What do you think?
Rate this book
Daughter of the Titanic
Not yet published
Expected 26 Mar 26She was known for what she lost
She lived by the courage she found
"Find Polaris"
When the SS Titanic set sail, Captain Edward John Smith became a legend – and when tragedy struck he was a hero to some, reckless to others. But in the shadow of his infamy stood his daughter, left behind on the shore with nothing but whispers, rumors and the ache of unanswered questions.
For Helen Melville 'Mel' Smith, Titanic was not just a shipwreck but a fracture that split her life in two. In every newspaper clipping, every account of that fateful night, Mel searched for the man she truly knew – the father who told her to find Polaris, the star that never moves.
Spanning the years after the disaster, this is the untold story of the girl history forgot – the daughter who carried the weight of a tragedy the world claimed as its own.
Daughter of the Titanic is a moving reimagining of loss, legacy and the fragile truth between memory and myth.
She lived by the courage she found
"Find Polaris"
When the SS Titanic set sail, Captain Edward John Smith became a legend – and when tragedy struck he was a hero to some, reckless to others. But in the shadow of his infamy stood his daughter, left behind on the shore with nothing but whispers, rumors and the ache of unanswered questions.
For Helen Melville 'Mel' Smith, Titanic was not just a shipwreck but a fracture that split her life in two. In every newspaper clipping, every account of that fateful night, Mel searched for the man she truly knew – the father who told her to find Polaris, the star that never moves.
Spanning the years after the disaster, this is the untold story of the girl history forgot – the daughter who carried the weight of a tragedy the world claimed as its own.
Daughter of the Titanic is a moving reimagining of loss, legacy and the fragile truth between memory and myth.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 26, 2026
3 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Daughter of the Titanic sheds light on Helen Melville Smith and the grief she dealt with after losing her father - Captain Edward John Smith who went down with the Titanic in April 1912.
The story is set in England, and alternates between two timelines 1972 when Dr. Catherine Haynes from the History of Art department at Oxford is researching how women are represented after catastrophe. Thus, she approaches Helen Melville Russell Cooke for an interview.
The story goes back to 1912, sinking of Titanic, when Helen relates her own story. Her feelings are very raw and heartfelt. She keeps waiting for an answer, the truth, as she keeps hearing rumors of her father surviving Titanic and living on a different continent. She misses her father while hearing some villain comments about him; headlines questioning if her father was a hero or reckless soul. It pains her even more not knowing if he truly sank with the ship or not.
Ten years later, she gets married, but it’s more of a mutual agreement marriage. They begin as allies, then for her it shifts to companionship and hope for more, but he has different interests.
She was her father’s daughter. After his death, she didn’t get the love she craved from her mother or her husband. When they’re all gone, something awakens in her. She gets into car racing as for her it represents skills. Throughout her life, she’s been dealing with rumor or history. Car racing is none of those two. It’s driven by pure skill. She separates herself from the past that has been overshadowing her.
When she hears of girls who the papers call “aviatrixes,” she envies their certainty. Flying becomes her new pursuit.
The character development comes the strongest in this moment when she comes out of the shadow.
When a painter, David Rolt, paints her, he sees what she doesn’t see yet that she is whole and doesn’t need anyone’s approval. She is someone who defies the odds and the portrait is to remind her of that.
She is not used to freedom and he forcefully reminds her that she’s not all those things she’s been called. She is simply Melville. It’s a poignant part of the story. As he has his own insecurities, and now, she challenges him as well. Fear is something that blocks his full potential and she is fearless.
Their relationship didn’t develop into marriage. It lasted about 20 years, and then developed into friendship until her death. She was 18 years older. They gave each other the needed support to thrive in their own rights.
The story is related with beautiful prose, and touches upon human emotions. It’s a story of a woman who sought her truth. It’s the people and situations that pushed her to look deep inside her and seek that truth.
It’s a touching story; however, I found the pace uneven.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story is set in England, and alternates between two timelines 1972 when Dr. Catherine Haynes from the History of Art department at Oxford is researching how women are represented after catastrophe. Thus, she approaches Helen Melville Russell Cooke for an interview.
