Collection
Publication
Berkley (2020), 320 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:Instant New York Times bestseller One of Bustle�??s Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2020 �??The perfect riveting summer read!�?��??BookBub In 1935 three women are forever changed when one of the most powerful hurricanes in history barrels toward the Florida Keys. For the tourists traveling on Henry Flagler�??s legendary Overseas Railroad, Labor Day weekend is an opportunity to forget the economic depression gripping the nation. But one person�??s paradise can be another�??s prison, and Key West-native Helen Berner yearns to escape. After the Cuban Revolution of 1933 leaves Mirta Perez�??s family in a precarious position, she agrees to an arranged marriage with a notorious American. Following her wedding in Havana, Mirta arrives in the Keys on her honeymoon. While she can�??t deny the growing attraction to her new husband, his illicit business interests may threaten not only her relationship, but her life. Elizabeth Preston's trip to Key West is a chance to save her once-wealthy family from their troubles after the Wall Street crash. Her quest takes her to the camps occupied by veterans of the Great War and pairs her with an unlikely ally on a treacherous hunt of his own. Over the course of the holiday weekend, the women�??s paths cross unexpectedly, and the danger swirling around them is matched only by the terrifying force of the dead… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member vintage-series-Lisa
I finished this book very quickly. I did not want to put it down!
A wonderful historical novel with a touch of romance and mystery.
Love, Loss, History, Mystery....
This story takes place over the Labor Day holiday weekend 1935. The author introduces us to 3 main characters, Helen, Mirta, and
Helen-A waitress in a small-town diner, Ruby's, pregnant with only a couple weeks to go, flees her abusive husband in hopes to stay with her aunt who own's a hotel.
Mirta-Recently left Havana, Cuba, and is on her honeymoon. Wanting to do what was right for her family, she married someone that was pretty much arranged by the family.
Elizabeth-In search of her brother, she meets up with Sam from the FBI, who goes in search with her while also looking for someone wanted by the FBI.
I loved how the author took the lives of these women and wove them together at the end.
I received this book from the publisher to review. Thank you so much.
A wonderful historical novel with a touch of romance and mystery.
Love, Loss, History, Mystery....
This story takes place over the Labor Day holiday weekend 1935. The author introduces us to 3 main characters, Helen, Mirta, and
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Elizabeth, intricately woven details of their lives, coming together at the end. All 3 have something in common; they are all searching for something. Helen-A waitress in a small-town diner, Ruby's, pregnant with only a couple weeks to go, flees her abusive husband in hopes to stay with her aunt who own's a hotel.
Mirta-Recently left Havana, Cuba, and is on her honeymoon. Wanting to do what was right for her family, she married someone that was pretty much arranged by the family.
Elizabeth-In search of her brother, she meets up with Sam from the FBI, who goes in search with her while also looking for someone wanted by the FBI.
I loved how the author took the lives of these women and wove them together at the end.
I received this book from the publisher to review. Thank you so much.
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LibraryThing member fredreeca
This story is told by three different narrators, Helen, Mirta and Elizabeth. Their lives are intertwined but they do not know it. It takes a hurricane to bring these three together.
Helen is in an abusive marriage and she is expecting. She must get away from her husband now! Mirta is a newlywed. And
These three ladies are strong and resilient. They each tackle their problems differently. I connected with each of their stories immediately. The author uses a powerful, historical hurricane to unite these three into a very unique and compelling tale.
This is the best book by this author…hands down. I loved everything about it. The setting, the characters, the intensity…fantastic from start to finish.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Helen is in an abusive marriage and she is expecting. She must get away from her husband now! Mirta is a newlywed. And
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she does not know her husband well…at all. Elizabeth is running away from her fiancé to find her lost brother.These three ladies are strong and resilient. They each tackle their problems differently. I connected with each of their stories immediately. The author uses a powerful, historical hurricane to unite these three into a very unique and compelling tale.
