If you were terribly unhappy and had an opportunity to start a new life, with a new name, would you take it? Would you take the risk with a young son, giving up the privileges you’ve enjoyed since birth, in a country where you know no one? Well, that’s what Elinor does on that fateful night with the Titanic. As a fan of historical fiction, the plot was intriguing. At first, this seemed a predictable read. However, a few twists and turns led to a not so predictable conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. I look forward to reading other books by Frances Quinn

Elinor Coombes finds herself trapped in an unhappy marriage of convenience in which her husband doesn’t love her and her British, aristocratic in-laws look down on her nouveau riche father and her. When her son is effectively taken from her to be reared in the stifling traditions of her husband’s family and she discovers her husband loves and is having an affair with a woman she thought was a friend, Elinor wants out. Her father buys tickets for himself, Elinor, her husband, and son on the Titanic. When the ship sinks, ending the lives of her father, husband and a nanny she hired upon boarding the ship, Elinor finds an opportunity for the escape she desperately needs. Elinor takes on the identity of Molly, the nanny, and moves in with Molly’s relatives in New York City who Molly never met and who have no idea what Molly looks like. These relatives live in virtual poverty on the Lower East Side. Elinor, now Molly, is in for a massive economic and cultural shock and lives in constant fear that she will be discovered and forced to return to England.

The stolen identity plot device is in danger of being overused and I was skeptical of it working well here, but Frances Quinn avoided the easy cliches and kept the story interesting and compelling. The description of the horror and helplessness of the Titanic’s sinking were conveyed skillfully and Elinor’s PSTD-tinged flashbacks felt true. I also thought the business acumen part of Elinor’s character development, instilled in her by her beloved father at an early age, felt true to itself and was woven into the plot in a way that made this a strong point of the book. A well-done use of stolen identity gives me anxiety and I shared Elinor’s anxiety throughout that portion of the book. The positive ending was a bit predictable but was appreciated nonetheless. This is not a literary classic, but the book was engaging and is worth a read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced reader’s copy in return fir y honest review.

As a frequent cruiser, I have always been fascinated by the Titanic and the horrible fate that befell most of the passengers on its inaugural cruise. It was thought to be unsinkable but of course we know now that wasn't the case. This book is about a young wife and mother caught in an unhappy marriage who does manage to get on one of the lifeboats with her infant son. When she realizes that her husband did not survive and if she goes back to England to the estate where she felt trapped, her situation would only be worse. Also her husband tricked her into signing a document that would give her in-laws custody of her son and essentially cut her out of his life. So while on the lifeboat she makes a decision that will change the course of their lives forever. Definitely a page turner and one that makes you wonder what you would have done in the same situation.

Thank you to author Frances Quinn and NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

Always up for a good yarn with the Titanic as the backdrop. Young Elinor duped into marriage quickly marries Frederick Coombes and finds herself welcomed into a cold, uncaring family who are more interested in old traditions and money than a new daughter-in-law. Forced to adapt to the staunch upbringing that comes with the aristocracy, Elinor locked away finds herself unhappy, in a loveless marriage and dreams of escaping the confines of this home and family. When her working class but successful father surprises her with passage on the newly built marvel, the Titanic, Elinor finally feels she can at last escape the hell of Winterton estate even if for a short journey. When the now famous tragedy begins to unfold at sea Elinor makes a life changing decision that will alter the course of her and her son's life.

The sinking of the Titanic was a huge shock at the time, in both England and the US, because it meant that the impossible could, in fact, be possible. And it was an even worse trauma for those few who lived through it. On the other hand, it offered an opportunity for the survivors, if they were brave enough, to start a new life with a new identity. Elinor/Molly was one of them. It's a fascinating look at how being wealthy does not equate to being happy, and how it's possible to start a new, happier life, regardless of the circumstances.

"The Lost Passenger" is predictable at every turn. I was so disappointed because I loved the premise of the novel but Quinn played it safe and delivered a generic and basic plot structure, stock characters and an unsatisfying ending.

Compelling! Evocative! Immersive! I could think of hundreds of adjectives to describe this beautifully written work of historical fiction constructed around the sinking of the Titanic. Erase the images of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet from your mind as this is not that story.

