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Seven Days in May
For readers of Kate Williams, Beatriz Williams and Jennifer Robson, a captivating novel of love and resilience during the Great War, inspired by the author’s family history. As the First World War rages in continental Europe, two New York heiresses, Sydney and Brooke Sinclair, are due to set sail for England. Brooke is engaged to marry impoverished aristocrat Edward Thorpe-Tracey, the future Lord Northbrook, in the wedding of the social calendar. Sydney has other adventures in mind; she is drawn to the burgeoning suffragette movement, which is a constant source of embarrassment to her proper sister. As international tempers flare, the German embassy releases a warning that any ships making the Atlantic crossing are at risk. Undaunted, Sydney and Brooke board the Lusitania for the seven-day voyage with Edward, not knowing that disaster lies ahead. In London, Isabel Nelson, a young woman grateful to have escaped her blemished reputation in Oxford, has found employment at the British Admiralty in the mysterious Room 40. While she begins as a secretary, it isn’t long before her skills in codes and cyphers are called on, and she learns a devastating truth and the true cost of war. As the days of the voyage pass, these four lives collide in a struggle for survival as the Lusitania meets its deadly fate.
356 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2017
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About the author
Kim Izzo
10 books81 followersKim Izzo is an author, screenwriter and journalist. She is the 2016 winner of the prestigious HUMANITAS Prize: New Voices and the 2016 Telefilm Canada New Voices Award. Izzo is the author of two romantic comedy novels, the best-selling The Jane Austen Marriage Manual, which has been optioned for film, and My Life in Black and White. She is also the co-author of two etiquette books, the international bestseller The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Decorum and The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Grace Under Pressure. As an etiquette expert, Izzo has made numerous television appearances, including Oprah! and The Today Show. She has been a magazine editor and journalist for more than fifteen years. Seven Days in May is her third novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
May 10, 2017
World War I is raging through out Europe and after an unfortunate experience at her previous employment Isabel gets a second chance in room 40 helping decipher coded German messages to help the war effort. Meanwhile in New York Sydney Sinclair continues to cause scandal with her political opinions and marching for the right for women to vote. Her sister Brooke has recently become engaged to an English man with a title who is in need of money. The two are set to journey on the Lusitania with Brooke's fiance Edward for the marriage which will take place in England. Though Edward wants to marry for love he does his duty and proposes to Brooke who will help him keep the family property his father has almost gambled away. Things get messy after Edward meets Sydney and can not stop thinking about her and her strong opinions and matter of fact way of being.
I personally really liked the book and was pretty engrossed in the story all the way until the end. The way the book ended ruined the book for me a little bit and I think the whole arc with Isabel and Lusitania wasn't necessary. I might have enjoyed it much more if both story arcs were separated into two different books. I think I was meant to be sad at the end but I was just annoyed especially with . I also felt like I should be more sympathetic about Mildred but the whole time I was just like god when will she go away. I did enjoy all the characters very much especially Sydney and Isabel. I'm not sure about the historical accuracy of the book though because I don't usually care very much about that with fiction as long as it's not blatantly obvious that the author is writing the book in the modern day.
I personally really liked the book and was pretty engrossed in the story all the way until the end. The way the book ended ruined the book for me a little bit and I think the whole arc with Isabel and Lusitania wasn't necessary. I might have enjoyed it much more if both story arcs were separated into two different books. I think I was meant to be sad at the end but I was just annoyed especially with . I also felt like I should be more sympathetic about Mildred but the whole time I was just like god when will she go away. I did enjoy all the characters very much especially Sydney and Isabel. I'm not sure about the historical accuracy of the book though because I don't usually care very much about that with fiction as long as it's not blatantly obvious that the author is writing the book in the modern day.
April 22, 2017
This historical novel is set in 1915 and is based around the RMS Lusitania. The book, thankfully, avoids the tired, and clichéd, dual time line – although it does have a dual storyline. Part of the book is set around the story of two American heiresses, Sydney and Brooke Sinclair, while the other section is set in London, where the storyline centres on Isabel Nelson who volunteers for war work at the Admiralty.
Brooke Sinclair is engaged to be married to Edward Thorpe-Tracey, who arrives in New York to escort his fiancée, and her sister, back to England for their marriage. Edward is keen to marry before he goes off to war and, although he does not really love Brooke, he needs her money to save his family home. Brooke, meanwhile, is keen to gain a title and is also eager to keep Edward apart from her sister, Sydney. Sydney is something of an embarrassment, with her controversial politics and eagerness to embrace the suffragette cause. Indeed, the sisters are such opposites that Sydney decides to travel on Lusitania in third class, causing all sorts of misunderstandings between Brooke, Edward and other passengers. This plot device also, obviously, allows the author to explore parts of the ship outside of first class and introduce different characters. Interestingly, some of the characters are based upon the authors own family history and so have real authenticity about them. There are other, real life people mentioned in the book, such as Alfred Vanderbilt, who Edward feels a certain envy towards, due to the freedom his wealth awards him.
Alongside the part of the novel centred on Lusitania, we read of Isabel Nelson. She had previously worked as a housemaid for George Chambers in Oxford, who taught her some morse code. Keen to volunteer for War Work, Isabel is thrilled to be assigned to Room 40 OB, under Commander Hope and Alastair Denniston, who spend their time deciphering code. Although she is only there to type up messages, she quickly enjoys the sense of comradeship. However, when Isabel discovers a secret message, it makes her question the role of the work she is involved in. Secrets play a larger part in the story though, with the arrival of Mildred, who knows about Isabel’s past…
I must admit that I have a fondness for books set on ships – particularly Lusitania or Titanic. This is a very interesting novel, which deals with both the tragedy of the sinking of the Lusitania and also with the role of women. You have Sydney who is interesting in the political rights of women and who admires Margaret Sander, a controversial advocate for women’s reproductive rights; Isabel who is keen to put her past behind her and establish a career, in a world where women’s ambitions are limited and the interesting concept of forced marriage, where it is Edward who actually feels more under pressure to marry for money. An excellent novel for fans of historical fiction and two headstrong, and intelligent, heroines in Sydney and Isabel. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Brooke Sinclair is engaged to be married to Edward Thorpe-Tracey, who arrives in New York to escort his fiancée, and her sister, back to England for their marriage. Edward is keen to marry before he goes off to war and, although he does not really love Brooke, he needs her money to save his family home. Brooke, meanwhile, is keen to gain a title and is also eager to keep Edward apart from her sister, Sydney. Sydney is something of an embarrassment, with her controversial politics and eagerness to embrace the suffragette cause. Indeed, the sisters are such opposites that Sydney decides to travel on Lusitania in third class, causing all sorts of misunderstandings between Brooke, Edward and other passengers. This plot device also, obviously, allows the author to explore parts of the ship outside of first class and introduce different characters. Interestingly, some of the characters are based upon the authors own family history and so have real authenticity about them. There are other, real life people mentioned in the book, such as Alfred Vanderbilt, who Edward feels a certain envy towards, due to the freedom his wealth awards him.
Alongside the part of the novel centred on Lusitania, we read of Isabel Nelson. She had previously worked as a housemaid for George Chambers in Oxford, who taught her some morse code. Keen to volunteer for War Work, Isabel is thrilled to be assigned to Room 40 OB, under Commander Hope and Alastair Denniston, who spend their time deciphering code. Although she is only there to type up messages, she quickly enjoys the sense of comradeship. However, when Isabel discovers a secret message, it makes her question the role of the work she is involved in. Secrets play a larger part in the story though, with the arrival of Mildred, who knows about Isabel’s past…
I must admit that I have a fondness for books set on ships – particularly Lusitania or Titanic. This is a very interesting novel, which deals with both the tragedy of the sinking of the Lusitania and also with the role of women. You have Sydney who is interesting in the political rights of women and who admires Margaret Sander, a controversial advocate for women’s reproductive rights; Isabel who is keen to put her past behind her and establish a career, in a world where women’s ambitions are limited and the interesting concept of forced marriage, where it is Edward who actually feels more under pressure to marry for money. An excellent novel for fans of historical fiction and two headstrong, and intelligent, heroines in Sydney and Isabel. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
May 22, 2017
This is the first book I've read about the sinking of the Lusitania that took place as the First World War rages in continental Europe. The author obviously did her research as the details are not something that could be made up. The devastation is terrifying and as I read it I felt as if I were there too experiencing it. The raw survival mode these passengers went into as they grabbed any scrap of the wreckage to stay afloat is simply heartbreaking. There was romance as well but the shipwreck is what captured my attention. Bravo, very well done! I will look forward to reading more by Kim Izzo in the future.
Pub Date 02 May 2017 .
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date 02 May 2017 .
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
April 29, 2017
Erin Davis review pretty much sums up my feelings for this book. But I guess that I have put down some thoughts I have on the book and not just refer to her splendid review. This is not a book that I liked so it's a pretty negative review...
Seven Days in May by Kim Izzo appealed to me as I'm interested in reading about WW1 and the suffragette movement. I was looking forward to seeing how the author would combine the storyline on the ship and that of the codebreaker Isabel in London. I'm sad to say that the book didn't really manage to satisfy me. I wanted intensity, but what I got was a bombast story with shallow characters and extremely predictable storyline.
The storyline with Isabel was marginally better than the one with the sisters on the ship. Still, the fallen women storyline has been done so many times before and better. Although I did enjoy the part when Mildred, Isabel's nemesis got what she deserved. I always like it when a despicable person gets what she/he deserves. What really troubled me was that Isabel getting an important job and the first thing she does is reading a letter from Churchill, because the envelope wasn't sealed ... seriously? And, when I think about it, shouldn't they have done a better background check on her, now that she has such an important job?
Then we have Sydney and Brooke Sinclair. Sydney is a suffragette fighting for women's rights, at least she is supposed to be it, but it never rings true and mostly she is portrayed as a poor rich girl that pretends to be a suffragette, but I lost all respect for her when she in spite decided to change from first class to third on the ship because she was arguing with her sister. Like a child with a tantrum. Brooke isn't much better, she is rich, but she wants a title and the best way is to find a poor aristocrat and marry him.
Then we have the romance story, oh this one was so easy to see that it's almost laughable. I won't give it away, but you can see right from the start how it all will end.
So, this was not a story to my liking, I persevered until the end, but It's not a book I can recommend.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Seven Days in May by Kim Izzo appealed to me as I'm interested in reading about WW1 and the suffragette movement. I was looking forward to seeing how the author would combine the storyline on the ship and that of the codebreaker Isabel in London. I'm sad to say that the book didn't really manage to satisfy me. I wanted intensity, but what I got was a bombast story with shallow characters and extremely predictable storyline.
The storyline with Isabel was marginally better than the one with the sisters on the ship. Still, the fallen women storyline has been done so many times before and better. Although I did enjoy the part when Mildred, Isabel's nemesis got what she deserved. I always like it when a despicable person gets what she/he deserves. What really troubled me was that Isabel getting an important job and the first thing she does is reading a letter from Churchill, because the envelope wasn't sealed ... seriously? And, when I think about it, shouldn't they have done a better background check on her, now that she has such an important job?
Then we have Sydney and Brooke Sinclair. Sydney is a suffragette fighting for women's rights, at least she is supposed to be it, but it never rings true and mostly she is portrayed as a poor rich girl that pretends to be a suffragette, but I lost all respect for her when she in spite decided to change from first class to third on the ship because she was arguing with her sister. Like a child with a tantrum. Brooke isn't much better, she is rich, but she wants a title and the best way is to find a poor aristocrat and marry him.
Then we have the romance story, oh this one was so easy to see that it's almost laughable. I won't give it away, but you can see right from the start how it all will end.
So, this was not a story to my liking, I persevered until the end, but It's not a book I can recommend.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
May 13, 2017
I'll be honest, it took me a few chapters to get into this book. I really thought I would have to move on to a different book. Then somehow I found myself invested in the story. We follow Sidney, who's a suffragette, who finds herself to be the black sheep of her wealthy family. Then you have her older sister, Brooke, who follows the rules and expects herself to find a husband that is an English aristocrat. Which she does and his name is Edward. Together, all three of them, they board the doomed Lusitania. Meanwhile in England, we also follow Isabel. She's working in Room 40, which is a top secret government operation. Its intercepting coded messages through Germany. So Isabel knows what might happen to the Lusitania and is waiting for the British government to step in and save these innocent civilians.
I enjoyed knowing more about this time period. I usually read a lot of WWII books and not much about the first WW. So I found this all to be very interesting. I liked Sidney, I thought she was a good person and deserved better than how her sister treated her. Brooke redeemed herself a little towards the end, but only a little! I thought she was spoiled bitch throughout most of the story. Edward was also okay and was hoping for happiness for him, as well. I also found Lusitania's history very sad. So much could have been prevented! So many lives taken or destroyed all for the sake of America to get involved in the war.
I thought this was well-written and enjoyed spending time with these characters. I like how Kim Izzo wrote the character of her family into the story, too.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed knowing more about this time period. I usually read a lot of WWII books and not much about the first WW. So I found this all to be very interesting. I liked Sidney, I thought she was a good person and deserved better than how her sister treated her. Brooke redeemed herself a little towards the end, but only a little! I thought she was spoiled bitch throughout most of the story. Edward was also okay and was hoping for happiness for him, as well. I also found Lusitania's history very sad. So much could have been prevented! So many lives taken or destroyed all for the sake of America to get involved in the war.
I thought this was well-written and enjoyed spending time with these characters. I like how Kim Izzo wrote the character of her family into the story, too.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2017
Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read an Advance Reader's Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Seven Days in May" follows two story lines.
The first is the story of New York heiresses Sydney and Brooke Sinclair. Sydney considers herself a modern woman. She is drawn to the Suffrage movement, as well as Margaret Sanger's birth control efforts. Brooke, on the other hand, envisions herself to be an American Princess, and would like to also be a part of the British Aristocracy by marrying a British noble. She becomes engaged to Edward Thorpe-Tracey, a British gentleman who is long on family history and short on cash. The engagement of a wealthy American woman to an impoverished British lord was not a unique phenomenon. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Old World and the New came together in the form of “Dollar Princesses,” a phenomenon that captivated the public’s attention. A Dollar Princess referred to an American heiress, often from newly wealthy families, who married a title-rich but cash-poor British nobleman. And Brooke's engagement quickly becomes THE event of the social season.
The second, and perhaps more interesting story line, is that of Isabel Nelson, a young woman who is escaping a checkered past and moves to London. She finds employment at the British Admiralty as a secretary, in support of the war effort. Though Isabel's secretarial skills are strong, she is soon assigned to "Room 40," a group whose responsibility is deciphering and breaking enemy codes. She has many interactions with Winston Churchill, and finds herself privy to some classified information -- Germany is planning on attacking a civilian luxury cruise ship, namely the Lusitania. Worse, Britain may not stop them, as this attack on American civilians may be the catalyst that brings the US into WW 1.
Meanwhile, Sydney, Brooke and Edward are embarking on their trip back to London, and the wedding that awaits. Naturally, they are boarding the fastest and most luxurious ship out there -- the sparkling gem of the Cunard line, the Lusitania.
The reader, of course, knows what is in store for them. However, I groaned, audibly, when the Sydney traded in her First Class Ticket on the Lusitania for one in Steerage. Seriously?
The two story lines don't come together very well, and Kim Izzo shifts back and forth between them regularly. I felt the plot, especially that of the Sinclair sisters, to be a bit too cliche. And Sydney trading in her ticket for steerage was completely unnecessary, and almost kept me from abandoning the book altogether.
All in all, it had the potential to be a captivating novel, but it missed, both in originality and storytelling skill.
"Seven Days in May" follows two story lines.
The first is the story of New York heiresses Sydney and Brooke Sinclair. Sydney considers herself a modern woman. She is drawn to the Suffrage movement, as well as Margaret Sanger's birth control efforts. Brooke, on the other hand, envisions herself to be an American Princess, and would like to also be a part of the British Aristocracy by marrying a British noble. She becomes engaged to Edward Thorpe-Tracey, a British gentleman who is long on family history and short on cash. The engagement of a wealthy American woman to an impoverished British lord was not a unique phenomenon. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Old World and the New came together in the form of “Dollar Princesses,” a phenomenon that captivated the public’s attention. A Dollar Princess referred to an American heiress, often from newly wealthy families, who married a title-rich but cash-poor British nobleman. And Brooke's engagement quickly becomes THE event of the social season.
The second, and perhaps more interesting story line, is that of Isabel Nelson, a young woman who is escaping a checkered past and moves to London. She finds employment at the British Admiralty as a secretary, in support of the war effort. Though Isabel's secretarial skills are strong, she is soon assigned to "Room 40," a group whose responsibility is deciphering and breaking enemy codes. She has many interactions with Winston Churchill, and finds herself privy to some classified information -- Germany is planning on attacking a civilian luxury cruise ship, namely the Lusitania. Worse, Britain may not stop them, as this attack on American civilians may be the catalyst that brings the US into WW 1.
Meanwhile, Sydney, Brooke and Edward are embarking on their trip back to London, and the wedding that awaits. Naturally, they are boarding the fastest and most luxurious ship out there -- the sparkling gem of the Cunard line, the Lusitania.
The reader, of course, knows what is in store for them. However, I groaned, audibly, when the Sydney traded in her First Class Ticket on the Lusitania for one in Steerage. Seriously?
The two story lines don't come together very well, and Kim Izzo shifts back and forth between them regularly. I felt the plot, especially that of the Sinclair sisters, to be a bit too cliche. And Sydney trading in her ticket for steerage was completely unnecessary, and almost kept me from abandoning the book altogether.
All in all, it had the potential to be a captivating novel, but it missed, both in originality and storytelling skill.
May 4, 2017
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy.
I wanted to love this. It promised to be a novel with a little romance (the Brooke, Sydney and Edward storyline); a little espionage (Isabel's story) with a backdrop of the Lusitania's final voyage across the Atlantic.
What I liked:
The ending. Having read the Author's note at the end you realize that one of the characters (Walter) is based on her own great-grandfather's experience on the Lusitania. This fact explains why her descriptions of that fateful day are so well written; she really was able to describe the fear, the chaos, the absolute mayhem that occurred after the ship was hit by the torpedo. She was able to bring the catastrophe to life. I honestly wish the story had started on the fateful day and then worked its way backwards towards the beginning of the voyage. It might have made some of the characters more likeable ... but then again ... now we are getting to my issues with this book.
And that is in fact it's main characters (I will admit that the secondary characters - especially those based on real people, are excellent).
Sydney, Brooke, Edward and Isabel are never really developed more than being slightly superficial. They don't change and evolve as the days pass (since this book does take place over the course of more than seven days in May) - and so although you are meant to care for them, it was difficult for me to feel that way.
Sydney and Brooke: sisters at odds with what they want out of life; one wants freedom (the right to control her own body, to vote, to choose love); and the other wants a title, an estate and to be powerful.
Edward, a soon to be titled Englishman who must marry for money in order to save his family estate, meets his soon-to-be sister-in-law and realizes that he has feelings for her. So begins a love triangle that falls a little flat.
Isabel, a "fallen" woman who must overcome her past to work in a top secret office (Office 40), keeping secrets even when she's conflicted with the results of not doing anything. She's also not a very pleasant individual. Her side story didn’t really feel necessary to move the plot forward – and was rather simply distracting.
I read this book long after I had read Erik Larson’s Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania - an account of the events that led to the sinking of the Lusitania – taking into account the German U-Boat’s perspective, the British Admiralty and recounting the final days and hours of over 1000 passengers on the Lusitania – and I will admit that having read that first helped fill in some of the blanks / was a good companion to this book.
This reminded me a little of Crossing on the Paris by Dana Gynther – another novel who’s characters let me down.
I wanted to love this. It promised to be a novel with a little romance (the Brooke, Sydney and Edward storyline); a little espionage (Isabel's story) with a backdrop of the Lusitania's final voyage across the Atlantic.
What I liked:
The ending. Having read the Author's note at the end you realize that one of the characters (Walter) is based on her own great-grandfather's experience on the Lusitania. This fact explains why her descriptions of that fateful day are so well written; she really was able to describe the fear, the chaos, the absolute mayhem that occurred after the ship was hit by the torpedo. She was able to bring the catastrophe to life. I honestly wish the story had started on the fateful day and then worked its way backwards towards the beginning of the voyage. It might have made some of the characters more likeable ... but then again ... now we are getting to my issues with this book.
And that is in fact it's main characters (I will admit that the secondary characters - especially those based on real people, are excellent).
Sydney, Brooke, Edward and Isabel are never really developed more than being slightly superficial. They don't change and evolve as the days pass (since this book does take place over the course of more than seven days in May) - and so although you are meant to care for them, it was difficult for me to feel that way.
Sydney and Brooke: sisters at odds with what they want out of life; one wants freedom (the right to control her own body, to vote, to choose love); and the other wants a title, an estate and to be powerful.
Edward, a soon to be titled Englishman who must marry for money in order to save his family estate, meets his soon-to-be sister-in-law and realizes that he has feelings for her. So begins a love triangle that falls a little flat.
Isabel, a "fallen" woman who must overcome her past to work in a top secret office (Office 40), keeping secrets even when she's conflicted with the results of not doing anything. She's also not a very pleasant individual. Her side story didn’t really feel necessary to move the plot forward – and was rather simply distracting.
I read this book long after I had read Erik Larson’s Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania - an account of the events that led to the sinking of the Lusitania – taking into account the German U-Boat’s perspective, the British Admiralty and recounting the final days and hours of over 1000 passengers on the Lusitania – and I will admit that having read that first helped fill in some of the blanks / was a good companion to this book.
This reminded me a little of Crossing on the Paris by Dana Gynther – another novel who’s characters let me down.
May 9, 2017
I was able to read this novel courtesy of netgallery
A strong 4 stars
This novel using the voyage and the eventual sinking of the ship the Lusitania as its focus, was a well done historical fiction novel that not only included the Lusitania's tragedy, but it also gave the reader a love story to follow as well.
The characters of Edward, Brooke, and Sydney were fine representation of the people of their time. The sisters, Brooke and Sydney, were extremely wealthy socialites. Brooke, was surely one who was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, while Sydney, portrayed as a woman's right activist, was more level headed and down to earth. Edward, a member of the British aristocracy needing money to continue his parents' estate, was a fine character as well. How they interact was the premise of the romantic element of the story.
The sinking of the Lusitania has, over the more than on hundred years since its sinking, fostered many theories and a few conspiracy theories as well. Did Churchill and the British admiralty know of the dangers to this ship? Did they hope that its sinking by a German submarine would encourage and foster America's entrance into the war? This is something the novel explores. Of course perhaps we will never know. However, what we do know is the out of the 1959 passengers who sailed on that fateful voyage, only 764 survived. Of the 33 babies on board only 6 survived. Also, in reading the author's notes it was learned that her great grandfather was on board this vessel. He had sent his family to England on another ship because he feared that the Lusitania with a cargo of guns and ammunition being forwarded to England, might make the Lusitania a floating target. He survived the journey, and is a character in this novel, thus being the motivation for Ms Izzo to write this story.
