Now then : a novel
Call Number
- FICTION RADF (CEN, EAS, OSH, WSQ)
Edition
First edition.
Publication Information
New York, NY : Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2026]
Physical Description
340 pages ; 24 cm
Summary
"Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake meets Past Lives in this sweeping debut about a Harvard student uncovering her mother's secret past of fleeing Cuba during a revolution, while navigating her own path to self-discovery. From an NBC News anchor and Today Show correspondent, Now Then is a powerful debut novel about hidden histories, second chances, and the choices--and loves--that shape our lives"--
Now--1991 Cambridge, MA. Liliana Soto Walker is an 18-year-old freshman who arrives at Harvard from the humble Appalachian home of her Cuban immigrant mother and Black American father. Lily feels out of place in this new world of privilege, but her roommate Hana and a budding romance with Vikram--a charming Indian-British postdoctoral student--stirs a new sense of belonging. As Lily navigates the complexities of college life, her mother, Marisol, finally begins to reveal her past through heartfelt letters, sparking Lily's journey to uncover hidden histories and discover what it means to endure--and find happiness again. Meanwhile, Lily and Vikram form a deep bond that sweeps across decades and continents, one marked by amazing-turned-devastating missed connections. Then--1957 Havana, Cuba. Marisol, Lily's mother, is a bright young woman with dreams of becoming a journalist. But as the calls for a government coup reach a deadly crescendo, one deadly night ahead of the Cuban Revolution forces Marisol to flee her homeland, leaving her scarred in ways she has never revealed. Until now. Through their letters, the secrets Marisol has kept hidden for years finally begin to surface, challenging Lily's understanding of who her mother really is--and by extension, herself.