The Last Train Home
Historical Drama, Lesbian Romance, Published by Intaglio Press in 2005, ISBN: $17.99, 287 pages
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Story Summary
Author Commentary
Reader Reviews
The Last Train Home, an endearing and often heart-wrenching story set in the late nineteenth century, will keep you on the edge of your seat. One cold winter’s night in Manhattan's Lower East side, tragedy strikes the Chisholm family. Thrown together by fate and disaster, Virginia “Ginny” Chisholm meets Lindsay Killian, a street-smart drifter who spends her days picking pockets and riding the rails.
Together, the young women embark on a desperate journey that spans from the slums of New York City to the Western Frontier, as Ginny tries to reunite her family, regardless of the cost. In this dramatic saga a solid friendship is forged, one strong enough to endure the trials of an impoverished existence in 1890s America and a quest from which neither woman will back down. It's those same bonds that form the basis of a tender, and very unexpected, romance.
Author Commentary:
Of my solo works, this is my favorite. Historical pieces with all their research are wonderful accomplishments when they’re finished, but pains in the butt to create. I think, though, that the time spent paid off in this story. I did my best to keep convey a true flavor of the time, eliminate anachronisms, and still keep the darned thing as readable as possible. The slang, sayings, and language used by the characters in the novel is as accurate as I could make it, while stilling giving a small nod to readability. I was surprised to learn that the English language hadn't changed all that much in one hundred years, with many commonly used slang phrases easily pre-dating the 1890s.
In The Last Train Home, I tried to stretch myself and embrace a very descriptive, almost visual style of writing. Once again, I intentionally focused on an area of fiction that I personally find very difficult to write —namely, action scenes. The goal was to start strong and maintain a steady pace throughout and never to let the readers forget they were witnessing life and love in another, and often harsh century. The action begins at once and the reader is dragged well into the story before getting a breather.
Over time, my readers have tended to react most positively to my stories that incorporate a healthy dose of humor. And while Last Train should leave you smiling or laughing in many places, you might shed a tear or two as well. Ultimately, it's a story of determination, hope, and two young women’s faith in each other and themselves.
This story has had two different covers. The first cover featured an authentic color photograph from Mulberry Street during the same era that the book is set. When I found the photo it was like striking gold. It’s vibrant and crowded and gave the reader a wonderful sense of period. The second cover is very different. It’s more foreboding, bold, and direct. I love that it catches the eye and that it draws the reader in. The current cover was created by Sheri.
The Last Train Home by Blayne Cooper is a hell of a read.
Oh, wait. You wanted more?
Ginny Chisholm, a good girl from Manhattan's Lower East Side, survives a tragic tenement fire. Her family is dead or splintered and she recovers from her injuries only to find the remaining children missing. They've been swallowed up by the social services of 1890 New York.
She meets Lindsay Killan, a rail rider and drifter, and the two join forces to find Ginny's younger siblings. The trail points them to the then popular Orphan Trains.
Blayne has done a wonderful job of making this time period come to life for me without the added baggage of pendantc phrasing and too MUCH attention to detail. I found myself eagerly turning the pages to discover what would happen to the intrepid pair - laughing out loud at some of their more humorous pitfalls, and swearing just as loudly over the obstacles they're forced to overcome. The Last Train Home is not only entertaining but poignant as it reveals the realities of American existence in the late nineteenth century.
Pick up this book! Now!
-reader review, D Jordan Redhawk author Tiopa Ki Lakota, Warlord Metal, Castle Walls