Disillusioned and unhappy in her marriage to English aristocrat Frederick Coombes, Elinor is thrilled when her father arranges for the couple, their infant son Teddy and their servants to join him on the ships maiden voyage to New York. As Elinor watches the majestic Titanic sink from the lifeboat she and Teddy are placed in, she is struck with the idea that this is her opportunity to escape the control and despondent life that her husbands family has exerted over her. Through Elinor’s story, we rejoice in new beginnings, resilience and hope amidst the hardest of tragedies.

I was fully immersed in the plot and characters of this dazzling story which left me wondering how many survivors of this tragedy might have taken action similar to in order to rebuild their life in a new land. Though not a novice author, this is Ms. Quinn’s US debut and I’m excited to watch its February 25th release as it climbs the charts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is an engaging tale, if a tad predictable. The first half kind of drags and I wish it'd been tightened up. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible read! Frances Quinn deftly draws us in to the changing worlds of young Elinore. The lies she believes, the lies she tells- I could not believe her courage as she faces so many unexpected losses that would have broken me. Wonderful characters Ruth and Anna provide wisdom and support when she starts a new life in America. And through it all, the bargaining skills her father taught her continue to keep her afloat. The ending perfectly shows just what Elinore is made of, though your heart will be bruised time and again getting there. I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Elinor Coombes Daughter of a wealthy cotton mill owner thinks she getting married for love but the marriage was only for her husband's and family's financial interests. Elinor struggles to fit into her new life, she feels belittled by her husband and in-laws. Now that she brought a baby into the world she feels that she has no way out, the Stortons have full control of her and her son. Elinor’s father mentioned to her about taking a cruise on the unsinkable ship called The Titanic. When the time came she convinced her husband to join her and her father into this adventure. Elinor is excited to be away from the strict rules of the Stortons and be able to enjoy time with her son and father, but the unthinkable happens during this voyage.

If you're like me and have seen the movie Titanic on repeat, you know I had to sign up for this arc! I’m intrigued by the history of this ship and this story was based on this era. I was fascinated to read about a different point of view of the Titanic. I wish the storyline would have focused more on survival during the shipwreck, but the story talked very little about it. Overall the read took me through so many emotions and enjoyed the read! 🤍

This is the story of survival on several fronts. Elinor is trapped in a loveless arranged marriage and is treated like a pariah in the family. After becoming pregnant and having a son, the boy is whisked away leaving Elinor longing to raise her child her way, with love and affection. As a present, her father purchases a ticket on the “Titanic” and she claims the chance to mother her son properly. She engages a lady’s maid to help with the journey and to advise on how to take care of a toddler. When the ship hits an iceberg, she seizes the chance to save her son while her husband and father perish. Her maid also dies. Elinor realizes that she has an opportunity to escape her previous life and assumes the identity of her maid and presents herself as such to Molly’s family. There she learns a trade and learns what real hardship is, but it is alleviated by the joy of becoming one of the family members. Frances Quinn makes you hear the screams of the dying while the “Titanic” was sinking so much so that it made me cringe. The descriptions of the tenements and the hard-scrabble life are realistic.

** spoiler alert ** I really enjoyed this book. Much of the plot is given away in the description, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. The beginning of the narrative isn't anything readers haven't seen before -- Elinor, a young woman whose father made tons of money through hard work marries Fredrick, the aristocratic heir to an estate that needs money to keep it running and in the family (shades of Downton Abbey, anyone?). It's a loveless marriage (at least on the husband's part, as he carries on a long-time affair with a mistress who wasn't marriage material because she had no money), yet Elinor tries to make the best of it, produces a male heir named Teddy, who she desperately wants to be a doting mother to, yet the family insists that Teddy be taken care of by a nanny and who will eventually be sent off to boarding school at the ridiculously young age of seven.

But Elinor's life literally changes when her father gifts her, Fredrick and Teddy with tickets on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. When the ship goes down, Fredrick and Elinor's father don't survive, along with a maid named Molly who befriended Elinor on the ship and offered to help take care of Teddy. Elinor, despite her grief and literal shock after the sinking, impulsively decides to steal Molly's identity and make a life with her relatives in New York (who had never met Molly, but were going to welcome her and give her a place to live).

