The Latecomers
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The Latecomers is a novel that follows five generations of a Connecticut blueblood family and how they are changed forever by the Irish immigrant girl they hire as a housemaid in 1909. The story unfolds from a mysterious death and includes love, betrayals, old money, motherhood and 117 years of meticulously researched American history.
In 1908, sixteen-year-old Bridey runs away from a small town in Ireland with her intended 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 for the Hollingworth family at a lavish, sprawling estate in Connecticut. 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 secrets of Bridey’s past haunt the family until the youngest Hollingworth inadvertantly brings a long-buried truth to light.
Part mystery, part social history, part tale of love and unconventional motherhood, The Latecomers is a whirl of unforgettable characters and unfoldings that remind us we can never truly leave the past behind.
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What Reviewers Say
The novel is a stellar example of how deep, carefully woven research can re-create the world of yesteryear. It explores, with great wisdom, the heartfelt reasons why people choose to keep secrets.
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
Ross (What Was Mine, 2016) employs shifting time and perspectives to spin a tale that spans more than 100 years…Meticulous tracking of conventions, domestic conveniences, and more will please readers who like to be immersed in a different time.
As she did in What Was Mine, Ross explores themes of motherhood and family origins in this multigenerational saga…This is a satisfying blend of historical and familial drama.
The destiny and descendants of a pregnant Irish girl enmesh with those of a blueblood New England family, 1908-2018…Fans of historical fiction will find much to enjoy—a reprise of the well-loved immigrant narrative and a meticulous depiction of early-20th-century life.
What Authors Say
“A triumph of storytelling, The Latecomers is a brilliantly researched and masterly told chronicle of the decades and generations in one immigrant’s journey-and the deeply guarded alliances and secrets kept along the way. Ross has written a novel brimming with historical resonance, a riveting read infused with subtle wit and great intelligence.”―Kate Walbert, author of His Favorites and A Short History of Women
“Skillfully constructed and rich in detail, Helen Klein Ross’s THE LATECOMERS showcases a gallery of vivid characters-Bridey is a particularly sympathetic heroine-and covers a significant span of Irish-American history, unfolding brilliantly from the story of an adoption.”―Mary Norris, author of Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen
“A pair of devastating secrets twists and turns through this riveting, multigenerational novel of a wealthy east coast family and the Irish maid who served them. The Latecomers is about money, identity, and desire-but above all, it’s about the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they love.”―Dawn Raffel, author of The Strange Case of Dr. Couney
“A born story-teller, a brilliant writer, a century of American history, and an old house that has witnessed secrets, betrayals, love and death, read the first page and I dare you to stop. With The Latecomers, Helen Klein Ross has outdone herself.”―Abigail Thomas, author of A Three Dog Life and What Comes Next and How to Like It
“For me, the best kind of historical fiction so expertly immerses you in the story and characters that you don’t realize that you’re receiving an education in the time and place. Helen Klein Ross does just this in The Latecomers. Her eye for accurate, interesting detail pertaining to the lives of women both upstairs and down in early twentieth century New York City and Connecticut, and her ear for the nuances of human behavior make for an engrossingly rich, unforgettable read. The breadth of her research in this novel astonishes me. I couldn’t put it down.”―Lynn Cullen, author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s End
What Readers Say
I have to say that I couldn’t wait to read this book based on the description and it did not disappoint! It was everything I thought it would be and more: a wonderful story that grabbed me right from the start, characters that I grew to love ( especially Bridey), and a real sense of time and place with period details. I loved every minute of it and didn’t want it to end, yet the end was perfect. I just wish I had someone to discuss it with! This would make a terrific book club book and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
I read an advanced copy of this book from Book of the Month. I love historical fiction, especially when it’s told through different viewpoints and jumps around in time. It’s like putting together a puzzle- I can’t get through it fast enough! Yet I wanted to savor it as well (and I also had to take breaks to read up on the real-life events that were sprinkled in). I laughed and I cried. Loved it!
THE LATECOMERS is certainly one of the best novels of recent vintage. I was so engrossed from the moment I met Bridey Molloy that I was unable to leave the book for a moment.
Ross manages to combine the family history of Bridey and her son with that of the wealthy Hollingworths, while incorporating the history of the 20th century. It is never boring since the skillful weaving of the stories of the characters, caught in the swirl of the times, kept me turning pages.
Helen Klein Ross’s book is written in different voices at different time periods. Her family history involves such times as September 11, 2001, as well as 1895 til 1930. Ross proves a master at NOT making the voice and time changes confusing for the reader. She keeps everything straight. She conveniently puts a family tree in the front of the book, to help the reader along with any questions of parenthood they may have.
I really enjoyed this novel. Although it begins with a missing loved one on September 11, 2001, this is a bit of a fake out, as the reader soon realizes that this is a novel that spends most of its time in the past. We begin with Bridey in 1927 witnessing the passing of another generation, and then in 1908, as Bridey immigrates to the United States from Ireland. The loss of her fiance leaves her to bear their child alone. Her life soon intersects with Sarah Hollingsworth, a reform-minded daughter of privilege, and she becomes one of the family’s maids. Although the story is told from several viewpoints, the story never feels choppy or hard to follow, and the author does an absolutely masterful job at integrating historical events and the details of everyday life so that I felt more like I was an interested fly on the wall rather than a student at a history lecture. The characters are complex and vibrant, and there were enough twists and family secrets to keep me reading happily into the night. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I’m not generally a fan of multigenerational family sagas, but I really enjoyed this book. It spans more than a century, from 1908 to 2018, as seen through the eyes of a wealthy Connecticut family and those in their orbit.
Instead of being told in a linear fashion, The Latecomers consists of chapters going back and forth in time and between characters. In the hands of a less skilled author, this would be confusing, but I didn’t have trouble following the story. It’s a moving, sometimes sad tale about the secrets we keep from one another, and how they impact us. Written in a straightforward but insightful style.
For Reading Groups
The accompanying The Latecomers discussion guide is designed to facilitate your book group meeting by providing a general introduction to the book, a wide range of discussion questions, and ways to make your meeting even better. Download it here.
A list of books and periodicals that informed research for The Latecomers can be found here.
If your book club chooses to read The Latecomers, forward a photo of your group with the book to @helenkleinross on Instagram or to @byhelenkleinross on Facebook or via email to helenkleinross@gmail.com and your pic will be posted, with gratitude.
Q & A With Helen Klein Ross
Most of The Latecomers is set in the 1853 house in Connecticut that my husband and I bought and renovated in 2012. (Details of that adventure can be found at www.bringingbackholleywood.com.) The house is real, but the story is fiction. It does, however, incorporate details of things that happened. characters do live through historic occurrences: both World Wars, the Shirtwaist Factory Fire, Suffrage, Prohibition, the Kennedy Assassination and 9/11. While the story isn’t fact, I hope it rings true for readers who believe, as I do, that fiction is the best conduit for our deepest truths.
Writing this novel was more like piecing together a quilt than lining up dominoes. Meaning that the story is less about what happens than about why. That why has to do with who the characters are. Telling the story of characters requires narrative that isn’t always linear. Introducing characters is rather like introducing yourself on a first date. In telling your own story, you rarely narrate in purely linear fashion. You go back and forth in time, choosing what is most relevant to portraying your character. To keep readers grounded in non-linear time, I headed each chapter with date and location.
In this novel, “the latecomers” has multiple meanings which include:
–immigrants like Bridey who are newcomers to our country
–newcomers to suffrage, an issue Sarah fights for
–women who become mothers later in life, as does Sarah at age 27 which in 1914 is considered advanced age for motherhood.
–people who marry late, as does Nettie at age 27 in 1915, and Vincent at age 43 in 1952.
–reference to Sarah’s being unable to return from abroad in 1927 until after her father is buried.
–the discovery of family secrets generations after their occurrence, which diminishes their impact
I began by talking to our town’s historian who provided a wealth of historical facts and primary resources like notes and diaries kept by people who lived in our town during the early part of the Twentieth Century. I burrowed into the basement of our town’s library, going through stacks of old newspapers and reels of old microfilm which has since been digitized here. I made many visits to Hartford, to the Connecticut Historical Society, to consult the wealth of materials available to researchers. For New York City history, I applied for a stint in New York Public Library’s Frederick Lewis Allen Room where I could request maps and drawings and compendiums that came to me on a cart. Other sites of research that proved useful are listed in the back of the book. Just as valuable for gathering details of everyday life in other eras, was conversation with people whose parents or grandparents had “been there.”
Historical Notes
Radioactive Cosmetics, chapter 48
As soon as radium was discovered in 1898, manufacturers sought commercial uses for it. Believing that radium vitalized all living tissue, they sold it as an ingredient in cosmetics. Several companies in England and France developed popular lines that included radium-fortied cream, rouge, compact powders, hair tonics, soaps, and rejuvenating pads that could be strapped to the face. The products didn’t catch on in the United States, not because consumers worried about the danger of radiation, but because they were skeptical that an ingredient as costly as radium would be added in enough quantity to effect change. This ad for a day cream ran in 1932.
Silent Policeman, chapter 43
In the early part of the twentieth century, when more and more cars were taking to the roads, towns that couldn’t afford to dedicate a policeman to direct traffic during “rush hours” erected wooden signs at intersections instead. The practice was discontinued after drivers complained that it caused more accidents than it prevented.
