A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

This was a cover buy for me. Not only did I fall in love with the colors and art style but also the title itself. Cuban Girl? Tea? Tomorrow?! YES. I was looking forward to this, mostly because I am part Cubana and I thought it would be amazing to see that side of my heritage highlighted.

While I enjoyed the authors unabashed display of Cuban/Cuban American culture, I wasnt so thrilled by the story itself. The pastry descriptions along with Lilas deep connection to her family, especially her abuela, resonated and shined through the standard YA contemporary fare. And Lilas journey in learning to love and understand herself was also a positive takeaway.

However, the characters themselves were not all that memorable or, dare I say, likable. Lila, particularly, happened to be my least favorite character. To some degree, I could sympathize with her pain (losing someone is hard) and I also understood her love of baking (because sweets are good for the soul). Unfortunately, I was put off by her personality. Stubbornness can be endearing, but to a certain extent. And theres a thin line between being knowledgeable and being obnoxious. Lila crosses this line several times, especially when she is in the kitchen.

The romance was lackluster, mostly because I was not attached to Lila and the love interest, Orion, was fairly flat and underdeveloped. Sweet, but also made of cardboard. Their relationship may have functioned better as a platonic connection, if anything.

I didnt love this book, but it was decent. The themes about family, culture, self-awareness hit their mark, but just barely. And the England settings was nice, though limited. Im mostly glad for the Cuban rep.

A CUBAN GIRLS GUIDE TO TEA AND TOMORROW, by Laura Taylor Namey
middle and upper grades (just a little kissing)
first-person POV
standalone
contemporary / realistic / romance

Lila is from a close-knit Cuban family in Miami which owns a panaderia. When her beloved grandmother, who taught her to cook and runs the bakery, dies, plus her boyfriend dumps her, plus her best friend backs out of their after-HS plans, Lila is understandably upset but doesn’t handle it well. Her concerned family sends her to Winchester, England for 3 months to stay with an aunt who owns a guest house there. Lila is very unhappy about this and is determined to hate everything because it is so different from Miami.

Her cousin introduces her to some local teens and she gets the chance to bake for her aunt’s B&B so she starts to enjoy herself slowly. Of course she meets a young man (who also has family sorrows) and they gradually feel themselves falling in love. Lila learns that there is a Cordon Bleu school in London with a pastry course and she is interested, but torn between her original plan – to run the family panaderia with her older sister – and to stay in Winchester helping her aunt and attend the Cordon Bleu school.

She has some conversations with her former boyfriend and former best friend which give her closure and help her feel better about their relationships. Lila is very strong-willed and tends to bulldoze everyone around her; she realizes this has affected her relationships. And although she does go home – her family’s shop was selected to be on her mother’s favorite reality TV baking show – she also realizes that Miami / England is not an either / or choice.

Peppered with Spanish phrases, most translated, and mouth-watering (accurate!) descriptions of Cuban food.

Such a beautiful story! This is that warm blanket read that you need when your feeling the weight of the world. Its a story for young girls , though I found this story predictable its not written for someone with so much experience in life. Its for a young girl looking for hope and love! I will be having my daughter read it!

Lila is a young girl with so much love for the world! With a broken heart she must find herself again and make her own way in the world! Will she heal? Will she push and find love ?

In short:
Did I like it? For what it is yes, for what I need from a book – no.
Would I recommend it? To young readers yes!
Would I read more by this author? Prob not.

What a beautifully crafted young adult novel. Lilas journey to England on the heels of various losses was one I wanted to follow from the get-go. I especially loved how her view of the world through the lens of her vibrant family/culture, her love of food and feeding others came through on every page. Great details, beautiful settings, and an intricately layered story worked together to create a lively, authentic, and wondrous adventure. Although Im not myself a teen, I have no doubt young people (and adults like me) will relate to the many themes (grief/loss) and the ways in which Lila, Orion and other ancillary characters navigate the terrain of growing older. A great book club read!

If you’re looking for a book about finding hope and healing after loss, look no further. A CUBAN GIRL’S GUIDE TO TEA AND TOMORROW lives up to its name, leaving readers with the same warm glow as a mug of their favorite winter drink. The characters are rich and complex, the plot will satisfy even the snobbiest bookworm, and the prose is incomparable. This book is a delight.

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