Blog Blitz + Review: The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin/Berkley
In 1935 three women are forever changed when one of the most powerful hurricanes in history barrels toward the Florida Keys in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton's captivating new novel.
Everyone journeys to Key West searching for something. 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.
The Cuban Revolution of 1933 left Mirta Perez's family in a precarious position. After an arranged wedding in Havana, Mirta arrives in the Keys on her honeymoon. While she can't deny the growing attraction to the stranger she's married, her new husband's illicit business interests may threaten not only her relationship, but her life.
Elizabeth Preston's trip from New York to Key West is a chance to save her once-wealthy family from their troubles as a result of 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.
Learn more about When We Left Cuba including downloading the book club guide and more at: http://www.chanelcleeton.com/the-last-train-to-key-west
**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.
About The Author
Originally from Florida, Chanel Cleeton grew up on stories of her family's exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England, where she earned a bachelor's degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London, and a master's degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
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