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The Titanic Story of Evelyn
The never-before-told true story of a brave young nurse who was the only Australian survivor of the sinking of the Titanic.
Evelyn Marsden was a young girl with big dreams. Born in the dusty backblocks of South Australia, she was an accomplished horsewoman and a champion rower who, during family holidays by the Murray River, would challenge herself by rowing against the tide.
But Evelyn wanted more than was expected for women of her time. Training in Adelaide as a nurse was her first step in expanding her horizons, but then an opportunity to travel as a stewardess on ocean liners came along, and she grabbed it. Europe, Jamaica, Africa, the Mediterranean, New York ... Evelyn immersed herself in it all, seeing wonders she'd only ever read about. And then, in her late twenties, she met a handsome ship's doctor, Dr William James. They fell in love, became engaged soon afterwards, and felt blessed a short time later when they were both promised positions on RMS Titanic's maiden voyage. However, scheduling complications meant Evelyn, alongside 2240 passengers and crew, boarded the world's largest and most luxurious ship alone.
Then, just before midnight on 14 April 1912, the supposedly 'unsinkable' Titanic struck an iceberg and, as panic took hold, the best and worst of humanity revealed itself. Evelyn calmly helped distressed passengers until she was finally ordered into a lifeboat, where she took the oars and helped row against the pull of the sinking ship. While saving herself and others, she was also desperately hoping she would find a way back to her beloved William.
Through exhaustive research and evocative storytelling, Lisa Wilkinson reveals the drama onboard the Titanic, the tyranny of human errors that sealed the ship's fate, and Evelyn Marsden's own extraordinary story. It's a tale that will ensure readers fall in love with this heroic young Australian woman.
'Deeply researched . . . Wilkinson is particularly adept at putting the reader on the spot, especially in the often surreal mayhem of the evacuation . . . Thoroughly engaging' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
'Immersive . . . The thoroughly researched story puts you right on the Titanic, in the first-class staterooms alongside the celebrities and powerbrokers of the day and in the lifeboats, a witness to the ship's final hour' COURIER-MAIL
'Wilkinson's turn of phrase is buoyant [and it] is quite the service she's done, putting Evelyn back into our history . . . I was so moved' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
'Evocative' WHO WEEKLY
Evelyn Marsden was a young girl with big dreams. Born in the dusty backblocks of South Australia, she was an accomplished horsewoman and a champion rower who, during family holidays by the Murray River, would challenge herself by rowing against the tide.
But Evelyn wanted more than was expected for women of her time. Training in Adelaide as a nurse was her first step in expanding her horizons, but then an opportunity to travel as a stewardess on ocean liners came along, and she grabbed it. Europe, Jamaica, Africa, the Mediterranean, New York ... Evelyn immersed herself in it all, seeing wonders she'd only ever read about. And then, in her late twenties, she met a handsome ship's doctor, Dr William James. They fell in love, became engaged soon afterwards, and felt blessed a short time later when they were both promised positions on RMS Titanic's maiden voyage. However, scheduling complications meant Evelyn, alongside 2240 passengers and crew, boarded the world's largest and most luxurious ship alone.
Then, just before midnight on 14 April 1912, the supposedly 'unsinkable' Titanic struck an iceberg and, as panic took hold, the best and worst of humanity revealed itself. Evelyn calmly helped distressed passengers until she was finally ordered into a lifeboat, where she took the oars and helped row against the pull of the sinking ship. While saving herself and others, she was also desperately hoping she would find a way back to her beloved William.
Through exhaustive research and evocative storytelling, Lisa Wilkinson reveals the drama onboard the Titanic, the tyranny of human errors that sealed the ship's fate, and Evelyn Marsden's own extraordinary story. It's a tale that will ensure readers fall in love with this heroic young Australian woman.
'Deeply researched . . . Wilkinson is particularly adept at putting the reader on the spot, especially in the often surreal mayhem of the evacuation . . . Thoroughly engaging' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
'Immersive . . . The thoroughly researched story puts you right on the Titanic, in the first-class staterooms alongside the celebrities and powerbrokers of the day and in the lifeboats, a witness to the ship's final hour' COURIER-MAIL
'Wilkinson's turn of phrase is buoyant [and it] is quite the service she's done, putting Evelyn back into our history . . . I was so moved' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
'Evocative' WHO WEEKLY
615 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
April 10, 2026
As a Titanic nerd from a very young age, I have read tons of books about Titanic, and even stayed at the Titanic Hotel in Belfast in the converted building where the mighty ship was designed and built. But this immersive book delivered information even I had never heard.
It tells the story of Titanic fromy the perspective of Evelyn Marsden, a South Australian nurse who becomes one of six Aussies on board the ill-fated ship as a first class stewardess and the only one to survive the tragedy. The thoroughly-researched story puts you right on the Titanic, in the first class staterooms alongside the celebrities and power brokers of the day and in the lifeboats, a witness to the ship’s final hours - which ironically sank 114 years ago today!
It also tells the story, specifically, of the amazing women on board that we so rarely hear about, like suffragettes Helen Candee and Elsie Bowerman, who ended up in the same lifeboat as the “Unsinkable Molly Brown” and fought with the so-called man in charge to return and pluck desperate people out of the freezing North Atlantic after the ship sank. Or the many, many ordinary women who made brave decisions under extraordinary circumstances that night.
But ultimately, this is the story of Evelyn, a remarkable Aussie whose name we should know, and the untold love story between her and William James.
It tells the story of Titanic fromy the perspective of Evelyn Marsden, a South Australian nurse who becomes one of six Aussies on board the ill-fated ship as a first class stewardess and the only one to survive the tragedy. The thoroughly-researched story puts you right on the Titanic, in the first class staterooms alongside the celebrities and power brokers of the day and in the lifeboats, a witness to the ship’s final hours - which ironically sank 114 years ago today!
It also tells the story, specifically, of the amazing women on board that we so rarely hear about, like suffragettes Helen Candee and Elsie Bowerman, who ended up in the same lifeboat as the “Unsinkable Molly Brown” and fought with the so-called man in charge to return and pluck desperate people out of the freezing North Atlantic after the ship sank. Or the many, many ordinary women who made brave decisions under extraordinary circumstances that night.
But ultimately, this is the story of Evelyn, a remarkable Aussie whose name we should know, and the untold love story between her and William James.
April 21, 2026
How can I rate it anything other than 5/5!
I’ve always been so fascinated by the devastating tragedy that was the Titanic and every single person that was onboard that I knew I had to start reading this book on the anniversary of her sinking. “April 15, 1912” is a date that forever lives rent free in my head as a piece of knowledge I do not need but can never forget. This book was so beautifully put together. Even with all my research over the past couple of decades fueled only by curiosity, I’d never known about the Australian woman onboard, Evelyn. I love that there were so many strong women onboard who fought before, during and after, for women’s rights.
Highly recommend this to anyone who has always been interested in the tragedy that’s still so well-known even 114 years later!
I’ve always been so fascinated by the devastating tragedy that was the Titanic and every single person that was onboard that I knew I had to start reading this book on the anniversary of her sinking. “April 15, 1912” is a date that forever lives rent free in my head as a piece of knowledge I do not need but can never forget. This book was so beautifully put together. Even with all my research over the past couple of decades fueled only by curiosity, I’d never known about the Australian woman onboard, Evelyn. I love that there were so many strong women onboard who fought before, during and after, for women’s rights.
Highly recommend this to anyone who has always been interested in the tragedy that’s still so well-known even 114 years later!
April 25, 2026
I was hoping to read and enjoy this book, however I found it difficult to continue due to the tone of the writing, which at times came across as strongly biased against men. The author’s introduction, including a statement implying men were responsible for sinking the Titanic, set a very particular tone that I personally found off-putting. This feeling continued in the way Evelyn’s thoughts about men were presented.
Additionally, some of the claims made about Evelyn’s perspective did not feel well-supported by clear historical evidence or sourcing in the footnotes provided. Because of this, I was unable to finish the book, as I prefer nonfiction that maintains a clearer separation between fact and interpretation.
Additionally, some of the claims made about Evelyn’s perspective did not feel well-supported by clear historical evidence or sourcing in the footnotes provided. Because of this, I was unable to finish the book, as I prefer nonfiction that maintains a clearer separation between fact and interpretation.
May 21, 2026
Not a bad story but treat it as just a story, riddled with historical inaccuracies and often repeated but disproven myths about Titanic. The author was clearly more concerned with telling a good story than the truth, but given the author is a journalist that’s not surprising.
May 10, 2026
The RMS Titanic, a British luxurious passenger liner was branded the newest and largest ship, the wealthy were intrigued and people said it was unsinkable.
But in the early hours of April 15th 1912, it hit an iceberg and hours later it sunk.
An estimated 1500 onboard died but have you ever wondered, of the total people how many were Australian.
A woman from South Australia, nurse Evelyn Marseden was one of six Aussies onboard.
A first class stewardess and the only one to survive.
This is her story.
There’s also many others stories from all aspects of the ship, woven through the tale.
Evelyn had big dreams to take on the world.
From her early days as a horsewoman, growing up near the Murray river and wanting more from life, Evelyn was interested in the medical field.
Becoming a nurse and wanting to travel, she was offered work on ships.
In her 20s Evelyn met a ships doctor Dr William James and the two fell in love and planned to marry.
They both were supposed to board the Titanic for jobs but at the last minute William was scheduled on another ship.
It set out on its maiden voyage and days later, the unexpected happened.
There is many true stories and most of all this is Evelyn’s truth.
Lisa has meticulously researched and extensively written a true account of the best of her abilities and storytelling.
I found this read fascinating, emotional, touching, inspiring, heartfelt, beautiful and very important.
