The Wise Women of Havana

by José Raul Bernardo

Set against the exotic background of Cuba in 1938, The Wise Women of Havana is the deeply moving, lyrical, and yet earthy story of three remarkable women whose lives are suddenly intricately intertwined. When Marguita, a beautiful and voluptuous young girl, marries Lorenzo, they find their dream home in a cozy apartment in Havana. But that dream is soon shattered. Lorenzo's once-wealthy parents, now in dire need of financial help because of the Great Depression, ask the newlyweds to move into the family's crumbling mansion with them. Marguita is hardly settled with her in-laws when Lorenzo's older sister, the spinster Lolo, behaves in a shocking way toward the young couple, seriously injuring Marguita's sense of honor and causing a dangerous rift between the two. In despair, Marguita, flees to her mother, Dolores, a truly wise woman, whose love, generosity, and resourcefulness provide the glue that promises to mend the break.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was kind of annoying because it was very very predictable and every problem had a really easy solution that always worked out just as planned. It's set up to include the struggles of life in Cuba in the 30's, but that is not what's delivered. I ended up skipping many pages and not missing a thing.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wise Women of Havana was an ok book. I expected it to be more about how the women of Havana lived their lives under Socialism. It really ended up being more about a family and how they as a whole lived their lives and not necessarily in the way we picture Cuba. The families of Marguita and Lorenzo were formed when they married. We learn about both of their families including a very bizarre sister of Lorenzo named Lolo. Marguita's family seems to be on the rich side and Lorenzo's family is definitely on the poor side. We learn of the struggles of the young family of Marguita, Lorenzo and their new baby. Overall, the book was ok for me and not one that really excited me.

[Neta · Rating 3 out of 5]

ספר חמוד למדי, לא עמוק מידי אבל גם לא ממש שטחי
מספר את קורתיהן של 5 נשים קובניות וספרדיות שחיות את חיי היום יום העמוקים של הוואנה בעולם תרבותי עם המון מגבלות וקשיים עבור הנשים

[Marlena Simon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was awful. Poorly written, typical stereotypes and really no plot.

[David Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (August 2025)

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very engaging story, not too difficult for a non-native reader. In the very first chapter, a young married couple move into the husband's parents' house and his sister sneaks into their bedroom and watches them having sex. And everything in the plot proceeds from that. Sometimes I found his style of story-telling a bit repetitive, always reviewing plot points from previous chapters, but then again, that was part of what made it so easy to read. I liked all the cultural detail of Cuban family life, too.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy read. Good glimpse of Cuban culture. Not as much depth as I think the author had hoped for. It is about sexual relationships, so if you don't like that, you probably don't want to read it.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off slow but manages to engage the reader after a few chapters. There's a lot of conflict between characters that seems a little more hyped than it should be, but still a good read if you're looking to improve your Spanish.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very predictable but sweet.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fairly good story about life in Cuba in the early 20th century.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio book was very well done.

[Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on daily life in Havanna after the Stock Market Crash here. Our book club found the book not really stimulating but still eye opening.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, sort of wierd the way he tells it, maybe a cultural barrier there?