Instant New York Times bestsellerOne 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 … 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 deadly storm threatening the Keys.
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Loved the historical background which kept me reading until I finished the book!!!
Excellent ! Fast paced, interesting, great read!
Having never lived through a hurricane, I was shocked at the devastating results . Great love stories. I couldn’t put it down.
I loved this book and could not put it down. I love this genre so much and learning about times in history I was previously unaware of and I loved Cleeton’s stories of Mirta, Elizabeth and Helen woven into that. I loved all three of these women’s characters. They were all dealing with different things and yet surprisingly by the end their stories all wove together in some way. She is very quickly becoming a favorite author. I loved her two previous books before this as well.
Its romance, intrigue, and suspense make it impossible to put down. Gripping!
As turbulent as the Labor Day hurricane itself, The Last Train to Key West weaves a gripping tale of survival and strength when three women are forced to ride out one of the most powerful storms in history. Lush, atmospheric, and suspenseful, Chanel Cleeton’s latest is not to be missed!
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton is a gorgeously written, absorbing novel set against the backdrop of a real, devastating hurricane in the Florida Keys in 1935. An addictively good page-turner!
Brimming with secrets, hope, and love, this is a book that you’ll devour in one sitting (like I did!).
I was introduced to Chanel Cleeton with Next Year in Havana and I quickly fell in love with her writing. I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this story and it was exactly what I needed. This was a little different from her last two, but in the best of ways. We follow 3 different women set around a natural disaster in the 30’s. Ms. Cleeton has a way of writing that her words reach out from the pages and just capture you from the beginning. This is an ABSOLUTE must read!
I just finished The Last Train to Key West. I won an ARC of this beautiful book. First, I love the cover of this book. I have read Cleeton’s first two books and enjoyed them. I truly enjoyed this book as it took me on an adventure..three women, each in search for something, set in the 1930’s, find themselves in a hurricane over Labor Day Weekend. This story sweeps the reader right along with them. I found his book to be a perfect read for this summer!
The lives of three very different women converge during a devastating hurricane that happened on Labor Day in 1935’s Florida Keys in this stunning historical novel from Chanel Cleeton. Before reading this book, I’ve only read one other book by this author, Next Year in Havana, which I absolutely loved. And after reading The Last Train to Key West, I want to read all her backlist titles. She is a master storyteller and is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The Last Train to Key West is a must for historical fiction fans. I cannot recommend it enough!
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 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.
In 1935, the lives of three women, Helen, Mirta and Elizabeth, are forever changed after the powerful “Labor Day” hurricane sweeps through the Florida keys. Will they and their loved ones survive the brutal storm?
I was totally engrossed by this story based on actual, historic events and was rooting for all three women as they dealt with life’s challenges. The description of the hurricane was terrifying and made me feel like I was there myself clinging to a raft for dear life as the rising ocean swirled around me. Gasp. I loved the historic aspect, especially since I’d never heard of the Bonus Army. The ending was a bit too tidy for my tastes but since I was so entertained by the rest of the story, it didn’t bother me this time. If you love intense stories with happy endings, then don’t miss this one!
If you’re wanting to know more about the bootleggers during Prohibition mentioned in this story, then I would highly recommend The Wicked City (4 stars) and its followup, The Wicked Redhead (4 stars), by Beatriz Williams.
Location: Key West and Islamorada, Florida
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Chanel Cleeton has become a must-read author for me with her incredible story-telling abilities. The way she is able to combine history, family, heartbreak and love into a story has amazed me. The Last Train to Key West focuses on three different young women (Mirta, Helen, and Elizabeth) who are living different lives, but will be hit by the same disaster. They all come in contact and are also in a way connected to each other without knowing. I was able to connect to all three of them, and was invested in their lives. They are all uncertain about their future, and I loved seeing the similarities between them even if they were from different walks of life.
Chanel’s writing style is so easy to follow and has a very nice flow, the pages flew by without me even noticing. I will not go into the plot because I think the blurb is more than enough information. I think readers who have read and enjoyed Next Year in Havana and/or When We Left Cuba will also enjoy this book. The romance was subtle but very powerful, and fit the story perfectly. However, I do wish the book was longer, because we are focusing on three main characters. The book was finished before I even knew it, and it left me wanting more to be honest. I wanted to see the characters grow even more, and I wanted to spend more time with them. Thankfully, we got a little snippet into the future which I loved. I already look forward to what the author has in store for us next.
6 stars!!!!
