Point of View

The novel is narrated from the point of view of Beatriz Perez. At only 22 years old, Beatriz is remarkably mature for her age, and her experience in the revolution, and the trauma of watching her twin brother murdered has shaped her identity and the perspective that she offers as the book’s narrator. When We Left Cuba explores themes of the male gaze in the novel, especially how Beatriz, herself, is molded by the way men see her as a an object of desire.

By allowing Beatriz to narrate the plot as the chief protagonist, Cleeton allows Beatriz to offer her own gaze on the events of her life, and the men that can’t take their eyes off of her. As she engages in a relationship with Nick Preston, and begins working with the CIA, Beatriz is pursuing her own destiny and making her...