The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes: A Novel
By Chanel Cleeton
Berkley, 2025

The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes tells of one book that touches three women in three pivotal times: an educator emerging after four centuries of Spanish rule, a librarian navigating life under the Castro regime, and a present-day book dealer who faces the consequences of this history and her own. With the women’s own love stories woven throughout, providing indelible links to history enduring across generations, the central love story of this novel is the liberating and restorative power of books and the everyday heroes who guard them.

This event is presented in partnership with Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild. 

About the Author
Chanel Cleeton is a bestselling author of historical novels about Cuba, where her family lived prior to the Castro regime. Before earning her JD at the University of South Carolina, Cleeton earned degrees in international politics from Richmond in London and the London School of Economics.

Purchase the book
Please help support local independent bookstores by purchasing this book at Browseabout Books, official bookseller of the History Book Festival. Online sources and digital versions are tempting; however, supporting local brick and mortar shops helps to preserve our vibrant main streets. Drop by Browseabout, order books online, or call the store at 302-226-2665. You also may purchase a copy at biblion in Lewes.

About the Festival
The History Book Festival is the first and only book festival in the United States devoted exclusively to history. With the help of our presenting funding partners — Delaware Humanities and The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices | PenFed Realty — as well as our program and community partners, volunteers, and donors, the 2025 History Book Festival will be full of great discussions with authors of newly published narrative nonfiction and historical fiction. 

Thanks to all of our donors, especially our education and outreach funding partners: Ronald Collins & Susan Cohen, Carolyn & Aaron Nayer, Jen Mason & Clare Hancock, and Browseabout Books. HBF authors visit classrooms in Delaware, and HBF provides their books to schools, libraries, and community organizations.

Our Keynote event is presented by Griswold Home Care for Sussex and Kent Counties and Sally Mott Freeman & John K. Freeman; our Closing event is presented by the Delaware Community Foundation. Saturday’s Spirited Discussion, our gathering for attendees and presenters to celebrate and discuss their day, is presented by Dogfish Head Beer & Benevolence.

Special thanks to our Founding Program Partners for their continuing support: the Lewes Public Library, for event promotion and production, and Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, official bookseller of the History Book Festival. Thanks also to the  Lewes Chamber of Commerce for event promotion, and the Cape Gazette and Delmarva Public Media, our media partners.