This historical fiction book focuses on the Florida Keys over Labor Day 1935, when a treacherous hurricane hits with little warning. Henry Flagler's railroad is also featured in the story. Three women rotate the storytelling. Helen is a Key West native, pregnant, a waitress at the local diner, and a victim of spousal abuse. Mirta arrives from her native Cuba with her new husband, an arranged marriage to save her broke family. Elizabeth is on the Flagler train from New York City to Key West, trying to find her brother, a soldier at one of the camps set up on Islamarada to house World War I soldiers while they build roads. The women and their respective men interact in unusual ways during the weekend as they all try to survive the hurricane.

I enjoyed the setting of the Keys during the hurricane, which actually happened. It was an unnamed storm, and reached category 5, destroying Flagler's railroad, the only way to access the Keys other than boats. Although at times I had trouble remembering which woman was which,and the unusual interactions between the characters at times seemed forced, I did enjoy spending time with everyone. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

I struggled through this book. The description had me intrigued and I requested it, but then I couldn't seem to get into the story.
I'm sure many will like it and it does lend itself to a book club discussion, just didn't catch me.
Thank you NetGalley for this book

Henry Flagler is considered the “father of Florida tourism”, he built beautiful hotels that brought tourists in droves and completed an engineering marvel that allowed visitors to travel to the Florida Keys without ever getting on a boat. The rail line from his overseas highway is still standing today, almost 100 years after being built. But his greatest triumph would also be the scene of great tragedy, when a hurricane in 1935 sweeps his train, full of passengers into the sea. Cleeton places three women on the ill fated train, Mirta Perez, who’s fleeing Cuba to marry a wealthy American, Florida native Helen Berner, who’s looking for adventure and Elizabeth Preston, who’s trying to save what’s left of her family’s fortune after the stock market crash of 1929