Again, as in countless other books, we learn the tragedy and consequences of war. Why we never learn and still are involved in events that produce tragedies such as the Lusitania, is a question that has never been answered and probably never will.
A strong 4 stars
This novel using the voyage and the eventual sinking of the ship the Lusitania as its focus, was a well done historical fiction novel that not only included the Lusitania's tragedy, but it also gave the reader a love story to follow as well.
The characters of Edward, Brooke, and Sydney were fine representation of the people of their time. The sisters, Brooke and Sydney, were extremely wealthy socialites. Brooke, was surely one who was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, while Sydney, portrayed as a woman's right activist, was more level headed and down to earth. Edward, a member of the British aristocracy needing money to continue his parents' estate, was a fine character as well. How they interact was the premise of the romantic element of the story.
The sinking of the Lusitania has, over the more than on hundred years since its sinking, fostered many theories and a few conspiracy theories as well. Did Churchill and the British admiralty know of the dangers to this ship? Did they hope that its sinking by a German submarine would encourage and foster America's entrance into the war? This is something the novel explores. Of course perhaps we will never know. However, what we do know is the out of the 1959 passengers who sailed on that fateful voyage, only 764 survived. Of the 33 babies on board only 6 survived. Also, in reading the author's notes it was learned that her great grandfather was on board this vessel. He had sent his family to England on another ship because he feared that the Lusitania with a cargo of guns and ammunition being forwarded to England, might make the Lusitania a floating target. He survived the journey, and is a character in this novel, thus being the motivation for Ms Izzo to write this story.
Again, as in countless other books, we learn the tragedy and consequences of war. Why we never learn and still are involved in events that produce tragedies such as the Lusitania, is a question that has never been answered and probably never will.
August 25, 2017
OK so I really wanted to like this book and two chapters in I thought I had a winner. However, from then on I just got seriously bogged down. I think what didn't help was the fact none of the characters were likable and Isabel in the English side of it was down right unpleasant. Also she wasn't very realistic. She went from working as a house maid to a typist in a top secret code room and then practically taking over there. She seemed to think she knew better than Churchill!!
It was the Suffragette part of the blurb that drew me to the book and this was slightly misleading. There was one incident in New York and one abortive attempt on the ship, otherwise it was just the thoughts of Sidney and what she wanted to do. Boring!
The 'romance' didn't do it for me either. There wasn't really any fleshing out of the characters. To me they appeared as cardboard cut outs.
The sinking of the ship was done very well, the best part of the story.
All in all I was disappointed with this book.
I've visited the Titantic museum in Cobh in Cork and they have a section on the sinking of the Lusitainia as well. It's very moving and well worth a visit.
It was the Suffragette part of the blurb that drew me to the book and this was slightly misleading. There was one incident in New York and one abortive attempt on the ship, otherwise it was just the thoughts of Sidney and what she wanted to do. Boring!
The 'romance' didn't do it for me either. There wasn't really any fleshing out of the characters. To me they appeared as cardboard cut outs.
The sinking of the ship was done very well, the best part of the story.
All in all I was disappointed with this book.
I've visited the Titantic museum in Cobh in Cork and they have a section on the sinking of the Lusitainia as well. It's very moving and well worth a visit.
May 27, 2017
This book does exactly what really great historical fiction is supposed to do, it transports the reader back in time and right on the great ship. You can feel the sea air, see the wake as the giant luxury liner cuts through the Atlantic and hear the bang as the torpedo hits the ship. This is the Lusitania after all and although it starts out as a pleasant cruise it definitely doesn't end that way. I was woefully ignorant about a lot of WWI in general and about the Lusitania in particular. The sinking of this ship is now so vivid in my mind I can see all the terrible things described in the story and they are absolutely horrible. It isn't easy to read about such violent and brutal deaths, especially of innocent civilians including children and babies. This is graphic and disturbing and I will never be able to hear the name Lusitania without thinking of the people trapped in the elevators as the ship went down, or the mothers literally tossing their babies towards the lifeboats in the hopes that someone would catch them. The worst part is it's all true. The cover says "Based on Real Events" which only makes it more devastating and heartbreaking.
There's a lot more to this story and it's really only the last day out of the seven days in the story that is so dark and sad. At the beginning there are society shenanigans, a forbidden romance, a woman fighting for women's rights and another woman in London fighting to have a career as a code breaker and to have her voice heard in a bureaucracy of men. There's a fair bit of humour and a lot of heart and it's for the most part pleasant. I've only just finished and right now the tragedy near the end has overshadowed the earlier, lighter parts of the story. I enjoyed the book all the way through and most especially the feminist characters. We think we have a tough fight now but in 1915 even mentioning birth control was considered vulgar and shameful. In the very first scene of the story we see where this kind of societal attitude leads as the main character, Sydney, visits a women's clinic which helps women recover from the damage done by unprofessional, sometimes self inflicted, abortions. It's shocking and makes me very thankful that women in the past fought for our rights to control our own bodies. Thank you ladies.
I received this book for free through a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway but this has not influenced my review in any way.
There's a lot more to this story and it's really only the last day out of the seven days in the story that is so dark and sad. At the beginning there are society shenanigans, a forbidden romance, a woman fighting for women's rights and another woman in London fighting to have a career as a code breaker and to have her voice heard in a bureaucracy of men. There's a fair bit of humour and a lot of heart and it's for the most part pleasant. I've only just finished and right now the tragedy near the end has overshadowed the earlier, lighter parts of the story. I enjoyed the book all the way through and most especially the feminist characters. We think we have a tough fight now but in 1915 even mentioning birth control was considered vulgar and shameful. In the very first scene of the story we see where this kind of societal attitude leads as the main character, Sydney, visits a women's clinic which helps women recover from the damage done by unprofessional, sometimes self inflicted, abortions. It's shocking and makes me very thankful that women in the past fought for our rights to control our own bodies. Thank you ladies.
I received this book for free through a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway but this has not influenced my review in any way.
May 17, 2017
This was a very entertaining story told in two parts. One part is about the passengers aboard the ship, Lusitania and the other part is about the men and women (mostly Isabel) working in Room 40 where all messages intercepted go to be decoded. It's war time and thoughts are strained, tension everywhere. Brooke, Sydney's sister, and the reason they are on board the Lusitania, is getting married to an impoverished aristocrat. Wow, is she a witch with a "b". She is definitely cray, cray and certainly keeps the story of the characters on the Lusitania more lifelike.
Isabel works in Room 40. She has a secret. She was hired to work in Room 40 helping to decipher the coded messages sent from the enemy, Germany. She is another cray, cray; but at least her heart is in the right place
A thrilling, tragic read that I was not, nor did I want to, put it down. We all know the ending of the last sailing of the Lusitania, however, this book really gives you the feeling you are there.
Thanks to Little, Brown & Company and Net Galley for the free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Isabel works in Room 40. She has a secret. She was hired to work in Room 40 helping to decipher the coded messages sent from the enemy, Germany. She is another cray, cray; but at least her heart is in the right place
A thrilling, tragic read that I was not, nor did I want to, put it down. We all know the ending of the last sailing of the Lusitania, however, this book really gives you the feeling you are there.
Thanks to Little, Brown & Company and Net Galley for the free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
September 7, 2021
I think I need to stop picking up books about women in wartime and expecting them to be different. There's such a huge trend right now about focusing on "unusual" women during the First and Second World Wars, whether that is "modern" women (liberal-minded, feminist, pants-wearing, etc.) or women who are somehow both incredibly smart and incredibly lucky and land amazing jobs that somehow make them spies. I've read far too many books where the main character fits into one of these categories, and Izzo happened to create two characters, one for each category.
Neither Isabel nor Sydney were particularly special. I've read so many books over the past couple years that have almost identical characters. I kind of hoped that the background of the Lusitania would make a difference, but it felt as though Izzo wasn't sure how to build the right atmosphere on the boat and kind of ignored it a lot. I don't know, I was hoping for more and really just found this to be a boring, cliched book.
Neither Isabel nor Sydney were particularly special. I've read so many books over the past couple years that have almost identical characters. I kind of hoped that the background of the Lusitania would make a difference, but it felt as though Izzo wasn't sure how to build the right atmosphere on the boat and kind of ignored it a lot. I don't know, I was hoping for more and really just found this to be a boring, cliched book.
January 3, 2018
A light read but nevertheless enjoyable. 3.5 stars.
June 11, 2017
***** http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
This book was such an unexpected surprise - I was enthralled from cover to cover. It incorporated so much and so well, that I found each and every aspect engaging - and there are many. This is what historical fiction is all about - transporting you to another time and place, and on this occasion, from war torn London to the deck of a ship doomed for tragedy.
‘... received anonymous telegrams warning them not to sail on the Lusitania because “she was doomed,” the implication being the great ship was going to be torpedoed.’
Firstly you have the tale of the Lusitania. I consider myself a fairly well read historian but the light Izzo sheds on some facts here is heart-rending. Firstly let’s just consider how well she has written to take such an established story (we all know the ship is doomed) and make it into a page turning travesty. The sinking of the ship is so vivid, in fact quite graphic, that images from James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ immediately spring to mind. And knowing that it’s all true, is gut wrenching: of the 1959 passengers who sailed that fateful day, only 764 survived, of 33 babies on board only 6 survived. Some of the conspiracy theories are raised, the main one focussing around, “Does Churchill want the Germans to target a neutral ship just to get the Americans to join the war?”
‘Churchill would use it to lure the Americans into the conflict. Somehow in Isabel’s mind she thought that if she intercepted a message at the right time then she could prevent tragedy. What was the purpose of breaking codes if they couldn’t be used to save lives?’
Secondly there is the role of women during this period of time. Everything from women’s political rights, to reproductive rights, to Isabel and her working rights in the light of an extra-matrimonial affair. Isabel is such an interesting character and her role in ‘Room 40’ - the top secret office set on breaking through codes for the British Admiralty office - and her quest and concern is honourable to the very end.
‘Ever since she had transcribed the ship’s name on the target list she felt responsible for it.’
Then there is the fall of the English aristocracy and the investment of American dollars to keep them afloat. What were people prepared to do for their manor or a title? The high-life of American heiresses and stories of the rich and famous, that would eventually go down with the ship, are recounted here. Izzo gives you a true indication of the stark contrasts between how the rich compared to steerage passengers fared in the first few days of this luxury liner sailing.
‘Her sister belonged in a world that was fading from fashion only she was too immersed in it to see it. The European penchant for titles and class was on the edge of collapse; the war was going to see to that.’
‘He was caught between ideology and tradition, needs and wants, morality and duty. His honesty, however, was not for sale.’
Overall what you have here is a rich historical tale of two really strong female leads who are intelligent and inspirational in many ways. The writing is so engaging - I can smell the cigarette smoke in Room 40 and feel the sea breeze aboard the Lusitania - Izzo does it so well. The depth of research and integration with fiction is truly commendable - it’s real and authentic through and through. The alternating tale between what happens on board ship, with real time what happens behind the scenes at Whitehall and the Admiralty is engrossing. The final scenes of the torpedo and sinking of the ship are indeed harrowing and gut wrenching.
“The Lusitania ... not only are they the most luxurious and safest transatlantic passenger liners in the world, they also have the capacity to become the fastest and most powerful armed cruisers in the war, should the need arise.”
I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it to all lovers of historical fiction.
“We need to forget what happened and move on. We had seven wonderful days together ... let that be enough.”
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release
This book was such an unexpected surprise - I was enthralled from cover to cover. It incorporated so much and so well, that I found each and every aspect engaging - and there are many. This is what historical fiction is all about - transporting you to another time and place, and on this occasion, from war torn London to the deck of a ship doomed for tragedy.
‘... received anonymous telegrams warning them not to sail on the Lusitania because “she was doomed,” the implication being the great ship was going to be torpedoed.’
Firstly you have the tale of the Lusitania. I consider myself a fairly well read historian but the light Izzo sheds on some facts here is heart-rending. Firstly let’s just consider how well she has written to take such an established story (we all know the ship is doomed) and make it into a page turning travesty. The sinking of the ship is so vivid, in fact quite graphic, that images from James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ immediately spring to mind. And knowing that it’s all true, is gut wrenching: of the 1959 passengers who sailed that fateful day, only 764 survived, of 33 babies on board only 6 survived. Some of the conspiracy theories are raised, the main one focussing around, “Does Churchill want the Germans to target a neutral ship just to get the Americans to join the war?”
‘Churchill would use it to lure the Americans into the conflict. Somehow in Isabel’s mind she thought that if she intercepted a message at the right time then she could prevent tragedy. What was the purpose of breaking codes if they couldn’t be used to save lives?’
Secondly there is the role of women during this period of time. Everything from women’s political rights, to reproductive rights, to Isabel and her working rights in the light of an extra-matrimonial affair. Isabel is such an interesting character and her role in ‘Room 40’ - the top secret office set on breaking through codes for the British Admiralty office - and her quest and concern is honourable to the very end.
‘Ever since she had transcribed the ship’s name on the target list she felt responsible for it.’
Then there is the fall of the English aristocracy and the investment of American dollars to keep them afloat. What were people prepared to do for their manor or a title? The high-life of American heiresses and stories of the rich and famous, that would eventually go down with the ship, are recounted here. Izzo gives you a true indication of the stark contrasts between how the rich compared to steerage passengers fared in the first few days of this luxury liner sailing.
‘Her sister belonged in a world that was fading from fashion only she was too immersed in it to see it. The European penchant for titles and class was on the edge of collapse; the war was going to see to that.’
‘He was caught between ideology and tradition, needs and wants, morality and duty. His honesty, however, was not for sale.’
Overall what you have here is a rich historical tale of two really strong female leads who are intelligent and inspirational in many ways. The writing is so engaging - I can smell the cigarette smoke in Room 40 and feel the sea breeze aboard the Lusitania - Izzo does it so well. The depth of research and integration with fiction is truly commendable - it’s real and authentic through and through. The alternating tale between what happens on board ship, with real time what happens behind the scenes at Whitehall and the Admiralty is engrossing. The final scenes of the torpedo and sinking of the ship are indeed harrowing and gut wrenching.
“The Lusitania ... not only are they the most luxurious and safest transatlantic passenger liners in the world, they also have the capacity to become the fastest and most powerful armed cruisers in the war, should the need arise.”
I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it to all lovers of historical fiction.
“We need to forget what happened and move on. We had seven wonderful days together ... let that be enough.”
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release
June 23, 2017
Historical fiction is a genre that I find pleasure in reading and this latest find certainly offered me another great read. The story of the Lusitania’s fatal voyage has long been of interest to me so I could not wait to read this novel. I was not aware of the mysterious Room 40 at the British Admiralty so I really enjoyed the way in which the author combined the two stories.
Read
May 17, 2017#SavvyReadathon reading
Fascinating insights to the WWI era on both sides of the Atlantic, England and NY featuring in the sailing of the Lusitania. Characters, each well developed within their past and present settings as relevant. Unique aspects of the war are explored with varying degrees of personal and political impact .
Exceptionally well written, tension saturates the atmosphere as this well paced drama unfolds ...
Fascinating insights to the WWI era on both sides of the Atlantic, England and NY featuring in the sailing of the Lusitania. Characters, each well developed within their past and present settings as relevant. Unique aspects of the war are explored with varying degrees of personal and political impact .
Exceptionally well written, tension saturates the atmosphere as this well paced drama unfolds ...
January 21, 2025
Seven Days In May has a lot of good qualities but to me it also has a major flaw: pacing.
The first two thirds of the book are very slow and after a while, I started feeling like nothing much was going on.
The last third is amazing though and in itself, it was enough for me to rate this book 4 stars. The sinking of the Lusitania and everything that happened to her passengers is told with a luxury of details and a lot of talent: it really makes you think you were there. I could feel the panic, the rush, the growing despair and the paralyzing cold in my own body.
Sydney is a wonderful main character, I just couldn't have enough of her. I also liked Edward and even Brooke, yes, she's very frivolous but her whole character made sense.
On the other hand, I never connected with Isabel and to be honest, I don't really think that storyline was necessary. We could have learnt a little about intelligence and cipher operations without needing a whole side story. The whole fallen woman/female rivalry was also pretty weak IMO.
A lot of research has gone into this book and it paid off. For me who only knew the most basic facts about the Lusitania, Seven Days In May was wonderfully educational (it also expanded my nautical vocabulary quite a lot). I found it particularly touching that the author's grandma was an actual survivor of the Lusitania.
The first two thirds of the book are very slow and after a while, I started feeling like nothing much was going on.
The last third is amazing though and in itself, it was enough for me to rate this book 4 stars. The sinking of the Lusitania and everything that happened to her passengers is told with a luxury of details and a lot of talent: it really makes you think you were there. I could feel the panic, the rush, the growing despair and the paralyzing cold in my own body.
Sydney is a wonderful main character, I just couldn't have enough of her. I also liked Edward and even Brooke, yes, she's very frivolous but her whole character made sense.
On the other hand, I never connected with Isabel and to be honest, I don't really think that storyline was necessary. We could have learnt a little about intelligence and cipher operations without needing a whole side story. The whole fallen woman/female rivalry was also pretty weak IMO.
A lot of research has gone into this book and it paid off. For me who only knew the most basic facts about the Lusitania, Seven Days In May was wonderfully educational (it also expanded my nautical vocabulary quite a lot). I found it particularly touching that the author's grandma was an actual survivor of the Lusitania.
May 24, 2023
The author's great grandfather was a survivor of the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915. Her grandmother told her the stories all her life. Kim Izzo uses fictional as well as historical characters to bring this fascinating story alive. It is well-researched and well-written. I enjoyed it very much.
August 20, 2018
The title Seven Days in May refers to the time that Brooke, Sydney and Edward spent on their fated journey from New York to Liverpool aboard the Lusitania, before it was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1915.
Even before we step aboard the luxury line we have a high society wedding in the offing. Edward Thorpe-Tracey, an impoverished owner of a fine estate is to marry Brooke Sinclair who has inherited a fortune from her father. Edward is hoping that the marriage will save the estate and provide a solid future for his disabled sister when he takes on the title Lord Northbrook. Brooke and her younger sister Sydney are dissimilar in many ways and Sydney is in disgrace having been arrested for her suffragette activities. Of course this has to be kept firmly under wraps so not to frighten the groom-to-be.
In a separate storyline we are in England, in Room 40 where codes are cracked and German dispatches are passed up the chain of control. Isabel Nelson has recently joined Room 40 on the helpful reference from her previous employer. She’s worked hard at evening classes to learn secretarial skills and is thrilled to be in the company of the other men and women undertaking such secret work; this young woman with a past feels like she’s making a difference to the war effort.
This is a book that promises a great deal and it certainly made for an interesting read, particularly as the author was moved to write the story having heard the stories of her Great Grandfather’s survival against the odds, of the sinking of the Lusitania as a boy. The story of the ship, the clothes and the taciturn captain all had an authenticity about them but the romantic tales that moved so many other readers fell a bit flat for me. Perhaps, despite all appearances, I am too romantic in that I never quite fully bought in that Brooke’s freedom and money in exchange for a title was the sum of this young woman’s ambition. Nor could I quite buy the fact that young Isabel Nelson was taken under the collective wings of the code-breakers and taught in such a short space of time how to not only transcribe them, but have time on the side to plot ship’s passages and run messages up to the head of the Admiralty himself, Winston Churchill.
For me the most moving scenes were of the tragedy itself. Here the writing really came alive with the scenes on the ship, and in the water having a feeling of authenticity that I had doubted earlier in the book. It was at this point the key characters fully came to life and behaved in a much more realistic fashion too. On balance, despite my reservations about the likelihood of Isabel’s talents being given an outlet so early on, and at that time in history, I preferred the storyline set in Room 40. I find the work carried out here fascinating and of course its origins gave rise to the work carried out at Bletchley Park during the next war, something which has become much better known over recent years. This area of interest was more to my taste than the one between the sisters and the impoverished Lord although I did enjoy meeting some of the hapless travellers on board as well as getting a sense of the safety measures taken given that even before they set sail there was some indication of the intention of the Germans.
Seven Days in May made for an interesting start to my 20 Books of Summer 2018 reading challenge and one that definitely gave me a deeper knowledge of this act which motivated the US to join forces against the Germans in WWI.
Even before we step aboard the luxury line we have a high society wedding in the offing. Edward Thorpe-Tracey, an impoverished owner of a fine estate is to marry Brooke Sinclair who has inherited a fortune from her father. Edward is hoping that the marriage will save the estate and provide a solid future for his disabled sister when he takes on the title Lord Northbrook. Brooke and her younger sister Sydney are dissimilar in many ways and Sydney is in disgrace having been arrested for her suffragette activities. Of course this has to be kept firmly under wraps so not to frighten the groom-to-be.
In a separate storyline we are in England, in Room 40 where codes are cracked and German dispatches are passed up the chain of control. Isabel Nelson has recently joined Room 40 on the helpful reference from her previous employer. She’s worked hard at evening classes to learn secretarial skills and is thrilled to be in the company of the other men and women undertaking such secret work; this young woman with a past feels like she’s making a difference to the war effort.
This is a book that promises a great deal and it certainly made for an interesting read, particularly as the author was moved to write the story having heard the stories of her Great Grandfather’s survival against the odds, of the sinking of the Lusitania as a boy. The story of the ship, the clothes and the taciturn captain all had an authenticity about them but the romantic tales that moved so many other readers fell a bit flat for me. Perhaps, despite all appearances, I am too romantic in that I never quite fully bought in that Brooke’s freedom and money in exchange for a title was the sum of this young woman’s ambition. Nor could I quite buy the fact that young Isabel Nelson was taken under the collective wings of the code-breakers and taught in such a short space of time how to not only transcribe them, but have time on the side to plot ship’s passages and run messages up to the head of the Admiralty himself, Winston Churchill.
For me the most moving scenes were of the tragedy itself. Here the writing really came alive with the scenes on the ship, and in the water having a feeling of authenticity that I had doubted earlier in the book. It was at this point the key characters fully came to life and behaved in a much more realistic fashion too. On balance, despite my reservations about the likelihood of Isabel’s talents being given an outlet so early on, and at that time in history, I preferred the storyline set in Room 40. I find the work carried out here fascinating and of course its origins gave rise to the work carried out at Bletchley Park during the next war, something which has become much better known over recent years. This area of interest was more to my taste than the one between the sisters and the impoverished Lord although I did enjoy meeting some of the hapless travellers on board as well as getting a sense of the safety measures taken given that even before they set sail there was some indication of the intention of the Germans.
Seven Days in May made for an interesting start to my 20 Books of Summer 2018 reading challenge and one that definitely gave me a deeper knowledge of this act which motivated the US to join forces against the Germans in WWI.
February 14, 2018
I wanted to like this more than I did. The story of the Lusitania is interesting enough, but it's all just a backdrop to the soapy stories of the main characters.
I just feel like this story didn't need these embellishments. The book could have followed just Isabel or just Sydney without the other "drama" and still have been a good book. But at least this has motivated me to seek out non-fiction books about Room 40 and the Lusitania and read more about this period in time.
I just feel like this story didn't need these embellishments. The book could have followed just Isabel or just Sydney without the other "drama" and still have been a good book. But at least this has motivated me to seek out non-fiction books about Room 40 and the Lusitania and read more about this period in time.
June 15, 2017
Isabel works in Room 40 for the British Admiralty during the First World War. What's being done there is top secret. She hopes nobody will find out about her past and her code breaking skills are giving her the second chance she needs. While trying to find out what the Germans are planning, Isabel discovers that war isn't fair at all. Some things never have a right outcome, no matter which side you choose to approach it from, it's a hard lesson that will leave a lasting impression.
Sydney's sister Brooke is engaged to an English aristocrat. Edward needs Brooke's fortune and Brooke wants his title. It's going to be a marriage of convenience. Sydney and Brooke travel to England together with Edward on the Lusitania. They've been warned the ship is at risk to be attacked, but nobody on board is really worried. Sydney and Brooke are constantly arguing. Sydney is a suffragette and Brooke is embarrassed by the behavior of her sister. While their relationship is becoming tenser with each passing hour, the two sisters and Edward have no idea they're about to face a grave danger. Will they survive?
Seven Days in May is an impressive story. I was immediately intrigued because of the strong heroines, women who want to use their brains and are fighting for equal rights. This made me instantly like the story. Isabel has a past and she's trying to make sure her reputation in Room 40 won't be tarnished. She's smart and curious and always does more than what's being asked of her. Sydney doesn't care about what people think of her, she fights for what she believes in and she constantly tries to educate others. Brooke is a more traditional rich woman, but one with an iron will. When she wants something, she goes after it and doesn't let go until she has it. I loved how well Kim Izzo describes the personalities of her characters. She makes them come to life incredibly well and I was amazed by their strength and confidence.
Knowing what would happen to the Lusitania kept me on the edge of my seat. Kim Izzo starts with regular problems, friendships and relationships and slowly builds up the tension. The more pages I turned the faster I wanted to read. I was fascinated and the story gripped me, maybe even more since I knew what was coming, but not exactly how it would happen. Kim Izzo has written a fantastic story, it's interesting and informative. She combines this with beautiful sentences and a nerve-racking adrenaline rush. I highly recommend Seven Days in May, I absolutely loved this compelling and moving story.
Sydney's sister Brooke is engaged to an English aristocrat. Edward needs Brooke's fortune and Brooke wants his title. It's going to be a marriage of convenience. Sydney and Brooke travel to England together with Edward on the Lusitania. They've been warned the ship is at risk to be attacked, but nobody on board is really worried. Sydney and Brooke are constantly arguing. Sydney is a suffragette and Brooke is embarrassed by the behavior of her sister. While their relationship is becoming tenser with each passing hour, the two sisters and Edward have no idea they're about to face a grave danger. Will they survive?
Seven Days in May is an impressive story. I was immediately intrigued because of the strong heroines, women who want to use their brains and are fighting for equal rights. This made me instantly like the story. Isabel has a past and she's trying to make sure her reputation in Room 40 won't be tarnished. She's smart and curious and always does more than what's being asked of her. Sydney doesn't care about what people think of her, she fights for what she believes in and she constantly tries to educate others. Brooke is a more traditional rich woman, but one with an iron will. When she wants something, she goes after it and doesn't let go until she has it. I loved how well Kim Izzo describes the personalities of her characters. She makes them come to life incredibly well and I was amazed by their strength and confidence.
Knowing what would happen to the Lusitania kept me on the edge of my seat. Kim Izzo starts with regular problems, friendships and relationships and slowly builds up the tension. The more pages I turned the faster I wanted to read. I was fascinated and the story gripped me, maybe even more since I knew what was coming, but not exactly how it would happen. Kim Izzo has written a fantastic story, it's interesting and informative. She combines this with beautiful sentences and a nerve-racking adrenaline rush. I highly recommend Seven Days in May, I absolutely loved this compelling and moving story.
July 10, 2022
It was half past nine in the morning when Sydney stepped out of the taxi wearing her most drab topcoat.
Sydney and her sister, Brooke, are sailing for England on board the Lusitania for Brooke's wedding to an English aristocrat, Edward Thorpe-Tracy. War is raging in Europe and the Germans have threatened to attack any ship sailing under a British flag, the passengers aboard the Lusitania have faith that the British navy will protect them. In London, Isabel Nelson is working on German codes and ciphers as part of the British Admiralty when she comes across a disturbing message.
This book has been on my to-read list for awhile (probably since I read Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania). I finally picked it up for my summer reading challenge (read a book about a boat). In some ways, it was not a great time to pick it up. The first chapter is about Sydney helping out in one of Margaret Sanger's clinics and protesting for access to contraception, which is a little difficult to read about given current events (the more things change and all that). But I pushed through and I am glad that I did.
The story mainly focuses on the relationships between the characters, especially on board the ship. There are three POVs in the story (Sydney, Edward, and Isabel) and they each have a distinctive voice. I liked reading Isabel's story because I haven't encountered that part of the First World War often (most code-breaking stories focus on WWII). It is hard reading the characters' stories and hopes and dreams, when you know how it is going to end and the author manages the foreshadowing well. I appreciated that the author included her own grandfather's story in the book along with the fictional characters. The author's note does a great job in discussing the historical background of the novel including great photos.
If you are looking for an emotional story set against the backdrop of a devastating historical event, then I highly recommend this book. It has great characters and great relationship development between them. It is also well-researched and includes a great author's note and bibliography, so if you like your historical fiction more on the factual side, you will find lots to like here.
CW: death of a prominent character, deceased parents, guns, harassment, medical procedures, sexual content (one mildly detailed scene), slut-shaming, war
Sydney and her sister, Brooke, are sailing for England on board the Lusitania for Brooke's wedding to an English aristocrat, Edward Thorpe-Tracy. War is raging in Europe and the Germans have threatened to attack any ship sailing under a British flag, the passengers aboard the Lusitania have faith that the British navy will protect them. In London, Isabel Nelson is working on German codes and ciphers as part of the British Admiralty when she comes across a disturbing message.
This book has been on my to-read list for awhile (probably since I read Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania). I finally picked it up for my summer reading challenge (read a book about a boat). In some ways, it was not a great time to pick it up. The first chapter is about Sydney helping out in one of Margaret Sanger's clinics and protesting for access to contraception, which is a little difficult to read about given current events (the more things change and all that). But I pushed through and I am glad that I did.
The story mainly focuses on the relationships between the characters, especially on board the ship. There are three POVs in the story (Sydney, Edward, and Isabel) and they each have a distinctive voice. I liked reading Isabel's story because I haven't encountered that part of the First World War often (most code-breaking stories focus on WWII). It is hard reading the characters' stories and hopes and dreams, when you know how it is going to end and the author manages the foreshadowing well. I appreciated that the author included her own grandfather's story in the book along with the fictional characters. The author's note does a great job in discussing the historical background of the novel including great photos.
If you are looking for an emotional story set against the backdrop of a devastating historical event, then I highly recommend this book. It has great characters and great relationship development between them. It is also well-researched and includes a great author's note and bibliography, so if you like your historical fiction more on the factual side, you will find lots to like here.
CW: death of a prominent character, deceased parents, guns, harassment, medical procedures, sexual content (one mildly detailed scene), slut-shaming, war
July 9, 2017
Boarding the Lusitania for a journey to England to be wed are Brooke Sinclair and her fiancé Edward Thorpe-Tracy, along with Brooke's sister, Sidney. While Brooke is effervescent, Sidney is ambivalent.
Their story is interspersed with the activities in Room 40, the British Intelligence Agency which deals with codes and ciphers. This group, especially Isabel Nelson, is drawn into the maneuverings of the German U-Boat, U-20. As information continues to come to Room 40, the code breakers become more and more uneasy and begin to question those in authority who are responsible for warning the Lusitania of impending submarine action.
I think it takes a particularly good storyteller to keep the reader's interest, and Kim Izzo does a wonderful job of this. I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of the Lusitania story!!
I read this EARC courtesy of Net Galley and Harper 360. pub date 05/02/17
Their story is interspersed with the activities in Room 40, the British Intelligence Agency which deals with codes and ciphers. This group, especially Isabel Nelson, is drawn into the maneuverings of the German U-Boat, U-20. As information continues to come to Room 40, the code breakers become more and more uneasy and begin to question those in authority who are responsible for warning the Lusitania of impending submarine action.
I think it takes a particularly good storyteller to keep the reader's interest, and Kim Izzo does a wonderful job of this. I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of the Lusitania story!!
I read this EARC courtesy of Net Galley and Harper 360. pub date 05/02/17
May 25, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this story about the Lusitania's final voyage. There are two perspectives driving the narrative. The main story is from the perspective of a young American heiress who is involved in women's issues, to the horror of her sister, who is engaged to be married to a British nobleman, a calculated union based on an exchange of money and title. The other point of view is also from a young woman, this time a British servant woman who manages to secure a clerical job at a code breaking facility in war time London.
The American sisters board the Lusitania, along with the British fiancé. The sisters are complete opposites, and conflicts, both in personalities and romance, rise sharply. Meanwhile, the clerk in London becomes more and more worried, based on the intercepted German codes, that the ship may be in grave danger, although no one seems to care. She, too, has her own problems, as her past threatens to end her budding career.
The author has deeply researched the entire event, and real life participants, and it drives the narrative authentically and gracefully. What a great read! It satisfies on so many levels. We know the event, of course, but it comes alive in the writing of this author. Bravo!
The American sisters board the Lusitania, along with the British fiancé. The sisters are complete opposites, and conflicts, both in personalities and romance, rise sharply. Meanwhile, the clerk in London becomes more and more worried, based on the intercepted German codes, that the ship may be in grave danger, although no one seems to care. She, too, has her own problems, as her past threatens to end her budding career.
The author has deeply researched the entire event, and real life participants, and it drives the narrative authentically and gracefully. What a great read! It satisfies on so many levels. We know the event, of course, but it comes alive in the writing of this author. Bravo!
September 23, 2020
Excellent ... a fictional historical account of the sinking of the Lusitania told from two alternating points of view: the first by passengers of the Lusitania and the other by the staff of Room 40, an early version of Bletchley Park.
For an historical account of the Lusitania, I highly recommend Dead Wake by Erik Larson. He does a wonderful job of writing history in a highly entertaining, narrative manner.
For an historical account of the Lusitania, I highly recommend Dead Wake by Erik Larson. He does a wonderful job of writing history in a highly entertaining, narrative manner.
June 17, 2017
As England fights the Germans, Room 40 is established to decode messages from the Germans. Isabel begins working in Room 40, continuing to receive messages tracking a German submarine near Ireland. At the same time, Brooke and Sydney Sinclair board the Lusitania, with Edward, Brooke's fiancee. I really liked both Isabel and Sydney, strong female characters fighting for their place in a time period not friendly towards ambitious and outspoken women. Knowing what happens to the Lusitania doesn't lessen the impact of reading the fates of the various characters, including the real life grandfather of the author. Recommended.
June 9, 2019
Seven Days in May Audience: Adult
Format: Paperback/Owned
It was half past nine in the morning when Sydney stepped out of the taxi wearing her most drab topcoat.
- first sentence
This is a romantic historical fiction novel that follows two sets of people during the first World War. The plot involving Sydney & Brooke (New York heiresses) and Brooke's fiancee Edward (a future lord who happens to be in significant debt) is all unlikely romantic triangle. They are traveling across the Atlantic on the Lusitania for Brooke & Edward's wedding. The other plot takes place in London where Isabel has found a job working with the codebreakers. Isabel & Sydney are both trying to fight for women's rights and against stereotypes in their own ways. The climactic event is the sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine.
The historical details and the fact that the author's great-grandfather was Walter Dawson, a passenger who was on the Lusitania, made this novel interesting. But I wasn't terribly invested in the characters or what happened to them. The part of the story where the Lusitania was sinking and passengers were struggling to survive was the most heartbreaking part of the book and also the most engaging.
I read this for Booklikes-opoly space #34 - When? - a book that is time travel or historical fiction. It has 349 pages and is worth $3.00
Format: Paperback/Owned
It was half past nine in the morning when Sydney stepped out of the taxi wearing her most drab topcoat.
- first sentence
This is a romantic historical fiction novel that follows two sets of people during the first World War. The plot involving Sydney & Brooke (New York heiresses) and Brooke's fiancee Edward (a future lord who happens to be in significant debt) is all unlikely romantic triangle. They are traveling across the Atlantic on the Lusitania for Brooke & Edward's wedding. The other plot takes place in London where Isabel has found a job working with the codebreakers. Isabel & Sydney are both trying to fight for women's rights and against stereotypes in their own ways. The climactic event is the sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine.
The historical details and the fact that the author's great-grandfather was Walter Dawson, a passenger who was on the Lusitania, made this novel interesting. But I wasn't terribly invested in the characters or what happened to them. The part of the story where the Lusitania was sinking and passengers were struggling to survive was the most heartbreaking part of the book and also the most engaging.
I read this for Booklikes-opoly space #34 - When? - a book that is time travel or historical fiction. It has 349 pages and is worth $3.00
September 14, 2017
LOVED this book! Was on page 23 yesterday morning and the book was so intriguing that I could not put it down till I finished. Two different stories told by three different people, one in London, one in New York & then on the doomed Lusitania itself.
This is Historical fiction at its best. So many of the events that happened on May 7th 1915 in this book are true events from survivor accounts, others are theory's & conjecture. But whatever the truth is; this is great reading about the sinking of the Cunard luxury civilian ship by a German Sub. It changed the course of history as to how we decipher code and how the game of War is played out.
This is Historical fiction at its best. So many of the events that happened on May 7th 1915 in this book are true events from survivor accounts, others are theory's & conjecture. But whatever the truth is; this is great reading about the sinking of the Cunard luxury civilian ship by a German Sub. It changed the course of history as to how we decipher code and how the game of War is played out.
October 7, 2018
I had a hard time getting into the characters. The name, Margaret Sanger, within the first few pages, made me sick to my stomach. I really didn't expect it. I could not like the character of Sydney because she thought so highly of Ms. Sanger. I really didn't care for the other characters either. They seemed two-dimensional to me so I didn't really care what happened to them. I skimmed a lot of the book. This was a very sad historical event but i did not get the feeling of loss and sorrow i was expecting. "Dead Wake", the non-fiction telling of the same event by Erik Larsen, was a much more riviting and haunting book in my opinion.
May 14, 2017
This ambitious tale on the high seas beautifully embraces the romance of love and the tenacity of conviction. It also pays homage to women who fought a different war in the days of the Lusitania. Through Kim's periscope of a one week, we are taken on a journey that provokes, embraces and reminds us that the human condition is a shared one. All with fabulous style. Compelling, heartbreaking and ultimately a rewarding read.
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