Review: The Last Train to Key West (by Chanel Cleeton)

My Rating:  4.5 stars

Chanel Cleeton is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.  I read her two previous historical fiction novels (Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba) both of which revolved around the Perez family from Cuba, and absolutely loved both books!   After finding out last year that Cleeton would have a new book out some time in 2020, I knew that I definitely had to get my hands on a copy as soon as it became available.  Her newest work, The Last Train to Key West, is a bit of a departure from her previous works in that it isn’t connected (not directly anyway) to the same Perez family, plus the story is markedly different in its depiction of a specific historical event that occurred over Labor Day weekend in 1935 — the devastating hurricane that struck the Florida Keys, one of the deadliest in the history of the United States.  With that said though, one similarity that threads through all 3 of Cleeton’s historical works is that they all feature strong female protagonists who rise above the restrictions placed upon them by society — not only that, but the characters are written in a non-stereotypical yet realistic way that makes them more relatable.   

In this book, the story is told from the perspectives of 3 women whose backgrounds and personalities are very different, but who happen to cross paths when they are simultaneously impacted by the storm and its deadly aftermath.  Helen, a pregnant waitress working at a local diner in the Key West area where she grew up, yearns to escape the abusive marriage she has been trapped in for 9 years.  Mirta, who agreed to an arranged marriage in order to help out her family back in Cuba, is determined to know the man she married as she arrives in Key West with him for their honeymoon.  Elizabeth, a once-wealthy debutante whose family fell from grace after the Wall Street crash, travels from her home in New York to the Great War veteran camps in Key West with the hope of finding the relative whom she believes can save her from her current predicament.  Though the narrative was told from the alternating first person viewpoints of these 3 characters, their voices were distinctive, which is important because this type of structure is not easy to get right on a consistent basis. Chanel Cleeton is one of the authors who does this well — in addition, Cleeton writes in a way that captivates and draws the reader in, which is another reason why I enjoy her books.

I actually devoured this one in 2 sittings and even then, didn’t want the story to end.  I definitely recommend picking this one up, whether for the absorbing story or the strong characters.  Cleeton is an author who doesn’t disappoint and I truly look forward to what she has in store for us next!

Received ARC from Berkley via Edelweiss.