Macfadden, Bernarr chapter 40
Predecessor of Charles Atlas and Jack LaLanne, MacFadden was a prolific author and publisher and a proponent of unorthodox ideas on how to increase the strength and health of young men. He founded Physical Culture magazine in 1899 and edited it until 1912, and he established “healthatoriums” throughout the East and Midwest.
Nevo, chapters 16, 24
An early cooling device for the home, this “cold air stove” was the precursor to the air conditioner. The Nevo (oven spelled backward) weighed two hundred pounds and cost the equivalent of eleven thousand dollars today. It didn’t catch on.
Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary for the Protection of Irish Immigrant Girls, chapters 5, 7, 11
In 1883, a priest whose parents had emigrated from Cork founded a Catholic boardinghouse to provide temporary housing and employment to arriving immigrant girls. He hired Mrs. Boyle to be its first matron. Women of all nationalities were welcomed. The shelter was located at 7 State Street in Lower Manhattan, and during its first twenty-five years, the mission served over 100,000 of the 307,823 Irish girls who arrived in the Port of New York.
Time Mapping The Latecomers
This is a timeline map that highlights sites of importance in The Latecomers. Characters live through events of the past one hundred years, including the Shirtwaist Factory Fire, World War I and II, Prohibition, the Depression, and events of 9-11-01. Use this map to track where some scenes take place and see how those places have changed over the course of a century. Clicking on the pinpoints provides additional insight into the characters and a few passages that didn’t make it into the final book.
Click on the red numbered pins for historical details.
1. Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary for the Protection of Irish Immigrant Girls
In 1883, a priest whose parents had emigrated from Cork founded a Catholic boardinghouse to provide temporary housing and employment to arriving immigrant girls. He hired Mrs. Boyle to be its first matron. The shelter was located at 7 State Street in Lower Manhattan, and during its first 25 years, the mission served over 100,000 of the 307,823 Irish girls who arrived in the Port of New York. This is where Bridey spends her first few months in America.
2. Greene Street
Bridey works as a finisher at a garment factory located on the corner of Greene Street and Washington. This neighborhood was the site for many industrial factories in early 20th century. When manufacturing began to leave New York in the mid-century, loft buildings were taken over by artists seeking light and space to work. Eventually, the lofts became luxury co-ops. In the 1980s, Vincent’s daughter Ruth and her husband Jack buy an apartment on Greene Street and Houston, where Emma is raised.
3. B. Altman’s
In 1908, Bridey’s friend Mary takes her on a trolley-car ride to visit B. Altman’s, the first department store to move uptown from Ladies Mile. Today, the neo-Renaissance palazzo building is a designated landmark occupied by City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, but from the outside, its original grand pillars and gilt-framed glass doors make it look like the retail palace it once was.
4. Ladies Mile
From the 1880s until World War 1, this was the most fashionable shopping district in New York. It extended a few blocks east and west of Fifth Avenue, from 15th Street to 24th Street and brought women of wealth to famous department stores, upscale restaurants, booksellers and piano showrooms. The district was so named because women felt safe shopping there without male escorts. When Mary takes Bridey shopping there in 1908, Bridey is surprised to see snakes and birds for sale, creatures which could be gotten for free in Kilconly. Now it is the Flatiron District, home to big box stores like Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond.
5. Sheep Meadow
Sheep grazed on Central Park’s Sheep Meadow from the 1860s until 1934. The animals weren’t there just to be scenic—they kept the grass trimmed and the lawn fertilized. Bridey sees them from a window of Mr. Hopper’s carriage as he drives her uptown to see Adelaide. He mentions that his cousin is one of the shepherds who works there.
6. The Five Points Neighborhood
The neighborhood where Vincent lived on Mott Street with the McNultys was notorious at the turn of the last century for crowded living conditions and crime. Today, it’s Nolita, one of the most fashionable parts of Manhattan, where apartments in former tenement buildings go for millions of dollars. It is also the site of the Tenement Museum which Emma visits in 2002.
7. New York Public Library
This marble Beaux-Arts design was built between 1902 and 1910 on the site of what had been the Croton Reservoir, once a popular strolling place that occupied the two-block section of Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. In 1911, Benno is on his way to the new library to research an article for the first issue of the Yale Review, when he encounters Madame Brassard on the avenue. Today, the “lions library” is the flagship of NYPL’s 92 locations throughout the city.
8. Grand Central Terminal
The first Grand Central Terminal, pictured, was built in 1871 by Cornelius Vanderbilt, glass-arched and airy. But after steam locomotives were banned due to a catastrophic train collision in 1902, it was demolished to make way for electric trains. The new Grand Central opened on February 2, 1913. More than 150,000 people came through the station that day to celebrate its magnificent Beaux Arts design, its massive marble staircase, 75-foot window arches and concave ceiling twinkling like the winter heavens at night, signs of the Zodiac from Aquarius to Pegasus in 2500 gold leaf stars.
