LA AMERICANA
IN BOOKSTORES NOW
La Americana is the story of Melanie Bowden Simón, who, at the age of 25, left her job at Tina Brown’s Talk magazine following the death of her mother and decided to take a vacation in Havana, Cuba, with a friend. Little did she know that she would meet and fall in love with a Cuban man named Luis and dive headlong into a culture defined by beauty, humor, and grace within the unnerving realities of communism.
In this memoir, Simón details her fascination with Cuban culture as she grapples with the death of her mother. She also covers the struggle to get in and out of Cuba at a time when the country is labeled a pariah state. Yet over and over again, Simón manages to overcome international barriers and overcome language and cultural obstacles—all in the name of her love for Luis.
#1 Kindle Best Seller – Memoir, History of Cuba, Travel to Cuba
“A fascinating and important read at this pivotal moment in US-Cuba relations”– NPR
“Beautifully rendered…evocative” – Publishers Weekly
“21 Best Nonfiction Books of Summer 2016” – Bustle
REVIEWS
“How did Melanie Bowden Simón do it? She’s given the free world a book about everything: love, grief, food, travel, history, Communist regimes. This book is so good it should be illegal. Mark my words: The coming revolution in great writing about Cuba begins with La Americana.
Harrison Scott Key, author of The World’s Largest Man
Publishers Weekly
“Bowden Simón’s travels and struggles are beautifully rendered in this evocative valentine to her mother, Cuba, and the power of love in the unlikeliest of places to heal a broken heart and spirit.”
Sarah McCammon, NPR
“In her timely memoir, Melanie Bowden Simón gives us an intimate glimpse of a place—and a woman—on the cusp of dramatic change. La Americana is a romance, an adventure tale, and a raw depiction of loss that transcends place and time. The fact that this story is set in Cuba, though, makes for a fascinating and important read at this pivotal moment in U.S.-Cuba relations.”
Neil J. Young, author; Huffington Post Columnist
“Exhilarating, stunning, and deeply moving, La Americana grabs you from its first page and pulls you through its harrowing and heartwarming story of finding love under Cuba’s communist watch. A story of loss, love, and longing, La Americana will break your heart and stitch it back together again with its honesty, hope, and humor.”
BIO
I am a freelance writer and publicist in Savannah, Georgia. La Americana: A Memoir (Skyhorse Publishing 2016) was deemed “a fascinating and important read at this pivotal moment in US-Cuba relations” by NPR and included in Bustle’s list of “16 Nonfiction Books from July 2016 You Need to Read as Soon as Possible.”
I was thrilled to be named a 2016 ’35 Over 35′ Debut Author and receive favorable reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Global Atlanta and Fresh Fiction.
Most of my personal time is spent with my Cuban-born husband, Luis, our three Spanglish-speaking kids and a bilingual Weimaraner named Paco.
BLOG
MY PIECE FOR BRAVO TV: CUBA CALLING! THE LUXE NEW WAY TO EXPLORE THE EN VOGUE ISLE BY PRIVATE JET
Read the full piece here! http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/luxe-new-way-to-explore-cuba-by-private-jet
LA AMERICANA BOOK LAUNCH!
Savannah came out in full force for the launch of my memoir, LA AMERICANA, at Pacci!
LA AMERICANA PHOTO SHOOT
Today begins the official six-month countdown to my book launch and yes, I’m a ball of nerves. I am also eternally grateful to be surrounded by supremely… Read more “LA AMERICANA PHOTO SHOOT”
Melanie Bowden Simon 