This is the best book by this author…hands down. I loved everything about it. The setting, the characters, the intensity…fantastic from start to finish.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
If you are a member of a book club that likes light historical fiction, consider this book. I’d heard about the Key West, Florida hurricane of 1935, but I didn’t know about the large number of US veterans who died while being evacuated by train. History is explained as the reader follows the
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lives of three women. One, an abused wife who works as a waitress in Key West. There’s also the NYC heiress whose family lost its fortune during the depression, and a Havana Cuba native who was given by her father to NYC mobster. All three find themselves directly in the path of the hurricane and their lives are forever changed. If you like a happily-ever-after (maybe) story with strong courageous women, you’ll like this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
I think Chanel Cleeton might be one of my favorite historical fiction authors. As with her previous books, I felt swept away to a new place and time - in this case, to 1930s Key West. The three women whose stories form this novel are all different, yet each is compelling and vivid. And, since I
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knew little of the 1935 hurricane that hit southern Florida, the drama of the storm felt as real to me as it did to the characters. A great read - I can't wait to read more from this author! Show Less
LibraryThing member Romonko
In some ways I enjoyed this book very much. I loved the three women characters and their different stories as to how they ended up on a tiny island in the Florida Keys on the Labour Day weekend of 1935. Helen lives on Key west with a jealous and abusive husband. She's nine months pregnant and
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decides to flee to save her and the child is carrying. Elizabeth has arrived in Key west by train, all the way from New York. She is running from a family crisis that left her family destitute and she's engaged to a New York mobster because of her father's troubles. She is going to Key West to find her long-lost brother who hasn't been home since he fought in The Great War. Mirta arrives as a young married woman who was forced to marry an American when he visits her home in Cuba because of her father's bad political choices. She doesn't know who Anthony Corderra is but she knows he's her husband, and he's dangerous. All three of these women flee Key West to go to Upper Matecombe Key, a small island in the chain of Key Islands. Each of them are with a man on hunts of their own. None of them know each other, but their paths have crossed in Key West. None of the six main characters know that a huge category 5 hurricane is on its destructive path right to them What happens after the storm hits, and the after effects of that storm is what makes up the bulk of this book. The premise is a good one, and I enjoyed the drama of the storm, but there were entirely too many coincidences that occur throughout to each of the protagonists. It made the book, even though it's about a dire natural event, seem fantastical and a bit unbelievable. Maybe my reticence with this book is that it also shamelessly romantic, and that is not my comfort zone either, so three stars it is. It's a pretty good book and I did finish it. Show Less
LibraryThing member etxgardener
On Labor Day in 1935 a deadly Category 5 hurricane hit the Florida keys. However, none of the tourists traveling on Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad is aware of the danger to come. The story concerns three women who find themselves in Islamorada that weekend:
• Mirta, a beautiful Cuban woman who
• Elizabeth, who is escaping her gangster finance in New York to search for her brother who is working in a camp for veterans of World War I
• Helen who despite being 8 months pregnant has run away from her abusive husband.
During the course of the weekend, the three women's lives intersect unexpectedly, and they discover hidden strengths as they try to survive the deadly storm.
• Mirta, a beautiful Cuban woman who
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has married a notorious American to save her family from the precarious position they find themselves in after the 1933 Cuban Revolution• Elizabeth, who is escaping her gangster finance in New York to search for her brother who is working in a camp for veterans of World War I
• Helen who despite being 8 months pregnant has run away from her abusive husband.
During the course of the weekend, the three women's lives intersect unexpectedly, and they discover hidden strengths as they try to survive the deadly storm.
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LibraryThing member Penny_L
Set in the aftermath of the WW1 Bonus Army protests and subsequent veteran's encampments in the Florida Keys, this novel is based on actual historical events.
Told from the perspectives of three very diverse women, the alternating chapters reveal their stories of personal crises. As their paths
A little bit reminiscent of the 1948 movie "Key Largo". Fast paced, tense, full of emotion - the author did an excellent job of interweaving all the right the elements into a realistic storyline. I really enjoyed the writing style, character development and dialogue. This vivid story is a fantastic blend of suspense, love, and history.
Told from the perspectives of three very diverse women, the alternating chapters reveal their stories of personal crises. As their paths
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cross, tension mounts while the impending hurricane looms off the coast. Within an instant they are forced to make life altering decisions for their own survival. A little bit reminiscent of the 1948 movie "Key Largo". Fast paced, tense, full of emotion - the author did an excellent job of interweaving all the right the elements into a realistic storyline. I really enjoyed the writing style, character development and dialogue. This vivid story is a fantastic blend of suspense, love, and history.
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LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
What a great book! I am so glad that I finally got around to tackling this book. I had a feeling that I would like this book and boy was I right! It was easy to lose myself in the story and I felt myself caught up in the characters’ lives more and more as I worked my way through the book. I am so
This book is told from three points of view. All three of the women at the heart of the story were strong women facing a pivotal moment in their lives. Throw in a natural disaster and you have the makings of a fantastic story. I really liked all three of the women in this book but I have to admit that Helen held a special place in my heart in this story. The paths of these women cross at a small diner in Key West and I couldn’t wait to see how they would meet again.
I loved the characters in this book. Helen is a waitress at the restaurant where she meets the other women. She is heavily pregnant and married to an abusive husband. Mirta stops in the restaurant fresh from Cuba with her new husband and is just trying to make sense of her new life. Elizabeth makes her way to Key West to find a man only to learn that he is most likely to be found at one of the veteran’s camps. These three women are all facing major challenges and I really enjoyed seeing them find their own inner strength.
The story was really exciting. There were some pretty scary moments for these women and there were times that I wasn’t sure how things would work out. I loved that there was a bit of romance worked in because I think it added a lot to the story. There was a bit of a puzzle as to how these three lives would come together and as the pieces snapped into place, I was sometimes quite surprised.
