Women & Children First

by Gill Paul

She was the most magnificent ship ever built, yet on the eve of 14th April the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic, leaving the lucky ones floating in wooden rowing boats, and the rest struggling for their lives in the icy water.

The sinking of the Titanic not only steals lives but blows apart the futures of those who survive: Reg, a handsome young steward who works in the first class dining room: Annie, a gifted Irishwoman who is travelling to America with her four children: Juliette, a titled English lady who is pregnant and unmarried: American millionaire George Grayling and his wife Margaret who are trapped in a poisoned marriage; and a mystery passenger who never shows her face in public.

As each of them tries to come to terms with the aftershock of the fateful might, they must begin to rebuild their lives. But how can life ever be the same again when you've heard thousands of people dying in the water around you?

Rich with authentic historical detail, this unforgettable novel is sure to captivate fans of Downton Abbey, Rachel Hore, and Sarah Blakes The Postmistress.

Will coincide with the release of Julian Fellowes' four-part Titanic mini-series and James Camersons 3d Titanic.

Huge coverage expected for the centenary of the Titanic and major publicity for Women & Children First

Exclusive extra material includes original photographs from onboard the ship and the extraordinary facts behind the Titanic.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Historical Romance, Romance, Book Club, 20th Century

480 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2012

About the author

Gill Paul is the international bestselling author of thirteen novels, many of them reevaluating extraordinary twentieth-century women whom she believes have been marginalized or misjudged. Her novels have reached the top of the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Toronto Globe & Mail charts, and have been translated into twenty-three languages.
Her latest novel, Scandalous Women (2024), is about trailblazing authors Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann battling their way to the top in the misogynous boys' club of 1960s publishing. A Beautiful Rival (2023) is about the infamous feud between beauty tycoons Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein. Jackie and Maria (2020) was longlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown. The Collector’s Daughter (2021) was named a Times ‘historical novel of the month’ and The Manhattan Girls (2022), was reviewed in The Sun as a “sweeping, evocative tale” and in The Book List as “Witty, emotional and intelligent”.
Gill also writes historical non-fiction, including A History of Medicine in 50 Objects and a series of Love Stories. Published around the world, this series includes Royal Love Stories, World War I Love Stories and Titanic Love Stories.
Gill lives in London where she swims year round in a wild pond, and speaks at libraries and literary festivals on topics ranging from Tutankhamun to the Romanovs.

Reviews

[Misty Marie Harms · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let's talk about this beautiful cover. It is simply gorgeous!

On this journey back in time, we are told the story of Titanic from revolving viewpoints. From a first class passenger on down to a member of the crew, we are a witness to the courageous acts and the fear that grips the dying. I love that the stories didn't stop there. The ones that survive that horrifying night, their stories carry on. We stay with our survivors all the way to the end. It was a beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking read. Bring your tissues!

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been intrigued by the stories of the Titanic, It is hard to image what these people went through. The unsinkable ship, what happened? So many things went wrong.
This book did not disappoint. I have read many books from this author and enjoyed them.
We follow the stories of passengers and crew members on that tragic night.
The characters just came to life on the page.
I really like how Gill Paul continued the story, how the survivors went on with their lives in New York. Many grief stricken of what they should have done but didn’t do. The spilt second decisions that we made. What could they have done to make a difference.
Highly recommend.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had been on my TBR " what I am reading next shelf" for so much time, I cannot remember how long. But I am smashing those 2023 reading resolutions and making sure to address my backlog.

Women & Children First is not my favorite book by this author. Yep, going to say that straight up and out in the open. I appreciated the concept of giving readers a Titanic story that begins on the ship but is really focused on how the survivors dealt with the aftermath. There are multiple characters that are focused on- Reg, an employee of White Star, Annie, an Irish immigrant and 3rd class passenger, and Juliet, a first-class passenger escaping a possible scandal. Of the three, I certainly gravitated to Annie the most as she speaks for those that lost children on the Titanic. I read the book in one sitting and I appreciated the historical photos and notes at the back of the novel and for that, I end up giving the book a 3-star rating.


Goodreads review published 09/01/22

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It begins on the Titanic and then follows some of the survivors who arrived in New York.
The part written on the Titanic was great reading. The lead up and the sinking itself were done extremely well. It dipped slightly after this and the main character we're following, Reg, has so much happen to him, at times it stretched incredulity a bit. Annie, another character we continue on with had a bit of a boring story I thought. There was quite a bit of repetition in it.
However, over all it was a good read and I loved the Epilogue at the end. Always nice when an author wraps up loose ends we get to see what happened to them all.

