turned crazy by revolution and the unpredictability of love. Couldn't put it down.
Vanessa Riley, bestselling author of Island Queen
Superbly paced, suspenseful, and sumptuous, Our Last Days in Barcelona seduces readers with the fallible Perez women, their regrets, and their passions, carefully unraveled in their beloved city Barcelona teetering on the brink of war. The secret they’re hiding is maddening and yet heartbreaking. I couldn’t put this novel down!
Weina Dai Randel, award-winning author of The Last Rose of Shanghai
The Perez sisters are back in this moving follow-up to Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba. This time it’s Isabel’s turn, the artistic and loyal older sister who’s willing to sacrifice her own happiness for her family. But a trip to Barcelona during Franco’s regime may change her entire outlook on life.
Lorena Hughes, author of The Spanish Daughter
From Cuba to Barcelona to Palm Beach, Cleeton describes historical events so accurately and vividly that readers will feel transported to the 1930s and ’60s. Historical fiction fans will love this novel by Cleeton and its perfectly detailed descriptions of a long-gone era.
Library Journal
Travel back in time to Spain in the 1930s and 1960s in this riveting read.
BookBub
Cleeton delivers, big-time! Once again, Chanel Cleeton captivates with her evocative prose and first-rate storytelling. The Perez women come to life when their stories collide in this unforgettable tale of love, loss, secrets, and suspense. Fans who’ve come to expect Cleeton’s brilliant story-telling, vivid descriptions, historically accurate events, and beloved characters will rejoice in this extraordinary novel of heartbreak and resilience. At its heart an exquisite love story, Our Last Days in Barcelona illustrates the life-altering sacrifices women will make for the sake of their families.
Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
A story of despair, love and healing amidst the growing threat of fascism in Spain and its ties to Cuba. Our Last Days in Barcelona thrills, excites and surprises you from the very first page.
Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Island
A powerhouse of a novel. Amidst the glamour and violence of Barcelona, Cleeton wraps the reader in a story that deals with the power of love, the bonds of family, and the heartbreaking choices to protect the ones we love.
Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author of Our Italian Summer
Chanel Cleeton weaves yet another enticing tale around the fascinating circle of Perez women and their complex loyalties to family and their Cuban heritage. This is a story about making impossible choices and finding the courage to claim one’s true passions. Impeccably researched, Cleeton once again strikes that perfect balance between historical fiction and the kind of love story that appeals to the romantic in all of us.
Renée Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces
At once thrilling, nostalgic, and utterly romantic, Our Last Days in Barcelona is a glorious addition to Chanel Cleeton's sweeping family saga. Readers will fall in love with the brave and charming Perez women.
Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
A moving, beautifully written portrayal of the loss and limbo of displacement, and how women find the courage to begin again, to love again, and to ultimately become themselves against all odds. Like all of Chanel Cleeton's wonderful books, OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA was unputdownable for me.
Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of Portrait of a Scotsman
In her latest novel, Our Last Days in Barcelona, Chanel Cleeton masterfully weaves a tale about mothers, daughters, and sisters, the sacrifices they make, the daring they brave, but most of all the eye opening journey of self discovery. Between the narratives of Cuban exile Isabel in 1964, and her mother Alicia in 1936 civil war Spain, the reader is taken on a captivating, tear-jerking journey. Not to be missed!
Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop
Cleeton’s tender narration makes clear the warring factions of our (women's) emotions as we make decisions that will affect social standing, not letting our family down, feelings of helplessness, and our own best interests. … she also expresses complex thoughts extremely effectively. … Book clubs that discuss OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA will have a plethora of themes and topics to explore. Feminism, women in history, war, the fight for independence and our role in society are all ideas that will engender some serious conversations. It's a lovely and entertaining read, but it's also so much more.
Bookreporter.com
Chanel Cleeton thrusts us back into the rich and vibrant world of the Perez family, giving us the page-turning stories of two unforgettable Perez women as they reflect not only on the past that makes them who they are, but on the future they must learn to build for themselves. This beautiful reflection on family, politics, and love will keep you reading late into the night.
Bryn Turnbull, author of The Last Grand Duchess
Another satisfying story filled with all of the daring and glamour we have come to expect from the Perez sisters. I almost felt like I was sitting in a little café in Barcelona myself.
Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms
Our Last Days in Barcelona is a riveting story of second chances, secrets and self-discovery that will enthrall fans of Chanel Cleton's Perez sisters. Two generations of Perez women bravely face the dangers of revolution, both Spain's and their own, as they rebel against social and family expectations to forge their own lives and follow their hearts. It's a mesmerizing novel filled with anticipation, romance and surprises that will captivate readers until the end.
Georgie Blalock, author of The Last Debutantes
Our Last Days in Barcelona is a breathtakingly beautiful tale of love and loss. Chanel Cleeton's lyrical style blends history and romance in this tantalizing treat. I devoured this book and was thrilled to spend more time with the Perez sisters. Readers will gasp, cry, and swoon and relate to the women in this incredible novel.
Alana Quintana Albertson, bestselling author of Ramón and Julieta
A heartbreaking yet empowering story that beautifully depicts the strength of women as they bear the weight of familial obligation while trying to find their voice and follow their hearts.
Jane Igharo, author of The Sweetest Remedy