"The Lost Passenger" by Frances Quinn is a very interesting historical fiction story about a young girl, Elinor Coombes, and her marriage into an authoritarian, aristocratic English family in the early 1900s. She is not allowed to see, or care for her newborn son who must be raised "properly" by a hired nanny in order to carry on the family wealth, line, and properties. Although she fiercely fights for moments with her son, over time Elinor loses hope, and cannot seem to win this battle of control.
Then Elinor and her family are gifted tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic from her father. In the horror of the eventual sinking of the ship, an opportunity for freedom to care for her son occurs to Elinor. Will she take it? How could this be possible?
I enjoyed this book. it is a compelling, very interesting read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballatine books for the ARC of this novel. This book will be published 2.24.2025

I love this book! It gave me a fresh look into what might have happened to survivors of the Titanic. It made me think about what I might do if I had the opportunity to change the trajectory of my life after such an event. The characters are well developed. When the ship was sinking and she was on the raft of survivors, I could feel the cold and fear.

A young woman marries, she thinks for love, but soon finds out her husband and his family have an agenda. After the birth of her son she is only allowed to see him 20 minutes a day. The woman, her husband, father and young son depart on the Titanic. The tragic sinking of the boat offers her an opportunity for a new life. The story is very emotional and at the same time heartwarming, watching the woman’s journey. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Frances Quinn for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Lost Passenger.
This is an outstanding historical fiction family drama about a young, naive mother who starts a new life with her son in New York after surviving the devastation of the sinking of the Titanic.
The action starts right away with the main character, Elinor’s disappointing marriage and her discovery of many family secrets. I was totally immersed in the story from start to finish. The action is fast paced and I was on the edge of my seat multiple times. The characters are well rounded-you love them or hate them-no in between. The story is linear and I enjoyed looking forward to each step of Elinor’s journey and the decisions she needed to make.
I have not read many stories about survivors of the Titanic but I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, characters, especially how women were treated at that time and the writing was beautifully descriptive. I look forward to more from Frances Quinn!

I was immersed in the story and pages from the very beginning. It's beautiful, thought-provoking, emotional, and heartwarming. Elinor deals with tragedy and triumph. The struggles she faced were really well portrayed and I felt a part of her story.

Without a doubt this is one of the best books I've read this year!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I do love everything Titanic!
This book follows Elinor, a wealthy girl who wants nothing more than a storybook ending. Marriage, love, a family. When she finds the perfect man, things happen quickly and she soon finds her self married. Her new husband is also a wealthy man that needed a marriage to another wealthy individual so he could have a baby and this baby could carry on his family legacy. She soon realizes she was tricked into a loveless marriage.
When she finds a way out, she decided to take it. This risk leads to a new life that is completely opposite from what she is used to. She finds her way, on her own, struggling along the way, but finding her place in this new world.
Thank you for the advanced copy of this book for review.

I enjoyed Frances Quinn's The Bonesetter Woman, so jumped at the chance to read The Lost Passenger. I was not disappointed. Quinn tells the story of Elinor, a wealthy Englishwoman. Although living a seemingly ideal life, Elinor is lonely and starved for love and kindness. When gifted with tickets aboard the Titanic, Elinor takes the first step of a journey to a new life in a new world. Her story is one of a strong woman making her own way in a man's world. An enjoyable read. Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Lost Passenger.

This is a Titanic story unlike others I’ve read. Almost half of the book takes place before the ill-fated voyage, so by the time Elinor, her husband Fredrick, son Teddy, and father step onboard, the reader knows a great deal about their lives and dynamics and understands what the trip means to them.

Of course, the reader also knows that the ship won’t make it to New York as scheduled, though how that fact of history will impact the characters’ lives takes time to play out.

I found the characters and the story compelling. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction as well as character-driven storytelling. I would be interested in reading other works by the author.

Can a woman and her son start a new life if everyone thinks they died in the sinking of the Titanic? Elinor married a man who only wanted her father’s money. She was to provide an heir, that she could see only 20 minutes a day, and be molded into a lady. When her father gave her family tickets on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, Elinor thought it was a chance to spend more time with her son. The sinking, and death of her husband and father, provided Elinor to take the identity of her maid, who also perished. The Lost Passenger, by Francis Quinn, tells the story of her lies and their new life. Will her lies catch up with her? This was an interesting story.

“The Lost Passenger” was an enjoyable story about a woman and her young son who survive the sinking of the Titanic, and who uses the opportunity to reinvent herself in America and gave her son a better life. Elinor gives up a life of privilege and leisure in England. However, she is not giving up as much as it might seem. For you see, Elinor thought/hoped her marriage to Frederick Coombes, the son of Lord and Lady Storton, a young member of the nobility, was based on love. However, she quickly discovered that the marriage was simply an effort to shore up the fortunes of her husband’s family. The estate was not in the best financial shape, but the family were strict traditionalists, unwilling to make any of the necessary changes to solidify the estate if it meant selling off land or otherwise diminishing the size of their property or giving up any of the perks and privileges of nobility. Elinor’s father was a self-made man who had created a successful business. The Stortons were happy to take his money, via his daughter’s dowry, but they viewed both father and daughter as beneath them. Elinor soon became pregnant, which pleased her in-laws, but they expected her son (Teddy) to be raised as they deemed appropriate for the heir to a noble family, which meant being raised by a nanny with minimal daily contact/interaction with his mother. This was not the life Elinor wanted for herself or Teddy.

With the sinking of the Titanic and the confusion over who survived, as well as the deaths of Elinor’s father and husband, Elinor sees the opportunity to reinvent herself. She had taken on a new maid (Molly) during the voyage, who had talked about the relatives she planned to live with in America. Molly did not survive the Titanic. Elinor decided to pretend to be Molly. This means living a life of hardship and poverty, as well as repeatedly lying to Molly’s family. Elinor struggles with this but also uses the opportunity to learn new skills and start her own small business operating a cart selling clothing scraps. However, eventually her true identity will be revealed, and she will have to face the consequences of her actions and lies.

I liked it but didn’t love it! Elinor went through some truly heartbreaking events, but the writing never really struck an emotional chord with me. She had some major losses but I wasn’t really moved by any of them, the author moved on pretty quickly to keep the plot moving. The parts in the beginning with her newborn son were the most emotional to get through and were very well-written; that was the one time when I really felt emotionally connected to her struggles. That being said, I was invested enough to find out how everything played out. I liked that she was smart and resourceful instead of a damsel in distress, and loved all the characters she met along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

What would you do to protect your child—and your chance at freedom? The Lost Passenger is a gripping historical drama that takes readers on an emotional journey from the gilded halls of English aristocracy to the bustling streets of America.

Elinor Coombes is a woman trapped—first in a loveless marriage, then by the crushing expectations of high society. But when tragedy strikes aboard the Titanic, she sees a chance to rewrite her story. By faking her death and stealing another identity, Elinor begins a daring new life, one filled with grit, survival, and the overwhelming love she has for her son.

Frances Quinn’s storytelling shines as she captures the clash between old-world traditions and the raw energy of a new land. The tension between Elinor’s harrowing past and her precarious future will keep you turning the pages, rooting for her at every twist and turn.

With themes of resilience, motherhood, and self-discovery, The Lost Passenger is perfect for fans of The Titanic Sisters and The Paris Library. Prepare to be swept away by a tale as vast and unpredictable as the ocean itself.

Elinor is the daughter of a successful, self-made businessman in England. She marries a man she fancies who is from an aristocratic family. The marriage is an unhappy one -- she realizes he only married her for her father's money. Her mother-in-law is difficult and she doesn't enjoy the rigid life she is forced to live. Not only that, but when she has a son, Teddy, her husband and his parents allow her only 20 minutes a day with him. His nanny is his primary caretaker. Additionally, Teddy will be sent to boarding school at the age of seven. When Elinor, Teddy, her husband and father take the maiden voyage on the Titanic, they meet Molly and hire her as Teddy's caretaker for the trip. Only Elinor and Teddy survive and Elinor seizes the opportunity to stay in NYC and become someone else and free herself from her predicament in England. There she is supported by a poor but lovely family who take her in without question. This is a story of motherhood, immigration, and what really makes a. person happy (hint: it isn't money). I loved every minute. Thank you for the advanced copy!!

