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.

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.

Next Year in Havana

Rachel's 6 star review

When We Left Cuba

Rachel's 5 star review

Chanel Cleeton

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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.