The Lost Passenger.

 

 

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Thank you to publisher, Random House Publishing|Ballantine for providing me with ARC via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

 RELEASE DATE: 02/25/2025

 

 

 

Sometimes it takes a disaster to change your life. 

 
Marrying above your social class can come with unexpected consequences, as Elinor Coombes discovers when she is swept into a fairy-tale marriage with the son of an aristocratic English family. She soon realizes that it was the appeal of her father’s hard-earned wealth rather than her pretty face that attracted her new husband and his family. Curtailed by rigid social rules that include being allowed to see her nanny-raised infant son for only moments each day, Elinor resigns herself to a lonely future. So a present from her father—tickets for the maiden voyage of a luxurious new ship called the Titanic—offers a welcome escape from the cold, controlling atmosphere of her husband’s ancestral home, and some precious time with her little son, Teddy. 

When the ship goes down, Elinor grasps the opportunity to take Teddy and start a new life—but only if they can disappear completely, listed among the dead. Penniless and using another woman’s name, she must learn to survive in New York City, a brash new world that couldn’t be more different from her own, and to keep their secret safe. But alas, it's not safe—she's been spotted by another survivor who's eager to profit from his discovery. 

An absorbing historical drama set between the old world of the oppressive English aristocracy and the new world of opportunity and freedom, The Lost Passenger is a grippingly dramatic story about starting over in a brand-new world, triumphing over adversity, and finding hope in the face of great loss. 

 

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Since I saw the movie when I was younger, Titanic has captivated me. I even wrote a research paper on the subject in high school. One of the things that drew my attention was that part of the story would take place aboard Titanic . I had assumed that the story would take more place aboard than it did, which surprised me. However, this did not stop me from enjoying the novel. The Lost Passenger is one book that makes you ponder every time you put it down. I enjoyed how detailed the book was on Elinor's journey. Every page will leave you wondering what will happen to Elinor next and if she will be discovered. Most of the plot was fantastic, although the first part of the book moved more slowly than the second. Once Elinor was rescued from Titanic , the story picked up, and I had trouble putting the book down. 

I enjoyed sections of the first half of the novel, but there wasn't as much action. Plus, I couldn’t seem to connect with some of the characters. In the second part of the novel, I was on the edge of my seat, unable to get enough of the story and the characters. I was concerned for Elinor when she decided to use another woman's name; I was scared that she would be discovered, and if she were, it would not end well for her. Once she created a bond with others, I knew it would be harder for her to tell others the truth. It made me worry about Elinor's future. I loved most of the characters and the setting; I felt the novel transformed me there. 

My favorite aspect of the novel was the character development, particularly Elinor's. It was as if she turned into a completely different person. When I picked up the book, I expected more romance, but The Lost Passenger is a story about family, survival, courage, and redemption. I would highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans!