The Lost Passenger: a fateful trip turns into one woman's chance for freedom

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn is one woman’s journey to start a new life with her son after they survive the Titanic disaster. Elinor Hayward couldn’t believe her luck when Frederick Coombes, the future heir of the Storton title, wanted her to be his wife. Swept away by the fairy tale, she quickly realizes that the family only wanted her father’s hard earned wealth. Trapped and feeling suffocated by the rigid social rules, she finds herself looking at a long and lonely future. However, when her father presents her with tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic, Elinor sees it as a welcome reprieve. When the ship goes down, Elinor takes the opportunity to change their names and start a new life. Penniless and using another woman’s name, she must learn to survive in the harsh new world of New York City and hope that her secret stays safely hidden. 

The story of Titanic and its disastrous maiden voyage has been a fascination of mine since high school. When the opportunity to read The Lost Passenger came up, I jumped at the chance. By coincidence, I had finished watching the 1997 movie, Titanic, before starting this book, so the disaster was fresh in my mind. Elinor is a young woman who was raised by a widowed father to be independent and resourceful. Filled with the romantic notions from her favorite novels, she is unprepared for the cold and oppressive nature of the English aristocracy. When her trip on the Titanic presents an opportunity for freedom, she truly breathes for the first time. The Lost Passenger is filled with drama as Elinor fights to live a new life, a life on her own terms. It is a story of fighting against adversity and finding hope after a great loss. I highly recommend The Lost Passenger. 

The Lost Passenger is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook