“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.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought that the concept was really interesting. I liked hearing the perspective of a passenger on the titanic who survived and an opportunity/chance she was given in the wake of that tragedy. We all know what happened on the titanic, its an infamous event in history, so I enjoyed the ironic comments that characters would make about the ship being "unsinkable" and Elinor's maid who refuses to get on the boat because she has such a terrible gut feeling about what could happen. I would have liked the ending to last a bit longer. I felt like the resolution to the story only lasted about 15 pages, but it would have been a lot more satisfying to have it draw out a bit longer.

I absolutely loved this book! It was heartbreaking at times to read about how trapped Elinor was in her marriage and go along in her journey after the tragic sinking of the Titanic. Her love for her son was palpable throughout the book.

The Lost Passenger grabs you with the first sentence and never lets go. You know from the start that Frances Quinn has done her homework. She can so clearly depict English noble life at the turn of the last century, life aboard the Titanic and the horror as it sinks, and the struggles and aspirations of the residents of the lower east side of New York during the same time.

And she makes it personal. I understood how the rich trappings of English nobility could actually be a trap instead - one that binds people to the past. I have never read such a realistic description of what it was like to be in one of the lifeboats waiting to be rescued from the Titanic, yet hearing the screams of all of those who would, in fact, go down with the great ship. I could feel the fear and cold and despair of the "lucky ones".

And all along, I did not know how Elinor's (no spoilers) situation would be resolved. I could feel her emotions as she faced the dilemma she had created.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this book.

This book sounded good, but I couldn't get into it. There was so much that was described over and over, for no reason. Over halfway through and didn't really care what would happen to 'Molly' and her son. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read the ARC.

Elinor Hayward is the daughter of Robert Hayward, who is known in England as, “The Cotton King.” He built his cotton business from the ground up, and by the time Elinor was born, he was a millionaire. She has been waited on her whole life but has the love and adoration of her parents. However, her mom dies when she is still young.
One day, Elinor and her father are invited to a ball being thrown by Lord and Lady Burnham, who are at a higher station of society than the Haywards. It strikes Elinor as odd that they are invited, but she convinces her dad to take her so she can experience a ball like the ones she’s read about in her Jane Austen books. Once they arrive, Elinor meets Frederick Coombes, the son and future Earl of Winterton Estate. They hit it off, and Frederick starts calling on Elinor. Within weeks, Frederick has made a deal with Mr. Hayward to have Elinor’s hand in marriage. They are quickly married.
Right after their wedding ceremony ends, Elinor overhears a conversation between Frederick’s mother, Lady Stanton, and Lady Burnham. She finds out that Lady Burnham invited Elinor to the ball at Lady Stanton’s request so they could arrange for Elinor and Frederick to meet. The Stanton’s needed the Hayward’s money to keep Winterton Estate running, but Mrs. Stanton thinks Elinor is ghastly. Elinor confronts Frederick, who confirms that he did not marry her for love, but because the arrangement was beneficial to his family. However, he enjoys her company and hopes to have an amicable relationship with her. From this moment on, Elinor begins fighting the life in which she has found herself. She is revolted by the family and the expectations that have been placed on her. Her only friend in Winterton Hall is a woman by the name of Lissy. One night, when Lissy’s husband tries to seduce Elinor, he reveals that Lissy and Frederick are having an affair. They have been in love since they were children, but the marriage match was not beneficial to their families. Elinor is distraught. Kitty, Frederick’s sister, finds out that Elinor knows about the affair. She suggests that Elinor not confront Frederick right away, but instead waits until she wants something from him. Elinor eventually becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son. He is immediately taken away from her and given to a harsh nanny. Elinor is distraught and sneaks into the nursery that night. She is caught, and Lady Stanton and the family doctor threaten to keep her son away from her permanently. The boy is christened with the name Edward, but Elinor nicknames him Teddy. She is only allowed to see him 20 minutes per day. At the age of 7, he will be expected to go off to boarding school so that he can learn to be a proper gentleman. Elinor wants nothing more than to be a mother to her son, but she is prevented from doing so.
When Teddy is two, Elinor’s father writes and offers them first-class tickets to ride on the Titanic. Elinor desperately wants to go so she can have more time with her son. Frederick initially says no, but Elinor uses that opportunity to reveal that she knows about the affair. He agrees after that.
Right as they are about to board the ship, Elinor’s long-time servant, Rose, suddenly refuses to get on the ship. Frederick says they will need to cancel their trip when a woman with Molly interrupts their argument. She is an experienced lady-in-waiting and offers to serve Elinor during the voyage. The Coombes agree and board the ship. Molly talks to Elinor throughout the trip and reveals that she is going to America to live with an aunt whom she’s never met. She is pregnant and is not sure how she will be received by her relatives. Still, her bravery leaves an impression on Elinor.
Midway through their voyage, the Titanic hits an iceberg. Elinor and Teddy get loaded on a lifeboat. Molly is supposed to board with them, but she wants to go back to the cabin and fetch her life savings. Elinor and Teddy are lowered down into the sea, and only when they sail a little bit away from the Titanic do they realize that the ship is sinking. They watch in horror as the Titanic sinks, then listen to the screams as people in the water slowly die throughout the night.
Eventually, a ship rescues all of the survivors in lifeboats. It is on board this ship when Elinor realizes that Frederick, her father, and Molly are not among the survivors. When the crew of the ship begins an inventory of the survivors, Elinor realizes that she has a chance to start a new life. She steals Molly’s identity so that everyone will think that Elinor died in the accident.
When Elinor gets to America, Molly’s relatives are waiting with a sign. She goes over to them and meets Ruth, Molly’s aunt, her husband, Per, and her mother-in-law, Anna. Per and Anna are Swedish immigrants. They are surprised by Teddy, but agree to take Elinor (aka Molly) in with her son. Elinor is struck by how small the apartment is. She struggles with basic household tasks because she has never had to do them before. Eventually, though, she learns how to peel potatoes, wash clothes, and work the sewing machine so that she can earn a wage with Anna and Ruth. With the help of the business skills that her father taught her, Elinor has a new future ahead of her. Before long, however, her past catches up to her.
"The Lost Passenger" was an addicting read that linked together the awe and wonder of the sinking of the Titanic with the drama of high society, combining it with the grit that lays the foundation of the United States. Elinor was a beautifully written multi-dimensional character who was both entitled and hard-working, savvy and clueless, and selfish and selfless. Even after facing the adversity that was common among new immigrants to the United States, Elinor never once regretted her decision to put her son in front of her station. This was easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