I wish there had been more time spent on the Titanic part of the story, because I've always been fascinated with it, but I also really enjoyed Elinor's transition from pampered rich girl to poor seamstress in New York, all while trying to raise Teddy and fit in with her adopted "family." Elinor's perserverance and moxie made for a character I really rooted for, and while the overall story arc isn't anything unique, it was well-written and kept my interest.

Thanks to NetGalley, Frances Quinn, and Simon & Schuster/Ballantine Books for the digital ARC and the opportunity to read this book. I will definitely recommend this novel to my book club.

"The Lost Passenger" is told from the first-person perspective of Elinor Coombs, a young woman who grows up in the early 20th century in Great Britain as daughter of the "cotton king". Having lost her mother at a young age, Elinor has watched as her father built his entire cotton empire from the ground up and worked alongside him to learn the ins-and-outs of his business. When Elinor meets and falls in love with Fredrick Coombes, the son of a longstanding aristocratic family, she believes she's found her happy ending about getting married to him, but finds that reality is far from what she imagined. Her role is relegated to barely more than a side piece in the family, where she has no say in how her son Teddy is raised.

Elinor sees a brief respite after her father gifts tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but after the catastrophic sinking of the vessel where only Elinor and her son survive, she makes the decision to take on the name and life of Molly Mortimer, a fellow passenger on the ship who served as her son's interim nurse on the voyage. In New York City, Elinor is taken in by Molly's extended family and must learn to survive in the family's cramped apartment in the LES where they sew clothing for mere pennies each day - all under a false guise.

From the first few chapters, Quinn has crafted a convincing protagonist that I couldn't help but root for; we see her struggle as she is deemed barely more than a housewife by her husband's family, and is stripped of any autonomy, even when it comes to the time she can spend with her newborn son. Despite her upbringing in households of wealth, she willingly leaves it all behind for a chance to reclaim her own autonomy, even at the cost of immense risk and deception. Her determination and grit are made clear in the latter half of the novel as she builds a new life for herself and her son, and I appreciated just how satisfying the ending was. Quinn's writing is transportive and complex, and I found myself eagerly picking up my Kindle to dive back into this novel.

Very much a recommended read when "The Lost Passenger" is published in Feburary 2025!

Francis Quinn’s novel The Lost Passenger is a gripping, immersive tale about Elinor, a wealthy cotton manufacturer’s daughter, tricked into marrying an English aristocrat, Frederick, for her dowry. The author effectively depicts the social customs of the time, which immediately drew me into the story. I could sense and feel Elinor’s disillusionment as she realized the few rights given to her by two loving parents were so easily stripped away from her the moment she married.

This is a touching tale of disillusionment, naivete, and betrayal, in which a young woman learns to fight for what she believes would give her son a better life. When she finds herself married to a man in love with someone else, Elinor examines her life, seeking ways to change her circumstances.
Where, at first, she fights the suffocating marriage, the author slowly reveals Elinor’s innate courage via Elinor’s internal dialogue as she questions and battles her decisions throughout the story.

When the opportunity to sail to New York on the Titanic arises, Elinor uses her husband’s affair to her advantage, threatening to reveal his secret for all the world to hear. As Elinor, Frederick, her father, and her son, Teddy, set sail on the Titanic's maiden voyage, the ship’s tragic events provide Elinor with a plan to ease the horror. She assumes the identity of a girl named Molly and starts over across the Atlantic, embracing a new life in America.

This well-written and well-researched novel was easy to read, pulling me inside each character’s story the more I read. I always enjoy tales of strong women who turn adversity into advantage and tragedy to triumph despite the odds stacked against them. Francis Quinn’s recent novel does not disappoint. She has found a permanent spot in my library.

I want to thank Net Galley, the publisher, and the author, for the opportunity to read this free ARC. This review is voluntary and mine alone.

Elinor lost her father and husband on the Titanic but she and her son survived the horrific tragedy. But if she goes back to England she and her son will be at the mercy of her dreadful in-laws who only care about prestige and titles and now that her husband is gone, they have guardianship of her son. So she takes a risk and takes the identity of a woman she met on the ship who sadly didn’t make it. Once in New York she becomes Molly Mortimer and is determined to make a life for herself and her son while praying no one finds out her secret.