The story goes back to 1912, sinking of Titanic, when Helen relates her own story. Her feelings are very raw and heartfelt. She keeps waiting for an answer, the truth, as she keeps hearing rumors of her father surviving Titanic and living on a different continent. She misses her father while hearing some villain comments about him; headlines questioning if her father was a hero or reckless soul. It pains her even more not knowing if he truly sank with the ship or not.
Ten years later, she gets married, but it’s more of a mutual agreement marriage. They begin as allies, then for her it shifts to companionship and hope for more, but he has different interests.
She was her father’s daughter. After his death, she didn’t get the love she craved from her mother or her husband. When they’re all gone, something awakens in her. She gets into car racing as for her it represents skills. Throughout her life, she’s been dealing with rumor or history. Car racing is none of those two. It’s driven by pure skill. She separates herself from the past that has been overshadowing her.
When she hears of girls who the papers call “aviatrixes,” she envies their certainty. Flying becomes her new pursuit.
The character development comes the strongest in this moment when she comes out of the shadow.
When a painter, David Rolt, paints her, he sees what she doesn’t see yet that she is whole and doesn’t need anyone’s approval. She is someone who defies the odds and the portrait is to remind her of that.
She is not used to freedom and he forcefully reminds her that she’s not all those things she’s been called. She is simply Melville. It’s a poignant part of the story. As he has his own insecurities, and now, she challenges him as well. Fear is something that blocks his full potential and she is fearless.
Their relationship didn’t develop into marriage. It lasted about 20 years, and then developed into friendship until her death. She was 18 years older. They gave each other the needed support to thrive in their own rights.
The story is related with beautiful prose, and touches upon human emotions. It’s a story of a woman who sought her truth. It’s the people and situations that pushed her to look deep inside her and seek that truth.
It’s a touching story; however, I found the pace uneven.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Daughter of the Titanic is a beautifully wrought, quietly powerful novel that lingers long after the final page. Caroline Cauchi takes one of history’s most mythologised tragedies and shifts the lens to someone history barely recorded: Helen Melville “Mel” Smith, the daughter left behind in the shadow of Captain Edward John Smith’s legacy.
What makes this story so compelling is its emotional intimacy. Rather than retelling the sinking itself, Cauchi explores the aftermath—the way a single night fractures a life, reshapes identity, and leaves a young woman searching for truth in the spaces between memory and myth. Mel’s voice feels both vulnerable and resilient as she tries to reconcile the man she knew with the legend the world constructed. Her father’s quiet instruction to “find Polaris” becomes a moving thread throughout the novel, a symbol of steadiness in a world determined to define her by loss.
The historical detail is handled with a light, confident touch, allowing the emotional core to shine. Cauchi captures the weight of public scrutiny, the ache of unanswered questions, and the quiet courage required to reclaim one’s own story. The result is a narrative that feels both intimate and sweeping—rooted in personal grief yet shaped by a tragedy the world claimed as its own.
This is a tender, evocative reimagining of a forgotten life, perfect for readers who love character‑driven historical fiction that explores legacy, identity, and the fragile truths we carry. A moving tribute to the girl history overlooked.
With thanks to Caroline Cauchi, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
What makes this story so compelling is its emotional intimacy. Rather than retelling the sinking itself, Cauchi explores the aftermath—the way a single night fractures a life, reshapes identity, and leaves a young woman searching for truth in the spaces between memory and myth. Mel’s voice feels both vulnerable and resilient as she tries to reconcile the man she knew with the legend the world constructed. Her father’s quiet instruction to “find Polaris” becomes a moving thread throughout the novel, a symbol of steadiness in a world determined to define her by loss.
The historical detail is handled with a light, confident touch, allowing the emotional core to shine. Cauchi captures the weight of public scrutiny, the ache of unanswered questions, and the quiet courage required to reclaim one’s own story. The result is a narrative that feels both intimate and sweeping—rooted in personal grief yet shaped by a tragedy the world claimed as its own.
This is a tender, evocative reimagining of a forgotten life, perfect for readers who love character‑driven historical fiction that explores legacy, identity, and the fragile truths we carry. A moving tribute to the girl history overlooked.
With thanks to Caroline Cauchi, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 ⭐
“A woman can live with many things, but not uncertainty.”
I enjoy learning about lives that history has overlooked. Author Caroline Cauchi highlights a woman whose voice has been denied space, Helen Melville Smith. You will most likely know of her father, Captain Edward John Smith. He went down with the Titanic in April 1912.
