Through her popular historical novels, bestselling author Chanel Cleeton offers a fresh glimpse into Cuba's tumultuous past. Her latest, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, is set on the eve of the Spanish-American War, as the island country is ravaged by conflict between Cuban revolutionaries and the Spanish military.

The story unfolds through the eyes of three women: Evangelina Cisneros, a beautiful socialite who finds herself in the infamous Recogidas prison after rebuffing the advances of a Spanish military official; Marina Perez, who along with her husband is aiding the revolutionaries while living in deplorable conditions at a reconcentration camp; and Grace Harrington, a cub reporter trying to make her mark at William Randolph Hearst's New York newspaper.

The women all come from wealthy families yet have chosen their own paths as they seek more than the comfort provided by their privilege. This is a recurring theme in Cleeton's work: women turning their lives upside down to fight for what they believe in. For Evangelina and Marina, they're fighting for the dream of a liberated Cuba. For Grace, it's a career as a serious journalist in an era when few women (aside from Nellie Bly and Ida B. Wells) could imagine working for a newspaper. Their fates intersect when Hearst places Grace on the Cuba beat, reporting from the front lines.

The heart of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is ostensibly Evangelina, who is the title character and based on a real person. And indeed, her story is fascinating. She was briefly the most famous woman in New York after a daring rescue landed her stateside to advocate for Cuban independence. But Cleeton's examination of the state of journalism at the turn of the century is an equally compelling part of this engrossing book. The battle of Hearst versus Joseph Pulitzer for the biggest circulation is fascinating. Both of their newspapers used the discord in Cuba to bolster their sales and arguably influenced the conflict more than was appropriate for a supposedly neutral press.

Cleeton delivers a sweeping story of love and courage, as well as a sobering reminder of the power and responsibility of the media.

Grace Harrington, a white American woman, wants to excel in the newspaper world, which in 1896 belongs almost exclusively to men. Grace is lucky to be offered a job at one of William Randolph Hearst's papers, where she begins reporting a story about an 18-year-old Cuban woman named Evangelina Cisneros that will change her life. Evangelina is being held as a political prisoner in Havana because of her fight against the Spanish colonialists. Grace and her Hearst colleagues seek to win Evangelina's freedom by positioning her, in their articles, as "the most beautiful girl in Cuba" and a symbol of the United States' obligation to go to war with Spain. Grace gets help in her investigation from Marina Perez, a Cuban courier willing to endanger her life for the sake of a free Havana. Marina, Evangelina, and Grace form a formidable team of courageous, strong women fighting for freedom and their rights. VERDICT Historical fiction fans will love this novel and its perfectly detailed descriptions of a long-gone era. This is another slam-dunk from Cleeton (Next Year in Havana).—Adriana Delgado, West Palm Beach, FL

Cleeton (The Last Train to Key West) spins an enchanting historical novel based on the story of Cuban rebel Evangelina Cisneros. In 1896 New York City, journalist Grace Harrington, aspiring to be the next Nellie Bly, wangles a job with William Randolph Hearst's publication, the New York Journal. As Grace is settling in as a "stunt girl" reporter, a parallel narrative follows Evangelina in Cuba, where she is imprisoned for refusing the advances of an enemy Spanish soldier. The incident prompts Hearst to turn Evangelina's story into a plea for American involvement in Cuba's fight for independence, and he gives Grace the assignment. The Journal's go-between is Marina Perez, disowned by her wealthy family after marrying a farmer turned revolutionary and trying to make ends meet for her and her daughter by taking in laundry, which provides the perfect cover for covert messaging between Evangelina and Grace. Further intrigue emerges when Grace turns out to be a spy for Hearst's rival Joseph Pulitzer, an allegiance she gives up after Hearst entrusts her with the story. Cleeton skillfully brings off the three strong women's heartbreaking stories with intriguing twists and turns and a delightful finale. With impeccable research and perfect pacing, Cleeton makes the most of her subject. (May)