But in the early hours of April 15th 1912, it hit an iceberg and hours later it sunk.
An estimated 1500 onboard died but have you ever wondered, of the total people how many were Australian.
A woman from South Australia, nurse Evelyn Marseden was one of six Aussies onboard.
A first class stewardess and the only one to survive.
This is her story.
There’s also many others stories from all aspects of the ship, woven through the tale.
Evelyn had big dreams to take on the world.
From her early days as a horsewoman, growing up near the Murray river and wanting more from life, Evelyn was interested in the medical field.
Becoming a nurse and wanting to travel, she was offered work on ships.
In her 20s Evelyn met a ships doctor Dr William James and the two fell in love and planned to marry.
They both were supposed to board the Titanic for jobs but at the last minute William was scheduled on another ship.
It set out on its maiden voyage and days later, the unexpected happened.
There is many true stories and most of all this is Evelyn’s truth.
Lisa has meticulously researched and extensively written a true account of the best of her abilities and storytelling.
I found this read fascinating, emotional, touching, inspiring, heartfelt, beautiful and very important.
September 15, 2026
Beautiful and moving recount of Evelyn's experience being the only Australian survivor of the Titanic sinking. I absolutely devoured this and am now listening to the audiobook! Such an interesting story filled with tales of heartbreak, hope and the power of women 💜
June 17, 2026
I’m sure it is a good book but it wasn’t what I was expecting and I wasn’t really interested. I heard an interview with Lisa talking about the only Australian survivor of the Titanic and wanting to bring her story to life. I was expecting an historical fiction novel, similar in style to Natasha Lester and Kristin Hannah novels. It was actually a history of the titanic and Evelyn felt like a side note. I gave up 1/4 way through.
April 30, 2026
I literally never read historical non-fiction (or fiction) but something compelled me to open The Titanic Story of Evelyn; omg, I could not put it down!!! So beautifully written & so wonderful to finally read of the heroic efforts of the women on the ship. Evelyn’s story could easily have quietly been forgotten, as most people’s are, but now instead her story is forever captured; an “ordinary” woman who was in so many ways extraordinary. I devoured every page. Congratulations to Lisa Wilkinson on telling Evelyn’s story; she was the perfect person to tell it.
August 1, 2026
This book could have been half the length.. seemed to go on and on with many detailed side stories. Not much of the book is actually Evelyn’s story. I ended up skimming most of the stories to get to the point.
May 1, 2026
The Titanic: The Story of Evelyn by Lisa Wilkinson is badly let down by its historical research. For a book published in the modern era, it leans far too heavily on century-old memoirs, recycled anecdotes and Titanic myths that have been challenged or disproven by decades of subsequent research.
The biggest problem is not an occasional factual slip. It is the book’s research foundation.
Wilkinson relies heavily on early accounts from figures such as Charles Lightoller, Molly Brown and Violet Jessop. These are important historical sources, but they are not remotely sufficient as the basis for a modern account of Titanic.
When many of these accounts were written, the wreck had not even been discovered.
Since 1985, Titanic has been extensively photographed, mapped, surveyed and analysed. Researchers have been able to compare wreck evidence against original plans, engineering records, testimony and contemporary documentation. That work has overturned or seriously challenged many of the stories that became accepted as fact during the decades when the wreck itself could not be examined.
Yet the book repeatedly falls back on those older narratives as though the last forty years of Titanic research never happened.
One particularly glaring example appears on page 375, where the sinking is described in terms of boilers and engines tearing loose and crashing through the ship.
The wreck itself makes this description extraordinarily difficult to defend.
Titanic’s enormous reciprocating engines remain substantially attached to their foundations within the stern wreck. They did not simply rip loose and tumble through the vessel.
Boilers are scattered through the debris field, but that is not evidence of the engines tearing themselves from their mountings. The breakup subjected the hull to catastrophic structural forces, opening sections of the ship and releasing machinery and boilers directly into the sea.
This distinction matters. The wreck gives us physical evidence of what happened. Repeating a dramatic early description when the remains of the ship contradict it is not simply old-fashioned storytelling; it is poor historical practice.
The book also repeats the claim that Titanic possessed a double hull.
It did not.
Titanic had a double bottom extending across much of the underside of the vessel. That is fundamentally different from a full double hull extending significantly up the ship’s sides.
This is not an obscure technicality. Titanic’s hull arrangement is central to understanding why the iceberg damage was so serious.
Likewise, the claim that Titanic was approximately 7,000 tonnes heavier than *Olympic* badly distorts the relationship between the two ships. Titanic was larger in gross registered tonnage because of design alterations and enclosed spaces, but presenting her as thousands of tonnes heavier without carefully explaining what measurement is being discussed creates a completely misleading impression.
The tired description of Titanic’s fourth funnel as a purely decorative “dummy” also needs to disappear from serious Titanic writing.
It was not connected to the main boiler uptakes like the first three funnels, but it was functional. It provided ventilation and exhaust arrangements for machinery and internal spaces.