This is a story of survival and found family. Elinor’s determination and love for her son allowed her to make hard decisions and see that she was capable of being a strong woman. The characters were well written and the story was easy to follow. I did expect more descriptive writing of the sinking of the titanic but I think it was meant to be felt in Elinor’s dealing with the traumatic experience. Overall I enjoyed the story and will recommend.

The story of an arranged marriage that went horribly wrong teaches us that family can be found in unexpected places.19 year old Elinor Coombs had been reading about romantic love for years and she and her wealthy father believe they have found the perfect husband for her in Frederick, AKA, Lord Storton.

Immediately after their nuptials, Elinor overheard her new mother-in-law gossiping about her. She hears it repeated that Elinor was young and trainable, and that her rough edges could be smoothed out, especially her low class accent and manners. Elinor confronted Frederick, who agreed with his mother and added that her dowry would be used to shore up an aristocratic house that was leaking money.

She overhears that guardianship has been given to Frederick’s parents to ensure proper upbringing if something were to happen to Frederick, including being sent to boarding school at age seven. Elinor’s father gifts the immediate family with tickets on the newly finished Titanic. At the last minute, Elinor’s maid refuses to get on the ship, and a sudden replacement is hired.

We all know what happens next and the vivid descriptions of the sinking and the sheer terror of those who didn’t survive are unforgettable. As she and Teddy are rescued ( her maid was never found among the rescued) she realizes that she is being given a second chance to make a new life for herself and her son and so Elinor Coombs becomes Molly Mortimer.

What follows is the story of Elinor’s determination to succeed in a new world while hiding her true identity. She is welcomed by Molly’s relatives and housed with them in a dirt-poor neighborhood in New York where she must learn to help with the family laundry, survive the terrors of a shared filthy outhouse, and learn to sew to help the overcrowded family stay afloat.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and struggled to write a review worthy of this author’s talents. I highly recommend this book to all. My gratitude to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Frances Quinn book The Lost Passenger takes place right before Titanic's maiden voyage through the months/years after. Elinor Combes is the main character who we follow throughout the course of the book. She is a young wife and mother trapped in an unhappy marriage. So when she is presented with a gift of tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic, she sees it as a welcomed opportunity to get away and be with her father and her son Teddy, even if its for a short while, from her husband's controlling family.

The moment the ship hits the iceberg, Elinor realizes everything around her is changing very quickly. The disaster before her has also given her a chance to start a new life with her son in New York. Taking on the identity of her maid, she begins a new life while keeping her old one buried deep down.

This was a moving book lead by a strong lead character. Quinn found a way to tell this uplifting story through a character who was determined to succeed for both her and her sons future. Elinor endured many obstacles along the way between her daily life and the lies she had to tell to make it through.

As soon as I started this book, I could not put it down. Quinn's writing has a way of captivating her audience. She was able to tell her story and also bring a part of history to life again. I would highly recommend to this book! A definite must read.

When Elinor, an upper class woman on the TItanic, finds herself a survivor of the the sinking, she takes on the persona of Molly, a lady's maid who was traveling at the same time. Elinor was so unhappy in the upper class that she was willing to become a totally new person to escape that life. This of course involves telling lies to allow her to integrate herself into this world. Very much a class reversal. The author does a great job of transporting us to the NYC of the period.

Recommended for public libraries

As a longtime admirer of historical fiction, I found myself truly captivated by this novel. The writing flowed beautifully, and the story unfolded in a way that drew me in completely. What surprised me most was the depth of the characters; I felt a genuine connection with them that I hadn’t anticipated.

Elinor’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. She embodies resilience, navigating the complexities of a marriage of convenience, enduring the harrowing experience of the Titanic's sinking, and grappling with the loss of everything she once knew. Yet, from the wreckage of her former life, she emerges with a newfound strength, determined to create a brighter future for herself and her son. Her tale is a powerful reminder that life has its seasons, and enduring the darkest moments often allows the most beautiful chapters to unfold.

This harrowing narrative explores the different shades of tragedy and the ways we learn to live through them. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted story.

This isn't the type of book I usually enjoy, but I found myself so immersed in this novel. It was well written and fascinating. I felt myself enjoying the characters as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Frances Quinn, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of the release date!