The author wants readers to learn about a woman who refused to live life as if her ending was already written. Mel refused to be defined by the disaster and tragedy. Cauchi shows us that Mel chose something brighter and that she “endured grief and still turned towards joy.”
Cauchi takes us on a journey with Mel as she navigates the trauma and road bumps in her path. I was especially interested in the ripple effect of the former Quartermaster’s letter and the lifeline that Mel clung to in a desperate choice to deal with grief.
Although I did not enjoy this novel as much as I’d hoped, I still learned about someone I’d never heard of before and took the opportunity to pivot on how I frame others who grieve. I struggled with focus and continuity because of the additional primary sources and timeline hopping and was a little frustrated with repetition. I love historical fiction as much as I enjoy non-fiction (a lot), but somehow this fusion didn’t quite work for me.
I’ll remember this book for the empathy I felt learning about her headstone - she was remembered only in relation to someone else.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
“A woman can live with many things, but not uncertainty.”
I enjoy learning about lives that history has overlooked. Author Caroline Cauchi highlights a woman whose voice has been denied space, Helen Melville Smith. You will most likely know of her father, Captain Edward John Smith. He went down with the Titanic in April 1912.
The author wants readers to learn about a woman who refused to live life as if her ending was already written. Mel refused to be defined by the disaster and tragedy. Cauchi shows us that Mel chose something brighter and that she “endured grief and still turned towards joy.”
Cauchi takes us on a journey with Mel as she navigates the trauma and road bumps in her path. I was especially interested in the ripple effect of the former Quartermaster’s letter and the lifeline that Mel clung to in a desperate choice to deal with grief.
Although I did not enjoy this novel as much as I’d hoped, I still learned about someone I’d never heard of before and took the opportunity to pivot on how I frame others who grieve. I struggled with focus and continuity because of the additional primary sources and timeline hopping and was a little frustrated with repetition. I love historical fiction as much as I enjoy non-fiction (a lot), but somehow this fusion didn’t quite work for me.
I’ll remember this book for the empathy I felt learning about her headstone - she was remembered only in relation to someone else.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As someone new to Caroline Cauchi's work, I was honored to read Daughter of the Titanic. In this bold and beautifully written story, our herioine is Helen Melville Smith- daughter of the infamous Captain Edward John Smith, Captain of the RMS Titanic. In an eye-opening way, we see how the narrative of how a tragedy shapes the family left in the wake. Survived by his wife, Sarah and beloved daughter, "Mel", who was 14 at the time of the ship sinking. Sarah and Mel are left to live out their years under the 'curse of the Titanic'- and the tabloid press that followed their lives. It's a story born of triumph over tragedy, of courage in the face of fire, and holding fast to your beliefs. There is no prank this April Fool's day, only a beautifully detailed and wonderfully written tale of love. The style of writing is just as lovely as the book itself and you'll find yourself falling headfirst into Mel's world with her. 5 stars- no notes.
I can't thank HarperCollinsUK enough for giving me the chance to read this ARC on NetGalley and provide an honest review.
#HarperCollinsUK #CarolineCauchi #libraryninja📚
Caroline Cauchi
I can't thank HarperCollinsUK enough for giving me the chance to read this ARC on NetGalley and provide an honest review.
#HarperCollinsUK #CarolineCauchi #libraryninja📚
Caroline Cauchi
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is not a Titanic novel about the ship.
It’s about what comes after—when the world moves on, but grief doesn’t.
Daughter of the Titanic tells the story of Helen “Mel” Smith, Captain Edward John Smith’s daughter, and the quiet devastation of growing up in the shadow of a tragedy the world thinks it understands. I found this approach refreshing and deeply affecting. Instead of rehashing the disaster, the novel examines how loss, rumor, and public myth reshape a private life.
Mel’s search for her father—the man behind the headlines—is handled with sensitivity and restraint. The writing is gentle, emotional, and thoughtful, allowing the weight of unanswered questions to linger. The theme of Polaris as a guiding star is beautifully woven throughout, symbolizing steadiness in a world that has spun out of control.
This book won’t appeal to readers looking for action or dramatic retellings of the sinking, but if you enjoy historical fiction that explores memory, legacy, and the human cost of public tragedy, this is a compelling and heartfelt read.