Calling it merely ornamental is catchy, but it is an oversimplification that should have been left behind decades ago.
The suggestion that J. Bruce Ismay ordered or pressured Captain Edward Smith to drive Titanic at maximum speed is another familiar piece of Titanic mythology.
There is a substantial difference between discussions about increasing speed as the voyage progressed and the dramatic popular story in which Ismay effectively forces Smith to race the ship across the Atlantic.
That distinction matters, particularly when dealing with a disaster in which real people have been blamed for more than a century.
Simply repeating the traditional version does nothing to improve our understanding of the sinking.
The idea that Titanic was unusually cumbersome or possessed some extraordinary deficiency in her ability to turn is another claim that demands evidence rather than repetition.
Titanic was an enormous early-20th-century liner. She did not manoeuvre like a modern vessel, nor should anyone expect her to have done so.
But there is a difference between explaining the limitations inherent in a ship of her size and design and suggesting that Titanic suffered from some exceptional steering defect.
The latter has become another convenient way of explaining the collision after the fact.
Descriptions of Titanic’s boiler rooms instantly succumbing to uncontrolled flooding also simplify what was a much more complex event.
The iceberg damage affected multiple compartments, but the flooding did not occur as one instantaneous catastrophic rush throughout the engineering spaces.
Crew members remained active below decks for a significant period, operating machinery, maintaining electrical power and dealing with the progressive effects of the damage.
That reality is considerably more interesting than the cinematic version.
This is ultimately what makes the book so frustrating.
Titanic research has progressed enormously.
Authors and researchers such as Mark Chirnside, Bruce Beveridge, Steve Hall, Tad Fitch, Bill Wormstedt and J. Kent Layton have spent years examining original documentation, technical records, survivor accounts and physical evidence from the wreck.
Their work does not make historical testimony irrelevant. It puts it into context.
That is exactly what this book too often fails to do.
For accessible modern analysis, Mike Brady’s Oceanliner Designs is also an excellent example of how Titanic history can be presented to a general audience without relying on the same myths that have been recycled through books, documentaries and films for generations.
The problem with The Titanic: The Story of Evelyn is not that every detail is wrong. It is that far too much of its Titanic history feels frozen in an era before the wreck was discovered.
For a modern book dealing with one of the most intensively researched shipwrecks in history, that is difficult to excuse.
Titanic does not need invented drama. It does not need recycled legends about rogue engines, fake funnels, terrible steering or Bruce Ismay demanding an Atlantic speed record.
The real engineering, the real sequence of the sinking and the physical evidence sitting 3,800 metres beneath the Atlantic are considerably more fascinating.
Unfortunately, readers looking for that version of Titanic’s story should look elsewhere.
The biggest problem is not an occasional factual slip. It is the book’s research foundation.
Wilkinson relies heavily on early accounts from figures such as Charles Lightoller, Molly Brown and Violet Jessop. These are important historical sources, but they are not remotely sufficient as the basis for a modern account of Titanic.
When many of these accounts were written, the wreck had not even been discovered.
Since 1985, Titanic has been extensively photographed, mapped, surveyed and analysed. Researchers have been able to compare wreck evidence against original plans, engineering records, testimony and contemporary documentation. That work has overturned or seriously challenged many of the stories that became accepted as fact during the decades when the wreck itself could not be examined.
Yet the book repeatedly falls back on those older narratives as though the last forty years of Titanic research never happened.
One particularly glaring example appears on page 375, where the sinking is described in terms of boilers and engines tearing loose and crashing through the ship.
The wreck itself makes this description extraordinarily difficult to defend.
Titanic’s enormous reciprocating engines remain substantially attached to their foundations within the stern wreck. They did not simply rip loose and tumble through the vessel.
Boilers are scattered through the debris field, but that is not evidence of the engines tearing themselves from their mountings. The breakup subjected the hull to catastrophic structural forces, opening sections of the ship and releasing machinery and boilers directly into the sea.
This distinction matters. The wreck gives us physical evidence of what happened. Repeating a dramatic early description when the remains of the ship contradict it is not simply old-fashioned storytelling; it is poor historical practice.
The book also repeats the claim that Titanic possessed a double hull.
It did not.
Titanic had a double bottom extending across much of the underside of the vessel. That is fundamentally different from a full double hull extending significantly up the ship’s sides.
This is not an obscure technicality. Titanic’s hull arrangement is central to understanding why the iceberg damage was so serious.
Likewise, the claim that Titanic was approximately 7,000 tonnes heavier than *Olympic* badly distorts the relationship between the two ships. Titanic was larger in gross registered tonnage because of design alterations and enclosed spaces, but presenting her as thousands of tonnes heavier without carefully explaining what measurement is being discussed creates a completely misleading impression.
The tired description of Titanic’s fourth funnel as a purely decorative “dummy” also needs to disappear from serious Titanic writing.
