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Requital
by Barbara McArthur
Product Group: Book
Publisher: PublishAmerica (2005-04-11)
ISBN: 1413754341
EAN: 9781413754346
Dewy Decimal #: 813
Paperback: 413 pages
SKU: N1330
Condition: Good
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Havana, Cuba-Summer 1959. Americans still cling to a romantic image of this Caribbean paradise...with its swaying palms, warm, velvet nights and exotic musical beats. But, in Cuba, the tension is tinder dry. Fidel Castro's followers are armed and dangerous. Streaming into Havana from the countryside by train, bus and oxcart, the campesinos are in a frenzy to see their leader and proclaim their liberation at the national celebration on July 26. Jennifer Roberts, a na¯ve young American, arrives in Havana on July 25. What was billed as a Cuban Mardi Gras quickly turns deadly, and she is forced to accept the hospitality of a wealthy casino owner, Mike McAlister, and his handsome manager, Jack Sendoya. Jennifer and Jack begin a desperate, life-changing love affair. When plans are set for Jack's escape from Fidel's tyranny, he vanishes into a world of conspiracy and betrayal. Jennifer is left to face a life without him. Years later, Jack returns...awakening a lifelong love, questions about his mysterious disappearance, enemies from his past who still watch and wait...and a vengeful obsession.
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Customer Reviews
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The political backdrop of the story sucked me in!
Rating  (4)
Date: 2007-05-04
Requital is the story of an American woman named Jenny who, as an airline stewardess in 1959, decides to take her first vacation someplace tropical - starting with Cuba. She and her co-worker Phyllis are pretty young and naïve and are unaware that Fidel Castro is consolidating his power in Cuba by nationalizing all the foreign businesses and that the reception that awaits foreign tourists has turned chilly. They discover that the hotel in which they were supposed to be staying is now Castro's headquarters. But they meet an American businessman who takes them under his wing and carries them off to one of the few foreign-owned businesses still operating - the casino he manages on behalf of the mafia.
At the casino, Jenny and the floor manager, a suave, older Cuban man named Jack, see each other and fall instantly in love. In the middle of political turmoil, they have a few whirlwind days together. Jenny learns that Jack is trying desperately to get out of Cuba and Jenny is drawn in and tries to help him. They plan a life together before Jenny returns to the U.S. to await Jack's arrival. But word reaches her that Jack was caught and killed on the day he was supposed to leave. Jenny tries desperately to confirm this and get details, but her contacts in Cuba are cut off. Thirty-two years later she gets a phone call...
The label on the cover of Requital says "romantic thriller" and I must admit that I read it with some trepidation because I don't care much for romances. And I did roll my eyes once or twice in the beginning. However, I was curious to see where the author would take the story. From the beginning of the book, it is obvious that some sacrifices are going to have to be made and you read this book wondering when and on whom the sword will fall. This book really has a classic tragedy story structure and that and the political backdrop of the story sucked me in.
Favorite character? Jack, the latin lover. Did I guess it? Yes. Will I read another? Maybe - this is more of a romance than I usually like, but for those of you who lean in that direction, this is an engrossing read.
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Great "on the edge of your seat" love story
Rating (4)
Date: 2005-10-11
Here's a book that really makes you wonder about an old love returning after many years. If that's been your fantasy, read Requital. This is a great look, too, at that transitional time for Cuba - between the dictator Batista and the fresh upstart, Fidel Castro. Castro sounded so good in the beginning, but turned quickly, and caught a lot of Americans and non-believers in his wake. There's plenty of action to keep things moving between the Fidel and the Mafia, and Jack's experience will make you want revenge, too. Most of all, it's the characters that make Requital unforgettable. Maybe we all didn't find our first love the way Jennifer did, but we all wish we had! The true test of a good read is not wanting it to end. I wanted this one to go on and on.
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