Kyla Garcia, Rachel L. Jacobs, and Karissa Vacker did a wonderful job with the narration of this book. I liked the fact that their voices were all very different because that made it very easy to tell whose point of view the story had moved to. I think that they all were able to voice multiple characters quite well and I loved how much emotion and excitement they were able to add to their reading. I believe that their narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend this book to others. This was a very well-told story that featured some remarkable characters. I love that some events from the past that I had never heard of were woven into the story. I will definitely be looking out for futures books by Chanel Cleeton.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via Edelweiss and purchased a copy of the audiobook.
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glad that I decided to grab the audiobook since the narrators really took this book to the next level.This book is told from three points of view. All three of the women at the heart of the story were strong women facing a pivotal moment in their lives. Throw in a natural disaster and you have the makings of a fantastic story. I really liked all three of the women in this book but I have to admit that Helen held a special place in my heart in this story. The paths of these women cross at a small diner in Key West and I couldn’t wait to see how they would meet again.
I loved the characters in this book. Helen is a waitress at the restaurant where she meets the other women. She is heavily pregnant and married to an abusive husband. Mirta stops in the restaurant fresh from Cuba with her new husband and is just trying to make sense of her new life. Elizabeth makes her way to Key West to find a man only to learn that he is most likely to be found at one of the veteran’s camps. These three women are all facing major challenges and I really enjoyed seeing them find their own inner strength.
The story was really exciting. There were some pretty scary moments for these women and there were times that I wasn’t sure how things would work out. I loved that there was a bit of romance worked in because I think it added a lot to the story. There was a bit of a puzzle as to how these three lives would come together and as the pieces snapped into place, I was sometimes quite surprised.
Kyla Garcia, Rachel L. Jacobs, and Karissa Vacker did a wonderful job with the narration of this book. I liked the fact that their voices were all very different because that made it very easy to tell whose point of view the story had moved to. I think that they all were able to voice multiple characters quite well and I loved how much emotion and excitement they were able to add to their reading. I believe that their narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend this book to others. This was a very well-told story that featured some remarkable characters. I love that some events from the past that I had never heard of were woven into the story. I will definitely be looking out for futures books by Chanel Cleeton.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via Edelweiss and purchased a copy of the audiobook.
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LibraryThing member Desiree_Reads
Three women. Each one searching. Will they seek what they want most before the Great Labor Day Hurricane drowns their dreams?
Helen, a kind-hearted Key West waitress, pregnant with her first child, desperately wishes a better life for herself and her unborn baby, far away from her abusive husband.
New York socialite, Elizabeth, who has fallen on hard times, travels on Flager's famous East Coast Railway all the way from New York to Key West, only to find that the man she is looking for is no longer in the island town, but may be further north in Islamorada. Unsure what to do next, Elizabeth stumbles into a fellow train passenger, and Florida native, who is on his way north himself and offers to escort her along the way.
Mirta Perez, a Cuban beauty, and predecessor to the Perezes appearing in "Next Year in Havana" and "When We Left Cuba", stops in Key West on her way to Islamorada with her new husband, Anthony, for a brief honeymoon before returning to their home in New York. She is quickly falling in love with her new husband, whom she barely knows, even though she is increasingly concerned with rumors she hears of his business activities.
The fast-moving, electric story moves from Key West to Islamorada, Islamorada to Miami, as one of the worst storms in history bears down on the string of paradisaic islands. Characters so real they sit right beside you as the story unfolds. You find yourself rooting for them unceasingly, as one obstacle after another tries to belay their dreams. Get yourself a beach chair, a pina colada, and enjoy the ride! Thank you, Chanel Cleeton.
#TheLastTrainToKeyWest #ChanelCleeton
Helen, a kind-hearted Key West waitress, pregnant with her first child, desperately wishes a better life for herself and her unborn baby, far away from her abusive husband.
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Does the quiet, regular, restaurant patron, John, hold the surprising answer to her escape?New York socialite, Elizabeth, who has fallen on hard times, travels on Flager's famous East Coast Railway all the way from New York to Key West, only to find that the man she is looking for is no longer in the island town, but may be further north in Islamorada. Unsure what to do next, Elizabeth stumbles into a fellow train passenger, and Florida native, who is on his way north himself and offers to escort her along the way.
Mirta Perez, a Cuban beauty, and predecessor to the Perezes appearing in "Next Year in Havana" and "When We Left Cuba", stops in Key West on her way to Islamorada with her new husband, Anthony, for a brief honeymoon before returning to their home in New York. She is quickly falling in love with her new husband, whom she barely knows, even though she is increasingly concerned with rumors she hears of his business activities.
The fast-moving, electric story moves from Key West to Islamorada, Islamorada to Miami, as one of the worst storms in history bears down on the string of paradisaic islands. Characters so real they sit right beside you as the story unfolds. You find yourself rooting for them unceasingly, as one obstacle after another tries to belay their dreams. Get yourself a beach chair, a pina colada, and enjoy the ride! Thank you, Chanel Cleeton.
#TheLastTrainToKeyWest #ChanelCleeton
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ISBN
0451490886 / 9780451490889