A poignant reminder that history’s footnotes often hold the most emotional truth.
It’s about what comes after—when the world moves on, but grief doesn’t.
Daughter of the Titanic tells the story of Helen “Mel” Smith, Captain Edward John Smith’s daughter, and the quiet devastation of growing up in the shadow of a tragedy the world thinks it understands. I found this approach refreshing and deeply affecting. Instead of rehashing the disaster, the novel examines how loss, rumor, and public myth reshape a private life.
Mel’s search for her father—the man behind the headlines—is handled with sensitivity and restraint. The writing is gentle, emotional, and thoughtful, allowing the weight of unanswered questions to linger. The theme of Polaris as a guiding star is beautifully woven throughout, symbolizing steadiness in a world that has spun out of control.
This book won’t appeal to readers looking for action or dramatic retellings of the sinking, but if you enjoy historical fiction that explores memory, legacy, and the human cost of public tragedy, this is a compelling and heartfelt read.
A poignant reminder that history’s footnotes often hold the most emotional truth.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Grief changes. Doesn't go away, but it shifts. Becomes something you carry instead of something that carries you.
Have you ever wanted to reach into a book and hug a character... hold their hand, ease their pain, just sit with them. Maybe I'm too much of an empathy or too emotional but I felt her pain, loss, loneliness and sorrow hidden under an upper chin, straight back and stone emotionless face. She was so strong, unapologetic, fearless but vulnerable she hid from even those close to her.
The writing is beautiful. I highlighted so phrases that made me stop and just feel the weight of them.
Thank you NetGalley, One More Chapter (a divison of Harper Collins Publishers) and Caroline Cauchi for the ARC
Have you ever wanted to reach into a book and hug a character... hold their hand, ease their pain, just sit with them. Maybe I'm too much of an empathy or too emotional but I felt her pain, loss, loneliness and sorrow hidden under an upper chin, straight back and stone emotionless face. She was so strong, unapologetic, fearless but vulnerable she hid from even those close to her.
The writing is beautiful. I highlighted so phrases that made me stop and just feel the weight of them.
Thank you NetGalley, One More Chapter (a divison of Harper Collins Publishers) and Caroline Cauchi for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I have always been fascinated by Titanic and the movie was a favorite of mine for many years. So, when I saw this book I instantly wanted to read it. I wanted to know more about the family Captain Edward John Smith. It is a quiet and deeply moving, emotional book told from the family's perspective. The book explores Captain Smith's daughter's grief while she finds out about her father's legacy and identity while she searches the truth of who her father really was. The pacing of the book is slow and emotional but very repetitive with the timelines going back and forth and bumpy. But, overall it's a very beautiful and emotional read. Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollinsUK for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a beautiful read about a woman whose life was shaped by a tragedy that we all know of. The name Captain Smith has been repeated through history as a saint and a villain in equal measure but I think we often forgot the pain of those left behind. When Captain Smith went down with his ship he left behind a wife and daughter living with their grief in different ways. As the cursed child of the Titanic Melville Smiths story is told. Was she cursed by the Titanic or was this a woman who lived life in full technicolour no matter what was thrown at her. This is a beautiful tale of a lady who could not be silenced and would not be defined by history. A beautiful if not heartbreaking read!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Daughter of the Titanic is based on the real life daughter of the Titanic's Captain. It is an interesting novel, but I felt that it was a bit too repetitive in some instances. Too many engines ticking as they cool, too many fires reducing to ash. But the author has written an interesting life for the grieving daughter who refused to wear the Unlucky label foisted on her by the press. I did enjoy reading it although the repetitons already mentioned did start to intefere with that. I am grateful for the e-ARC to read and review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I just finished reading Daughter of the Titanic and I am in bits! See my earlier post for the You absolutely need to pre-order this book! It's so poignant, beautiful, sad, hopeful, inspiring... It perfectly expresses how I feel about the losses and grief I carry. "Widows, daughters, mothers - we were symbols long before we were people. If we remarried, we were heartless. If we struggled, we were haunted. If we coped, we were miracles."
7 out of 5 ⭐️ One of the most beautiful books I have ever read.
7 out of 5 ⭐️ One of the most beautiful books I have ever read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews