Why does Elisa send Marisol on the pilgrimage to Cuba? Do you think Marisol fulfills the task set by her grandmother?

Over the course of the novel, Marisol changes her perspective on her own identity. Discuss these changes and what motivates them.

Although Next Year in Havana is a historical novel, romances serve as important elements of the plot. How do these romantic pairings help advance the plot and develop the themes? Does the novel feel more like a romance or more like a historical novel? Does Cleeton successfully integrate the historical details with the narrative?