The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

Dear blog, 

The last couple of months have been a doozy. So many things are happening and there is so much uncertainty; I was happy to escape into Chanel's new book "The Last Train to Key West". I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since I read "When We Left Cuba" last year. 

This was such a good book, it has the right amount of romance, drama, suspense, and powerful moments that can bring you to tears. I couldn't put it down! I stayed up reading in bed after my family was asleep, I managed to finish reading it in 24 hours. Not easy to do with two little ones, but I did it :)!

At first, I was confused as I tried to keep up with the three different story lines of the three women, but by the end it all made sense. I couldn't understand why the story was jumping around between three different characters. But it was exciting learning how their lives are so similar and how they were connected. I was happy how their lives turned out and how they were able to overcome all of their challenges.

You may not know, but I came to the states from Cuba when I was young and there was so much that I didn't know about my own country's history. Now I have a better understanding of what people in my country went through with the communist party rose to power; these are things the government doesn't teacher anyone in the country today. I have found myself asking my parents and grandparents if things I read in the books were true; yes they were and my family would give me even more detail about what they went through during all this. Even the history of Key West was so interesting to me. Even though I've visited Key West several times, I never knew its history. Now I can't wait to go back and see it with a new perspective. 

I was so sad when I finished reading the book, I kept wanting to find more pages at the end. I get sad when a good book comes to an end. I hope you read this book. If you are ready to get away from all the craziness of the world, you can join in the craziness of the three women in this story. 

I highly recommend this book and  let me know what you think?

About THE LAST TRAIN TO KEY WEST by Chanel Cleeton

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.

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.

    

Have a blessed day:)