Elisa's ashes

Elisa's ashes represent the level of closeness and trust between Elisa and Marisol. While Marisol did not know even the most important things about Elisa's life in Cuba, it was Marisol that was tasked with spreading Elisa's ashes in the right place. The last night that Marisol spends in Havana with Pablo is a culmination of her coming to terms with Elisa's secret past, and in Pablo taking the action himself on the Malecón, Elisa's memory is truly honored.

Elisa's buried box

The ring and the secret letters that Elisa buried the night before leaving Cuba forever symbolize what she held most dear throughout her entire life. Given very little warning, the ring and the letters from Pablo are what Elisa decided to save, above everything else. When Marisol uncovers them, the rest of the novel is set into motion, with her piecing together...