It was not connected to the main boiler uptakes like the first three funnels, but it was functional. It provided ventilation and exhaust arrangements for machinery and internal spaces.
Calling it merely ornamental is catchy, but it is an oversimplification that should have been left behind decades ago.
The suggestion that J. Bruce Ismay ordered or pressured Captain Edward Smith to drive Titanic at maximum speed is another familiar piece of Titanic mythology.
There is a substantial difference between discussions about increasing speed as the voyage progressed and the dramatic popular story in which Ismay effectively forces Smith to race the ship across the Atlantic.
That distinction matters, particularly when dealing with a disaster in which real people have been blamed for more than a century.
Simply repeating the traditional version does nothing to improve our understanding of the sinking.
The idea that Titanic was unusually cumbersome or possessed some extraordinary deficiency in her ability to turn is another claim that demands evidence rather than repetition.
Titanic was an enormous early-20th-century liner. She did not manoeuvre like a modern vessel, nor should anyone expect her to have done so.
But there is a difference between explaining the limitations inherent in a ship of her size and design and suggesting that Titanic suffered from some exceptional steering defect.
The latter has become another convenient way of explaining the collision after the fact.
Descriptions of Titanic’s boiler rooms instantly succumbing to uncontrolled flooding also simplify what was a much more complex event.
The iceberg damage affected multiple compartments, but the flooding did not occur as one instantaneous catastrophic rush throughout the engineering spaces.
Crew members remained active below decks for a significant period, operating machinery, maintaining electrical power and dealing with the progressive effects of the damage.
That reality is considerably more interesting than the cinematic version.
This is ultimately what makes the book so frustrating.
Titanic research has progressed enormously.
Authors and researchers such as Mark Chirnside, Bruce Beveridge, Steve Hall, Tad Fitch, Bill Wormstedt and J. Kent Layton have spent years examining original documentation, technical records, survivor accounts and physical evidence from the wreck.
Their work does not make historical testimony irrelevant. It puts it into context.
That is exactly what this book too often fails to do.
For accessible modern analysis, Mike Brady’s Oceanliner Designs is also an excellent example of how Titanic history can be presented to a general audience without relying on the same myths that have been recycled through books, documentaries and films for generations.
The problem with The Titanic: The Story of Evelyn is not that every detail is wrong. It is that far too much of its Titanic history feels frozen in an era before the wreck was discovered.
For a modern book dealing with one of the most intensively researched shipwrecks in history, that is difficult to excuse.
Titanic does not need invented drama. It does not need recycled legends about rogue engines, fake funnels, terrible steering or Bruce Ismay demanding an Atlantic speed record.
The real engineering, the real sequence of the sinking and the physical evidence sitting 3,800 metres beneath the Atlantic are considerably more fascinating.
Unfortunately, readers looking for that version of Titanic’s story should look elsewhere.
May 21, 2026
As a person living in Australia, fascinated by the Titanic (visits to Belfast dockyard etc) and a book enthusiast (belonging to two book clubs, one for over 20 years), I was so excited to read about this young Australian woman.
I found it a rather insipid read; although I enjoyed the statistics and facts, the style of writing was virtually identical to her husband’s, Peter Fitzsimons ie very flowery, with many imaginative scenes. I do understand why this style might have been chosen, but it made the book a weird combination of historical non-fiction and reconstructed fiction.
It also seemed to copy a number of points from the book published in 1988 ‘Titanic Survivor - The Memoirs of Violet Jessop, Stewardess’ by John Maxtone-Graham, starting right at the beginning with the explanation of the name ‘liner’. This book used the actual words of Violet Jessop and included her genuine opinions, rather than imagined thoughts.
I also, disappointingly, found it was quite anti-British and anti-American (plus anti-men) and it appeared that this Australian writer needed to prove something to the rest of the world. The references to Australia would probably appeal to many Australians and I did enjoy this part.
Overall, it was an interesting read, but too light on Evelyn Marsden, which it was supposed to be about, and too heavy on the make believe.
I found it a rather insipid read; although I enjoyed the statistics and facts, the style of writing was virtually identical to her husband’s, Peter Fitzsimons ie very flowery, with many imaginative scenes. I do understand why this style might have been chosen, but it made the book a weird combination of historical non-fiction and reconstructed fiction.
It also seemed to copy a number of points from the book published in 1988 ‘Titanic Survivor - The Memoirs of Violet Jessop, Stewardess’ by John Maxtone-Graham, starting right at the beginning with the explanation of the name ‘liner’. This book used the actual words of Violet Jessop and included her genuine opinions, rather than imagined thoughts.
I also, disappointingly, found it was quite anti-British and anti-American (plus anti-men) and it appeared that this Australian writer needed to prove something to the rest of the world. The references to Australia would probably appeal to many Australians and I did enjoy this part.
Overall, it was an interesting read, but too light on Evelyn Marsden, which it was supposed to be about, and too heavy on the make believe.
July 1, 2026
This was a difficult one to review.
I felt like I was reading the book adaptation of the movie Titanic—or, as my goddaughter calls it, The Jack & Rose Movie.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoyed reading it.
However, if you're picking it up expecting the story of "a brave young nurse who was the only Australian survivor of the sinking of the Titanic," you could probably get by with reading the first few chapters and then skipping to the last.
It felt like Evelyn's name—or even any real focus on her—only appeared a handful of times before the final chapter.
Aside from the footnotes, the book read more like historical fiction than non-fiction, which again, isn't a criticism in itself.
Overall, I just expected more of Evelyn's story, especially given the title.
I felt like I was reading the book adaptation of the movie Titanic—or, as my goddaughter calls it, The Jack & Rose Movie.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoyed reading it.
However, if you're picking it up expecting the story of "a brave young nurse who was the only Australian survivor of the sinking of the Titanic," you could probably get by with reading the first few chapters and then skipping to the last.
It felt like Evelyn's name—or even any real focus on her—only appeared a handful of times before the final chapter.
Aside from the footnotes, the book read more like historical fiction than non-fiction, which again, isn't a criticism in itself.
Overall, I just expected more of Evelyn's story, especially given the title.
June 2, 2026
Really enjoyed this book. At many parts it felt like I was watching down from above seeing it all happen. Honestly made me quite emotional and felt sick at times too but was so intriguing I had to keep going. Loved the way this is put into a full story using quotes from different survivors instead of just Evelyn’s story.
July 19, 2026
2.5 ⭐️ Feel pretty neutral about this one. Not quite what I was expecting, given the title. We leave the story of evelyn for a sizeable chunk of the book, leaving me to forget that it’s actually meant to centre her. In the end, these middle chapters ended up saving me from a DNF.
July 21, 2026
Wow this book really got me emotional! I realised I didn’t really know that much about the Titanic outside of the eponymous movie. At the same time though, reading this made me also realise the movie was very well researched and basically got everything spot on from lines that were said, actions that took place, sequence of things, the glitz and glamour - of course excluding the love story.
Lisa has done an amazing job of researching for this book and the storytelling makes you imagine just what it would’ve been like in the dark North Atlantic Ocean. Very eerie. She has done a great job of bringing the sole Australian survivor of the disaster Evelyn’s story to the world. I didn’t even know there was an Australian survivor, feels like someone we should know of. It was also great to have a focus on the brave and pioneering women who were on the ship - while highlighting some of the less than admirable actions of the men. Power, money, class…
It was especially eye opening to truly realise how many things were allowed to go wrong in the lead up to and during the voyage, all adding up to the most tragic disaster. Also the many sliding doors moments, why some people who weren’t meant to be on it end up there and vice versa. I got teary many times reading the heart wrenching stories of grief, loss, bravery and impossible decisions you wouldn’t wish on anyone and what those lost as well as survivors had to endure.
Lisa has done an amazing job of researching for this book and the storytelling makes you imagine just what it would’ve been like in the dark North Atlantic Ocean. Very eerie. She has done a great job of bringing the sole Australian survivor of the disaster Evelyn’s story to the world. I didn’t even know there was an Australian survivor, feels like someone we should know of. It was also great to have a focus on the brave and pioneering women who were on the ship - while highlighting some of the less than admirable actions of the men. Power, money, class…
It was especially eye opening to truly realise how many things were allowed to go wrong in the lead up to and during the voyage, all adding up to the most tragic disaster. Also the many sliding doors moments, why some people who weren’t meant to be on it end up there and vice versa. I got teary many times reading the heart wrenching stories of grief, loss, bravery and impossible decisions you wouldn’t wish on anyone and what those lost as well as survivors had to endure.
October 3, 2026
I like a fast-paced book, and Evelyn certainly isn’t one! That said, it is meticulously researched, and Ms Wilkinson deserves great credit for that. There are an enormous number of footnotes, which is reassuring and clearly demonstrates the depth of her research.
Well over 500 pages, this story could have been told using much less ink! Way too long for this reader.
Unfortunately, for me, the book simply plods along. I nearly made it a DNF but persevered to the end. For much of the book, it felt like walking through molasses. It would have been great to hear more about Evelyn, but what we did read was well done.
Having said all that, many readers will love this book—as my wife did. If you’re looking for a slow-moving book that is impeccably researched, Evelyn may well be for you.
Well over 500 pages, this story could have been told using much less ink! Way too long for this reader.
Unfortunately, for me, the book simply plods along. I nearly made it a DNF but persevered to the end. For much of the book, it felt like walking through molasses. It would have been great to hear more about Evelyn, but what we did read was well done.
Having said all that, many readers will love this book—as my wife did. If you’re looking for a slow-moving book that is impeccably researched, Evelyn may well be for you.
April 26, 2026
I was lumped with this for book club (not my usual genre) but ended up totally engrossed!
Read
April 23, 2026OMG. This book gave me a new perspective on the Titanic. For part of the book brought out emotion and shock and almost had me in tears. I really enjoyed the read!
July 3, 2026
Gripping and well written, I struggled to put this book down.
August 25, 2026
Not a perfect book, by any means. And it somewhat pains me to say I actually didn't care much for the heavy feminist slant with which Wilkinson interprets and depicts Evelyn's story and those of the other highlighted women. It just felt very forced, and a bit "grandma's being watching YouTube videos and she's going all in at the dinner table," if you know what I mean.
And as for the titular woman herself ...
I don't know, man. She just didn't click with me. There was nothing I particularly disliked about her or anything. She just didn't really feel like a true, brought-to-life person to me. Especially when things really kick into gear - which is to say, when things take the inevitable opposite and the doomed ship is brought to a halt - it feels strongly like Wilkinson is more interested, and rightly so, in telling the greater story of the tragedy and its many human victims. Evelyn herself mostly takes a backseat, and every time we are forced back to her perspective, it just as well might be anyone else. And I'm not sure what Lisa and her prolific husband are smoking of a weekend night, but the love story between her and Generic Forgotten doesn't have a thing on Kate and Leo - (and this coming from someone who has considers that Hollywood romance the weakest aspect of the movie).
So, myself, I read this much more as just a thorough retelling and expansion of the Titanic story. And at being this, the book is its best. The whole thing is just such a deeply haunting, heartbreaking and terrifying story that only an imbecile with little grasp of the art of putting thoughts into words and words onto paper could take such a deep dive into the tragedy and produce a load of schlock.
So, it was a gallant and gargantuan effort from Lisa Wilkinson, and I did enjoy it - if that is the right term. Perhaps it's not. Mostly it just made me sad and thankful - oh so thankful - I should never have to endure what those many poor men, women and children did that night.
More than anything, the book has reminded me just why I ought to continue staying well clear of the movie. Last time, when I was only dating my girlfriend, it pretty badly fucked with me.
Now, so many years later, being married just short of a decade and with two precious children, I think sitting through that "Nearer My God to Thee" section would do to me what Kathy Griffin tearfully insisted Donald Trump did to her.
And as for the titular woman herself ...
I don't know, man. She just didn't click with me. There was nothing I particularly disliked about her or anything. She just didn't really feel like a true, brought-to-life person to me. Especially when things really kick into gear - which is to say, when things take the inevitable opposite and the doomed ship is brought to a halt - it feels strongly like Wilkinson is more interested, and rightly so, in telling the greater story of the tragedy and its many human victims. Evelyn herself mostly takes a backseat, and every time we are forced back to her perspective, it just as well might be anyone else. And I'm not sure what Lisa and her prolific husband are smoking of a weekend night, but the love story between her and Generic Forgotten doesn't have a thing on Kate and Leo - (and this coming from someone who has considers that Hollywood romance the weakest aspect of the movie).
So, myself, I read this much more as just a thorough retelling and expansion of the Titanic story. And at being this, the book is its best. The whole thing is just such a deeply haunting, heartbreaking and terrifying story that only an imbecile with little grasp of the art of putting thoughts into words and words onto paper could take such a deep dive into the tragedy and produce a load of schlock.
So, it was a gallant and gargantuan effort from Lisa Wilkinson, and I did enjoy it - if that is the right term. Perhaps it's not. Mostly it just made me sad and thankful - oh so thankful - I should never have to endure what those many poor men, women and children did that night.
More than anything, the book has reminded me just why I ought to continue staying well clear of the movie. Last time, when I was only dating my girlfriend, it pretty badly fucked with me.
Now, so many years later, being married just short of a decade and with two precious children, I think sitting through that "Nearer My God to Thee" section would do to me what Kathy Griffin tearfully insisted Donald Trump did to her.
July 29, 2026
This book had so much potential, but for me, it fell just short.
I enjoyed Lisa Wilkinson’s writing style and she found a fascinating story in Evelyn Marsden. I loved learning about Evelyn’s journey as the only Australian-born survivor of the Titanic, as well as the stories of the other brave and independent women on board. The links to the women’s movement were also really interesting and added another layer to the story.
Where the book missed the mark for me was the constant criticism of men. At times, it felt a little heavy-handed. I would have preferred more focus on the strength, courage and resilience of the women, rather than comparing them so often to the men around them.
I also felt the title was a little misleading, as only part of the book is focused on Evelyn. Large sections explore other passengers and historical figures, and at times it felt like Evelyn disappeared from her own story. While many of these stories were interesting, there were so many people introduced that the book sometimes felt crowded.
I understand there may not have been enough information available about Evelyn’s life to fill an entire book. Perhaps presenting it as a historical novel based on a true story would have allowed her story to be developed further. Alternatively, a broader title could have better reflected the focus on Evelyn and the other women connected to the Titanic.
Overall, I’m glad I read it. Evelyn’s story is one I’ll remember for many years, and this was an impressive first step into historical nonfiction for Lisa Wilkinson. I’m looking forward to seeing what story she uncovers next.
I enjoyed Lisa Wilkinson’s writing style and she found a fascinating story in Evelyn Marsden. I loved learning about Evelyn’s journey as the only Australian-born survivor of the Titanic, as well as the stories of the other brave and independent women on board. The links to the women’s movement were also really interesting and added another layer to the story.
Where the book missed the mark for me was the constant criticism of men. At times, it felt a little heavy-handed. I would have preferred more focus on the strength, courage and resilience of the women, rather than comparing them so often to the men around them.
I also felt the title was a little misleading, as only part of the book is focused on Evelyn. Large sections explore other passengers and historical figures, and at times it felt like Evelyn disappeared from her own story. While many of these stories were interesting, there were so many people introduced that the book sometimes felt crowded.
I understand there may not have been enough information available about Evelyn’s life to fill an entire book. Perhaps presenting it as a historical novel based on a true story would have allowed her story to be developed further. Alternatively, a broader title could have better reflected the focus on Evelyn and the other women connected to the Titanic.
Overall, I’m glad I read it. Evelyn’s story is one I’ll remember for many years, and this was an impressive first step into historical nonfiction for Lisa Wilkinson. I’m looking forward to seeing what story she uncovers next.
September 30, 2026
I saw an interview with Lisa the author about this book and it sounded so interesting. I didn’t know a lot about the finer details of the Titanic so this read was fascinating. And learning about the Australian Evelyn Marsden was also very interesting.
I was so intrigued by the toy pig that I had to google what the real item looked like and learnt that it is in a museum.
It is such a sad part of history, but also a story of strength and survival - and was refreshing to hear that the women actually took more control in time of crisis. Hardly surprising
I was so intrigued by the toy pig that I had to google what the real item looked like and learnt that it is in a museum.
It is such a sad part of history, but also a story of strength and survival - and was refreshing to hear that the women actually took more control in time of crisis. Hardly surprising
April 30, 2026
Dit boek was perfect voor mij: titanic + australië + entertaining goed geresearchde historische fictie gebasseerd op een echt persoon
June 7, 2026
This was absolutely incredible!
October 2, 2026
I really enjoyed this book in particular Evelyn's role in the world -quite a woman for her time. Its well referenced and very clever
August 12, 2026
This is a really below average account of the sinking of the Titanic. Evelyn deserved better. We come from the exact same part of the world and I wanted to meet her properly.
If you want to actually read an accurate and considered, well written account of the Titanic sinking go with On a Sea of Glass by Bill Wormstedt, J. Kent Layton, and Tad Fitch. There’s also the wonderful A Night to Remember by Walter Lord - the OG! On the centenary of the sinking in 2012 there was a lot of Titanic literature doing the rounds and most of that is great too.
The inaccuracies (so many) and continual perpetuation of now debunked Titanic myths was lazy research and served no purpose.
Any historical retelling of anything demands respect, integrity and an unimpeachable research ethic. If in doubt leave it out.
And she never in her lifetime went by the name Molly…
If you want to actually read an accurate and considered, well written account of the Titanic sinking go with On a Sea of Glass by Bill Wormstedt, J. Kent Layton, and Tad Fitch. There’s also the wonderful A Night to Remember by Walter Lord - the OG! On the centenary of the sinking in 2012 there was a lot of Titanic literature doing the rounds and most of that is great too.
The inaccuracies (so many) and continual perpetuation of now debunked Titanic myths was lazy research and served no purpose.
Any historical retelling of anything demands respect, integrity and an unimpeachable research ethic. If in doubt leave it out.
And she never in her lifetime went by the name Molly…
August 23, 2026
Illuminating, compelling, mind boggling.
June 29, 2026
I have always loved the titanic, it was so fascinating to discover more about what the passengers actually went through on the life boats after escaping the sinking ship, some of the stories haunted me like how the 16 year old boy just wanted to be safe but had a gun to his head and was told to exit the lifeboat “be a man” they told him. I was amazed to discover how many passengers where had premonitions about the sinking aswell it made my bones chill. I think this story gave a lot of survivors justice for all the suffering they endured and I was lead into deep empathy and understanding of their suffering, and others heroism and for some cowardice. I feel finally that I have all the facts of what happened on that tragic night
September 4, 2026
My gosh! So strange reading a book where you know what is going to happen next. What a great account though and what a catastrophic comedy of errors resulting in the loss of so many lives. Poor decisions, poor planning, men’s egos…Imagine if just 2 or 3 decisions were made differently. More lifeboats, glasses for the crew in the crows nest, acting on the warnings and in the case if the Californian - speaking up out of turn standing by your intuition, not dismissing the SOS messages and flares because there was that misinformation all around infiltrating all thoughts. The ship is unsinkable.
September 22, 2026
Not what I expected. I thought there'd more of a story based around Evelyn which wasn't the case.
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