Faced with a horrible choice: to return to a life she hated and essentially lose her son or assume the name and life of a dead acquaintance, Elinor’s choice will affect the rest of her life and that of her young son. The strength of character within her is shown as she struggles to be strong, to do right, to live with the nightmares accompanying the sinking of the Titanic, and to give her son Teddy the best chance at a happy, fulfilling life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for ARC to read and review.

Loved this. Solid plot. Strong character development. Wonderfully atmospheric. Pretty compulsive read.

At first glance it would seem that Elinor Hayward’s life is perfect. Her father owns a mill, and she lives an affluent lifestyle. She meets the “man of her dreams” in Frederick Coombes. However, after their marriage, things change. Frederick is not what he seems, her mother-in-law thinks she is beneath the family and, most importantly, she is not allowed access to her son. In The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn when Elinor sees an opportunity to change her life, she takes it. Once she makes this change, she must fight for this new life for herself and her son. A genuinely nice novel.

Elinor gets the fairy tale wedding and life of her dreams when she marries Frederick and moves into Winterton Hall. It is too late when she realizes that Frederick did not marry her for love, but for her money and the goal of keeping the family line alive with an heir. Elinor soon has a son, but instead of raising him herself, he is kept by a nanny and Elinor rarely sees him. Embarking on the Titanic, Elinor looks forward to spending more time with her young son. But disaster soon strikes, and when Elinor has the opportunity to break away from her stifling life and pretend to be someone else, she takes her chance.

Thank you Frances Quinn and Random House Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions written here are mine and mine alone.

The idea and the thought behind this book were excellent. I loved learning more about the early 1900s and more history behind the Titanic. However, the execution in this book was not what I had hoped it would be. The author spent too much time telling the reader about what happened rather than showing the reader through character movement and dialogue, which took away from making the reader truly care about each character. I liked all the characters, but I did not feel like I got to know them well enough.

SPOILERS:

The ending also did not leave me feeling like the story was wrapped up nicely. It felt rushed and I was left unsure about how Anna, Ruth, and Per really felt about having Elinor and Teddy stay with them for the foreseeable future. I would have liked more depth there because it still seemed like Ruth was angry at Elinor.