The Latecomers

Author: Helen Klein Ross
Genre: Historical Fiction / Family Saga
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company, 2018
Pages: 432
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: In 1908, sixteen-year-old Bridey runs away from her small town in Ireland with her same-age sweetheart, Thom. But when Thom dies suddenly of ship fever on their ocean crossing, Bridey finds herself alone and pregnant in a strange new world.

Forced by circumstance to give up the baby for adoption, Bridey finds work as a maid for the Hollingworth family at a lavish, sprawling estate. It's the dawn of a new century: innovative technologies are emerging, women's roles are changing, and Bridey is emboldened by the promise of a fresh start. She cares for the Hollingworth children as if they were her own, until a mysterious death changes Bridey and the household forever. For decades, the terrible secrets of Bridey's past continue to haunt the family. And in the present day, the youngest Hollingworth makes a connection that finally brings these dark ghost stories into light.

Told in interweaving timelines and rich with detailed history, romance and dark secrets, Helen Klein Ross' The Latecomers spans a century of America life and reminds us all that we can never truly leave the past behind.

Review: I'm a sucker for family sagas, and I loved this one. I thought I was over alternating chapters in time or of characters, but this novel was so well done. I'm so glad I gave it a chance. This is my third five-star read of the month. I think I had that many in all of 2018.

I have two criticisms. 

There was no family tree in the version I read. It would have been helpful, particularly at the end of the novel when grandchildren were having children. Minor detail, it's easy enough to sketch out a tree yourself.

I don't understand the cover. While pretty, it's not reflective of the novel. I'm no artist, and not even that creative, but even I can think of better ideas.

Fortunately, neither of these details affect the story itself. Read it!