BookBrowse Reviews The Latecomers by Helen Klein Ross

BookBrowse:

A multi-generational saga examining how the bonds between family are impacted by love, tragedy, and loss.

The Latecomers is the third novel written by acclaimed author Helen Klein Ross, following What Was Mine (2016). The novel opens from the perspective of Emma, a teenager living in 2001 New York City receiving news that her father has been possibly killed in the attacks of 9/11. We then jump back in time nearly 100 years to 1908 and are introduced to Bridey, an Irish teenager preparing to secretly immigrate to the United States with her sweetheart, Thom. Not long after boarding the ship, Thom catches a fever and dies, leaving Bridey alone, uncertain, and pregnant in New York City. Left with no options but to give up her child, Bridey leaves him in the care of an orphanage, certain that their paths will never cross again. However, upon taking up a position in the wealthy Hollingworth manor, she finds that this may not be the case.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of The Latecomers is how much meticulous care Ross put into her research. The novel spans more than a century and includes character perspectives from nearly every decade between 1900 and 2018. Ross carefully includes references to real events from each of these time periods, and how these events might have impacted her characters. These range from larger historical issues such as discussing how World War I impacted those left on the home-front in America to smaller tragedies such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Similarly, she cleverly includes the use of slang from each time period; in one scene, Sarah Hollingworth, a wealthy member of East Coast society, refers to herself as not wanting to be a "Paul Pry" (or a nosy person). Despite its broad scope, the novel possesses a distinct and detailed sense of each time period.

It is a testament to Ross's writing skill that her finely-drawn characters feel equally as real as the eras into which she weaves them. Bridey, in particular, feels genuine, and the initial internal conflict between her Catholic faith and her love for Thom immediately endears her to the reader. Likewise, the relationship Ross develops between Bridey and Sarah is enthralling in its complexity. Sarah befriends Bridey upon meeting her at a home for unmarried mothers. Though the relationship is initially based upon Sarah's pity for Bridey, and her belief that she is in a position of superiority, the power dynamics between them begin to shift once Bridey becomes employed in the Hollingworth house. As Bridey is placed in a competitive position to Sarah, it becomes clear that their friendship can only survive as long as Sarah is in control.

The only area in which the story falls short is in its pacing. Though it is ostensibly a multi-generational saga, that label implies that a roughly equal amount of page time is to be shared by each generation. In actuality, the perspectives of Bridey, Sarah, and Vincent (Bridey's son) take up around seventy-five percent of the novel's length; once their respective stories are finished, the chapters following Ruth (Vincent's daughter) and Emma feel out of place given how long we have spent invested in the previous set of characters. However, it is a testament to Ross's writing skill that the characterization of both Emma and Ruth remains excellent; despite their shorter sections, both women feel fully fleshed out and their motivations are clear.

The Latecomers is an excellent blend of equal parts historical fiction and family drama, with just a hint of a mystery thrown in. It is a brilliant examination of friendship, family, and the ties that bind us together.

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in January 2019, and has been updated for the September 2019 edition. Click here to go to this issue.