I was pulled into the stories of these characters from the beginning. Narrated by 3 women from different circumstances whose paths cross in the Florida Keys just before the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, this was an engaging historical setting.
Mirta is on her honeymoon, having married a virtual stranger in Cuba and traveling to her new home in New York. Elizabeth is a New York socialite trying to help her remaining family survive, but needs to find someone she thinks may be staying in the work camps in the Keys. Helen is a Key West local waiting tables, going home each night wondering what mood she will find her husband in.
Each woman has an entirely different story to tell, and their voices are clear and distinct. Though they have an endless number of differences between them, they have many threads in common as they each go about their business in the days leading up to the storm. Their stories weave together brilliantly. I had sorted out a few of the more surprising connections prior to their big reveals, but I was still caught up in the drama in the face of the storm and recovery.
Speaking of the storm, I wasn’t altogether familiar with this specific hurricane prior to reading the book, but the details described by the characters made it clear that this was a unique storm approaching. During and after, the descriptions were almost visceral, with the desolation evident throughout the area.
I loved all three women for their courage and grit, as well as the people who helped each on their way. I wasn’t sure I liked Anthony (Mirta’s new husband) at the beginning, but it was mostly the reputation that preceded him that caused me caution. Elizabeth’s helper had his own air of mystery about him, and Helen’s helper had a softness that belied his experiences.
The character growth over the course of this short time period is yet another reason I loved this book. I think of the three recent books from the author set in Cuba & South Florida this is the strongest. (And that’s saying a lot because I loved the other two as well.) The lessons each woman takes away from the storm drastically change the directions of their lives.
I loved every moment of this book and found myself thinking about talking about it even after I was finished. The storms, both literal and figurative, developing in this story made for great background tension as Mirta, Elizabeth, and Helen navigated the unknowns in their lives.
This well-written historical novel is set in Key West, FL over the Labor Day weekend in 1935. Helen Berner has been in a physically abusive relationship for years and yearns for escape especially now that she’s pregnant. However, she believes she is trapped where she is and there is no way out. Mirta Perez’s father has married her to a man to save the family’s financial and societal status. She knows nothing about the man, a gangster from New York, and believes she has no choice but to be trapped in the marriage to save her family. Elizabeth Preston’s family has fallen from the heights of society to its depths. She is engaged to a man she doesn’t even like and flees New York to find her brother amidst the veterans’ camps. To add to their woes and fears, there is a monster of a hurricane headed right at them and is predicted to make landfall over the long weekend. No one is prepared for the events that occur.
This story is told from the points of view of Helen, Elizabeth, and Mirta, each alternating chapters with the other two. Each character is well-drawn and the author is able to lure the reader into their lives and come to care for each character. This a masterfully written novel set in a unique setting, with characters to root for, and a satisfying ending. The author has chosen a time and events that are unknown to nearly all readers. The author is adept at integrating historical details into the context of her story. You’ll come away feeling like you have new knowledge of Key West and its complicated history.
If you like well-told, fast-paced stories featuring women who are survivors, you’ll love this book. It deserves to be at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Berkley and Edelweiss for an eARC.
The Last Train to Key West is another beautifully-written and emotional historical fiction book by Chanel Cleeton. In this book she has woven together the lives of three women–a newlywed from Cuba married to a man she barely knows, a down-on-her-luck former socialite, and an expectant young mother who is stuck in an abusive marriage. The women find themselves in the direct path of a hurricane, threatening not only their lives but everything they hold dear, and somehow in that storm and its aftermath they must learn not only how to survive, but how to thrive and find happiness and hope. The hurricane is truly brought to life at the hands of the author, as I could feel the wind and the rain and the sand and the debris and devastation as well as the fear and desperation of the women and all of the inhabitants of that island. The best part of this book for me, though, was the intimate connection I felt to all of the women–Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth–remarkable women facing unbeatable odds with courage and spirit.
Chanel Cleeton has fast become one of my favorite authors! After reading Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of The Last Train to Key West. It did not disappoint! The story of three women after WWl and the Great Depression in the wilds of the Keys was fantastic. The layers that were peeled back as the story progressed was mesmerizing. Add in a historic hurricane and that is one page turner of a story. Chanel Cleeton was born with a talent to take very real historic facts and turn them into a novel that makes the reader believe the characters are very real and truly lived through the events that happened. Helen, Mirta , and Elizabeth are three women who find out just how strong they really are when they have to survive a deadly that hits the southernmost Keys of Florida.
I did receive an ARC from the publisher at my request. This is my true and honest review.
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton is an excellent historical fiction novel that covers the horrific hurricane that hit the Florida Keys over Labor Day weekend 1935. This book interweaves the lives of three different women from three different backgrounds, experiences, and situations, but yet are all more alike then it initially appears.
We get to learn about the lives of Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth. All younger women that have experienced difficulties in their lives up until this point, all visiting Ruby’s Diner, all associated with a cross-roads if you will in their lives. All three women looking for love, happiness, and acceptance in the difficult Depression era.
We get to read their decisions, their hopes, dreams, and the outcomes. As the book continues on, we get to see the plot unwind and how the women are all weaved into each other’s existences. What we end up following, is an excellent story told of love, acceptance, resilience, and hope.
The historical aspect of the hurricane itself was true, as was the circumstances involving the veterans’ camps that were placed in the keys. The devastation, and the lives lost during the storm is a truly sad and unnecessary situation. It was fascinating to learn that part of our history that I honestly did not know anything about.
A great read with an excellent plot, character list, ending, and something that was added to the book that was an excellent learning point all in the process.
Thank you EW and Berkley for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
After thinking about this novel for a few days I am going to bump my rating up to a 5. When I am still feeling something for the characters and story after 3 days it’s a story that I can highly recommend!
This novel was a fantastic escape read and just what I wanted to read right now. I had read “Next Year In Havana” by Chanel Cleeton and really liked it, that setting was mainly in Cuba.
We have three main protagonists in this novel. The novel takes place in Key West and the other keys in Florida after WWI and during the Depression when so many had very little.
The story is told basically from three points of view. Mirta is a previously well off young Cuban woman whose family lost money, property, their power, to the Castro regime. She agreed to marry a man whom she barely knows who is willing to help her family out of their financial situation. Her viewpoint is a stormy one. I enjoyed this character and her determination to find a way out of this marriage. If I have to pick a favorite character, Mirta would be the one!!
Helen is a woman who has been through very tough and sometimes brutal times with her husband. She was a young, kind and happy young bride once but her husband has drastically changed. She is nine months pregnant and still working as a waitress in the local cafe. She is a favorite among many of the customers. There is a man who has been watching her, is he trouble or can he be her ticket out of Key West and her marriage. Helen is afraid for her life and her baby’s.
Elizabeth is a very unique character. She was part of a prominent New York family, her father and brother were stock traders and they lost most of their money in the crash. She is also searching for a man, but not a husband, her brother who has been lost to her for many, many years.
This book is well researched and documents “The Labor Day hurricane of 1935, that struck the Florida Keys and is one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history.” There were many veterans who were sent to work on the Railroad being built and were housed in tents and shacks. Many people were poor and even homeless after the crash.
The writing is fluid and this is a quick, page turner of a story. I think this is the strongest of Ms. Cleeton’s books. Her descriptions of the Florida landscape and ocean were beautiful. The characters were well defined and believable. These are characters that you can root for!
This book described a hurricane in a very sensory way, I could visualize the force of the winds as it tore through the small towns and then the Tidal Wave afterwards which hit whatever was left after the hurricane winds.
This was another fun read with my buddy DeAnn and we both enjoyed it.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
This novel is set to publish on June 16, 2020
It’s strange how your life can change so quickly, how one moment you can barely eke by, desperation filling your days, and then suddenly, out of the unimaginably horrific, a glimmer of something beautiful can appear like a bud pushing through the hard-formed earth.
Do you ever get filled with such delight and happiness while reading that you can’t help but smile and release a huge sigh? Do you ever get filled with such fear or sadness that your heart is in your throat, and your whole body goes tense?
Those are what I experience while reading Chanel Cleeton’s writing. My favorite stories from her are the ones where she explores real-life circumstances and puts her twist on them. As if she researched some part of history and wondered about the people who lived them and felt the need to write their stories.
The Last Train to Key West was a beautifully written story about three women whose lives were turned upside down and intertwined, by The Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.
An abused wife of a fisherman, a young Cuban woman in an arranged marriage to a New York mobster, and a woman hoping to escape her impending marriage, one that her soon to be husband won as payment for a gambling debt, share their stories through alternating POV’s. These women continually faced trials and persevered non-the-less. Their strength was admirable. They search for a better life despite the situations and times in which they lived.
Why is it that when men approach women as conquests to be won they are lauded, but when women decide to go on a hunt of their own, they’re branded too aggressive, too eager, too greedy?
Deeply passionate, The Last Train to Key West was filled with hope and heartache, resilience and devastation, love and longing.