This was. Wonderful fast read. The characters were believable and the story intriguing. I will be sure to read other writings from this ithor

This is my first book by Francis Quinn and I found it intriguing and was quickly immersed into the 1900's in England and then New York with Elinor, the only child of a self-made "new money" father in England. Swept into a whirlwind romance with an aristocrat and quickly married, Elinor soon finds out things are not what they seemed. Betrayal, heartache and the cruelty of her husband and his family are sad and tragic to read, especially once her son is born and the measures they take to force her into submission to fit into their aristocracy.
Her father buys tickets for Elinor, her husband, son Teddy and himself for the maiden voyage of the Titanic. This results in Elinor and her son being among the few survivors, affording her the ability to seize the opportunity to start anew in New York despite losing a title and large inheritance for Teddy. Her journey to survive with few skills, in a low class area is both inspiring and challenging to read. There are some plot twists that keep you engaged and wondering what will happen.
Highly recommend for anyone interested in historical fiction with a strong female lead that includes the Titanic tragedy and the aftermath for the survivors. There are some domestic violence scenes that are not too graphic, overall has clean language and an excellent read about strength and resilience in a challenging situation.
A huge thank you to Ballantine books publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

This was the first Frances Quinn book I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed The Lost Passenger. The way the story of Elinor and Molly evolve is beautiful and inspiring. It’s a story about finding your own way and discovering the power within yourself.

On the surface, this is a story of a woman who survives the sinking of the Titanic and finds and opportunity to leave her previous life behind and start a new life for her and her son in America. Beneath the surface (like an iceberg, haha) there is so much more going on. This is essentially a story of the lives of three classes: the British aristocracy, the bourgeoisie, and the peasantry. Elinor was a part of the bourgeoisie. Her father made his wealth as a cotton merchant, and Elinor grew up with creature comforts and servants, but was surprised when she received a marriage proposal from a young man with inherited money. It turns out that her fiancé's family needed Elinor's family's money to maintain their position. She marries and feels increasingly isolated and controlled - until her father gifts the family tickets on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Elinor survives, with her young son, but her now-husband and father do not. To assume a new identity, she falls in with a "peasant-class" family - one which has a small apartment with no running water and toilets shared by all residents. This was one of the most interesting parts of the book for me - watching Elinor discover and adapt to very different ways of living and being at the turn of the 20th century. The author gives Elinor the agency to choose her own path - a very lovely and progressive idea!

It also surprised me that there was absolutely no violence (other than the boat sinking, if you count that). The "villains" of the story were understandable in their contexts. Elinor was understandably anxious about being found out and having her son taken from her, but more than once a potential threat turned into a happy conclusion. My only complaint about the book is that there was no final climax and denouement - an event that could have been threatening resolved itself, and left Elinor to make her decision about how to go on with her life in relative peace. I had come to love these characters and would love to have heard more.

Many thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can stop them from nesting in your hair”

“You are a strong young woman; you don’t run from things that frighten you.”

This story is beautifully written and grabbed me in from the start. Elinor Coombes married for love, well that is what she thought. Didn’t take long for her to find out her husband married her for her father’s money. Elinor was lonely and miserable.
When her father gifts her, her, husband to join him on the maiden voyage of the Titanic they go. It will also allow her the time with her son that she has craved.
When the ship goes down and it appears Elinor and her son are the only survivors of the family, she takes a gamble to assume the identity of someone else.
A story of tragedy, triumph and so much more.
This was a thought provoking book. Had me thinking what would I have done.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

The Lost Passenger began with a hook that had me turning the pages quickly. I like books with actions and a brevity of descriptions, focusing on the emotional tension and this story served those desires, at least through the first half of the book. Additionally, the story provides historical interest in how royal English families lived in the early 1900s, having experienced surviving the horrific sinking of the Titanic, and then living in the crowded immigrant tenements of New York.

Elinor’s worlds collided as she went from her wealthy family home of a manufacturer to a marriage within British royalty where her world was turned upside down, to the working class of the poor, where she struggles to get ahead on her own.

Throughout, we are reminded of how a woman had little to no freedom once she left her father’s home, and has been that way throughout history. First in marrying a man who didn’t love her and into a family more concerned with propriety and customs than her acceptance into the family, of which she had none.

Once she assumes a different identity to escape being returned to England and a lonely, unhappy life, it is ironic that she’s warmly accepted into a family where she has no genuine connection. Elinor’s concern is always on her son, which drives her decisions throughout the story.

Elinor grew up in a well-to-do working-class family. Her father built wealth and an empire out of nothing. Enough wealth that Elinor catches the eye of an aristocratic family that she soon marries. But, all that glitters isn’t made of gold and it isn’t long before Elinor realizes she didn’t marry into a Jane Austen novel. But tickets for her family to sail on the Titanic seem to be what Elinor needs to revive her life and marriage; what she gets instead is the chance at a new life.

This beautifully written story is engaging and inviting from the very first page. I instantly fell in love with Elinor and had to keep reading until I knew how her story ended. I read this in one day because I was so hooked on the story.