Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
- Consider the title Hotel Cuba. What does it
mean to you? To what extent is Pearl's stay in
Cuba a temporary stop in her life's journey
and to what extent has it left its mark on her
character and the direction of her life?
- Think about the sacrifices Pearl and her sister,
Frieda, must make in leaving their home and
adapting to a new way of life. Would you be
able to make similar sacrifices in your own life?
What are the costs of those sacrifices for the
two sisters?
- Pearl is an artist with needle and thread. How
do the clothes that she works on, and wears,
relate to what is happening in her life and her
mind throughout the novel? What do you
think will happen to her career at the end of
the book?
- Compare Pearl's various attractions and
love interests in the novel. Do you think she
ultimately made the right choice in terms of
romance?
- Frieda makes several key life choices in the
novel. Pearl has strong opinions about her
sister and the direction of her life. Do you
think Frieda has made the right choices for
herself in the end? How do you think her
marriage will turn out?
- How has Pearl's time in Key West affected
her? What does she take away from the
Singer family? And what did you make of the
mysterious Rabbi Singer?
- What do you know about the history of the
Jewish community of Cuba? Do a quick search
online to find out more. What do you imagine
might have happened to Pearl if she'd decided
to stay in Havana rather than emigrate to
the United States?
- Compare Pearl's story to other immigrant
stories you've read, as well as contemporary
debates about immigration. How do we
balance competing concerns regarding
immigration in a fair and just way?
- This book was inspired by the true story of
Aaron Hamburger's grandmother. In writing
it, the author consulted recorded interviews
with his grandparents and did extensive
research to fill in missing details he was
wondering about. He also says that he wanted
to uncover more than just biographical facts. "I
wanted to breathe life into my grandmother's
experience, to find out what she ate, how she
felt, what her impressions were of life in such
a unique place." What stories do you know
about your own family history? Has it been
preserved in any way? What do you imagine
might have gotten lost in those stories that
could be brought back to life through research
or imagination?
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Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Harper Perennial. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
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