In 1935, the Depression defined the lives of both men and women: Fortunes lost in the stock market crash, little or no work regardless of your background. And Cleeton keeps the surprises coming: Each woman is distinct in voice, manner, and goals, and the pace of the story never slows. The narrative jumps between Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth, but each character resonates from chapter to chapter, and heightening the tension. They refuse to give up when faced with devastating obstacles, be it a marriage, engagement, or a relationship they're expected to accept without question - or a deadly Labor Day hurricane.įalling in love, overcoming the fear of love, and learning who not to love are key obstacles for these women as they deal with the immediate terror of a hurricane. Helen, Mirta and Elizabeth don't buy into the limitations of their gender. It destroyed property throughout the Keys and took more than 400 lives, both civilians and the World War I veterans living in cheaply constructed work camps as they built a new rail line. The Florida Keys were ground zero for the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, a devastating Category 5 storm - in fact, the strongest recorded hurricane to hit the United States. In her latest, Cleeton takes on one of the deadliest natural disasters of the early 20th century in an intimate tale of survival, love, and courage. Now you have Chanel Cleeton's The Last Train to Key West.Įdge-of-your-seat storytelling is Cleeton's hallmark she hit the bestseller lists for her previous books When We Left Cuba and Next Year in Havana. Next, transplant those feelings from the silver screen to a suspenseful, romantic, thrilling historical novel featuring three women on separate journeys as a hurricane bears down on them.

Perhaps Grand Hotel (1932) or Lifeboat (1944) or something made in the 21st century like The Perfect Storm (2000). Think of a classic old movie with gritty, believable characters, stunning locations, and a massive dose of danger (like a hurricane, or a war, or a terrible crime) and then add tons of suspense (will your favorite actors live or die?).

Cleeton chanel