Loving Che
Loving Che is a novel by Cuban-American author, Ana Menéndez. The novel is set in two locations: Miami, Florida, and Havana, Cuba. While most of the novel is set in modern times, one character spends a section of the novel reflecting on her life when she was living in Havana, Cuba immediately before and after Fidel Castro's Revolution of Cuba in 1959. Loving Che centers on the experience of displaced Cuban-Americans and their search to learn about their past and shape an identity. The central character, an unnamed female, feels displaced and without a strong  sense of identity and individuality. Throughout the story, she raises the courage to undertake a journey to uncover details about her heritage. Plot summary. Loving Che centers on the lives of an unnamed female protagonist who is searching for her mother, and Teresa de la Landre, who claims to be her mother. Broken into three distinct parts, the novel begins with the female protagonist, moves into a commentary by Teresa de la Landre, and closes with the female protagonist. The grandfather recalls that it was only after he had safely arrived in Miami with his granddaughter that he found his  daughter's farewell note pinned to his granddaughter's sweater. Unable to return to his homeland because of the political unrest between America and Cuba, the grandfather revealed he tried to contact his daughter, but all his attempts failed. Although the protagonist now has some idea about her heritage, she still feels somewhat lost, drops out of the university, and starts traveling the world. While traveling the world, the protagonist learns of her grandfather's death and returns to America. Realizing the passing of time is reducing her chances of locating her mother, the protagonist travels to Cuba with her  mother's farewell note. Unable to locate her mother, the protagonist returns to Miami, starts a career as a travel writer and tries to forget her past. When a mysterious package arrives from Spain, the protagonist's interest in her heritage resurges. The package, filled with photographs and letters, is from a woman named Teresa de la Landre, who claims to be her mother. The contents of the package are the subject of the second section of Loving Che in which the protagonist sifts through the contents seeking to uncover details of her heritage. Somewhat skeptical of the letters at  first, the protagonist reads about Teresa's life, her career as a painter, and her marriage to Calixto de la Landre. Within her letters, Teresa also states she had an affair with the revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara and claims the protagonist is the result of their affair. The possible connection between the protagonist and Guevara is important to the novel because of his mythical status throughout the world, especially Cuban culture. Guevara played a significant part in helping Castro seize control of Cuba, and his desire to help the poor and oppressed throughout the world work together to overthrow imperialist  governments in order to live free of capitalistic ideals, further built his legendary status. Realizing that being an illegitimate daughter of such an idealized person could have wide-ranging implications for the protagonist prompts her to uncover more details about her past. In the third section of the book the protagonist seeks authentication of Teresa's story, particularly Teresa's claim that she had an affair with Guevara and the likelihood that she is the product of their affair. The protagonist contacts Dr. Caraballo, a professor of history, and Jacinto Alcazar, a photographer who knew Fidel Castro and Che Guevara  briefly. With neither believing the likelihood of Guevara and Teresa's affair, the protagonist travels to Cuba. This time, the protagonist seeks to verify Teresa's story along with trying to locate her mother. During this later trip to Cuba, the protagonist gains a better understanding of herself by connecting with her country of birth. Although she does not find her mother – a Cuban local claims that her mother is dead – nor does she find out if Teresa and Guevara were her parents, the protagonist no longer appears to feel displaced from her heritage. Previously, when she had visited Cuba  the protagonist felt detached, like a tourist. On this latest trip, however, she sees the city with fresh, more favorable eyes and refers to herself as Cuban. Having this connection with all things Cuban, the protagonist also sees Guevara in a new light. Having little knowledge of Guevara prior to receiving Teresa's letters, the protagonist reads many books about him and now feels like he is less foreign to her. Seeing a picture of Guevara in a Manhattan store, the protagonist reflects on what might have been: “a beautiful stranger, who in a different dream, might have been the  father of my heart” (226). Significant Characters. Because of the uncertainty of the names of people and places, the novel is ambiguous in parts. Menéndez purposely recreates this ambiguity in order to highlight the circumstances many exiled Cuban-Americans face as they try to uncover details of their past. following the Cuban Revolution in 1959. She lives in Miami, is a free-lance travel writer, and seeks knowledge of her heritage. Calixto. She claims to have had an affair with Ernesto “Che” Guevara and the unnamed protagonist is the result. protagonist. He brings his granddaughter safely to Miami, Florida following  the Cuban Other Important Characters. Revolution in 1959. letters and deems them fake. relationship between Guevara and Teresa is unlikely. Themes. Three major themes in the novel are: Works cited. Menéndez, Ana. "Loving Che". New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2003.