September 1, 2021
Fleeing the chaos of World War I and the Soviet Revolution, practical, sensible Pearl Kahn and her lovestruck, impulsive younger sibling Frieda hope to reach America. But when discriminatory new immigration laws bar their entry, the young women sail instead to Havana, Cuba, convinced that there they will find a way to overcome this setback.
Life in big-city Prohibition-era Havana is overwhelming, like nothing Pearl and Frieda could have imagined in the rural shtetl where they grew up. As the sisters adjust to their new surroundings, Frieda pursues the not-so-dreamy man of her dreams while Pearl’s life opens up unexpectedly, offering her a taste of freedom, a heady romance, and an opportunity to build a future on her own terms. However, to do so, she must confront her past and the shame she has long carried.
A heartbreaking, epic family story, Hotel Cuba explores the profound courage of two women displaced from their home who strive to create a new future in an enticing and dangerous world far different from anything they have ever known.
Discussion Questions
Courtesy of Aaron Hamburger
- Consider the title Hotel Cuba. What does it mean to you? To what extent is Pearl’s stay in Cuba a temporary stop in her life’s journey and to what extent has it left its mark on her character and the direction of her life?
- Think about the sacrifices Pearl and her sister Frieda must make in leaving their home and adapting to a new way of life. Would you be able to make similar sacrifices in your own life? What are the costs of those sacrifices for the two sisters?
- Pearl is an artist with needle and thread. How do the clothes she works on and wears relate to what’s happening in her life and her mind throughout the novel? What do you think will happen to her career at the end of the book?
- Compare Pearl’s various attractions and love interests in the novel. Do you think she ultimately made the right choice in terms of romance?
- Frieda makes several key life choices in the novel. Pearl has strong opinions about her sister and the direction of her life. Do you think Frieda has made the right choices for herself in the end? How do you think her marriage will turn out?
- How has Pearl’s time in Key West affected her? What does she take away from the Singer family? And what did you make of the mysterious Rabbi Singer?
- What do you know about the history of the Jewish community of Cuba? Do a quick search online to find out more. What do you imagine might have happened to Pearl if she’d decided to stay in Havana rather than immigrate to the U.S.?
- Compare Pearl’s story to other immigrant stories you’ve read as well as contemporary debates about immigration. How do we balance competing concerns regarding immigration in a fair and just way?
- This book was inspired by the true story of Aaron Hamburger’s grandmother. In writing it, the author consulted recorded interviews with his grandparents and did extensive research to fill in missing details he was wondering about. He also says that he wanted to uncover more than just biographical facts. “I wanted to breathe life into my grandmother’s experience, to find out what she ate, how she felt, what her impressions were of life in such a unique place.” What stories do you know about your own family history? Has it been preserved in any way? What do you imagine might have gotten lost in those stories that could be brought back to life through research or imagination?
Enhance your book club! Listen to a Spotify playlist that Aaron created for the book or make some mojito cookies.