[Nikki Bywater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women & Children First is a touching tale, about what it must have been like to survive the sinking of the Titanic.

Reg Parton is a good looking young steward, who works in the first class dining room. Reg dreams of one day running his own small restaurant.

Lady Juliette Mason-Parker is an English lady who is pregnant and unmarried. She is travelling to conceal her pregnancy in fear of been ostracised from society.

Annie McGeown is a mother of four, travelling with her children to join her husband in New York to start a new life living there from Ireland.

American millionaire George Grayling and his wife Margaret who have an unhappy marriage and George would like a divorce.

When the Titanic sinks on that fateful day back in 1912, in the North Atlantic, on its maiden voyage Reg, Juliette, Annie and George lives will be shook to the core. The lives of which they have known will change forever. They survived the Titanic, but will they be able to rebuild and survive the lives they now find themselves living?

This is a really moving story that will really touch your heart. The author Gill Paul says that she wanted to explore what it felt like to be on the Titanic and to survive. The main characters are all invented. The main character Reg was inspired by a photograph of a very handsome young man, who was a steward in first class and who died. In real life nothing is known of what happened to him and little is known of his background. Gill Paul created the character of Reg with this picture in her mind. Gill Paul’s characters may be fictitious, but many of their experienced are based on real events, which Gill Paul as researched. As a reader you really do get a feel of what it must be like, the book is excellently written so that it creates the build up and creates atmosphere and emotion of what it must have felt like to be on board, and then to have survived such a terrible disaster.

There is also a mystery theme to the story, which gets you as a reader more intrigued in the story. The chapters are written in such a way that leaves the reader in suspense and anticipation that makes you not want to stop reading and to carry on reading to find out what will happen.

I really enjoyed reading this novel by Gill Paul, it is a superb novel.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; not only because I have a large interest in the Titanic but because it was so beautifully written with a good level of character development, I found myself caring for the characters and becoming anxious about their fates, but this is all down to how lovely the writing was.

The story follows the lives of four characters aboard the Titanic and how their lives are affected after this. I can understand that some people would be put off by the idea of constant switches between character perspective, as a chapter is dedicated to one particular character and although usually I would have found this annoying I feel that Gill Paul pulled it off well.

The lives of these characters are stark opposites of each other; Reg is a steward in first class, Annie a third class Irish woman travelling with her four children, a first class man named Mr Grayling and Juliette a first class, unmarried, pregnant woman travelling with her mother. This is an excellent guide to understanding what the Titanic was like for all degrees of passengers aboard the ship and also helps the reader to relate to the characters. I, for one, feel that I grew attached to them because of the way they are portrayed. The lives of the all the characters actually entwine during multiple intervals throughout the novel which is not only interesting to discover their views of each other but also to contrast their lives and make the book seem more connected than full of separate characters.

All in all, a great read, I would recommend to any Titanic fan or anyone who is interested in life during 1912.

[Maggie Bermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

strangely i enjoyed this book..yes we all know what happens in the end, but this book took the story further by asking what happened next.. though story purely fictional and soem bits were raised eyebrows at.. it was quite a good wee read!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent account of the days following the sinking of the Titanic which sticks very close to the facts. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Five stars.

[Graceann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought there couldn't be a new angle on the Titanic story, but I was mistaken. Here, Gill Paul takes a select group of characters and explores how they deal with surviving the disaster. It makes for much more interesting reading than I initially thought it would. How do you live with the memories of struggling for your life and watching others die?

This is largely an ensemble piece, but there is one character who gets more ink than the others, Reg. I think that this is appropriate given that he interacted with all of the rest and that a compelling storyline has been created for him. This started out being a three-star read for me, because I thought I knew what was coming from about page 200 and I found that disappointing and cliched. As it turned out, however, I was quite wrong and got a big surprise. I love it when an author does that, and it lifted my rating to five stars just for sheer enjoyment and appreciation of her ability to provide the unexpected.

Written in an accessible yet classy style, with characters you actually care about (I was especially grateful for the "what happened later" epilogue) and a compelling set of storylines, I thought this novel was a winner. I'm now interested in other pieces from this author.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I officially have a new favourite author (to add to the ever growing list). When I picked this book up in a book sale, I never thought I would have enjoyed it so much and in fact, I do not think I would have purchased it, if it was not related to Titanic. I do not know what it was which made me hesitant but you should not judge a book by its author or cover as this pleasantly surprised me.

I have always been fascinated with the story of the Titanic and really enjoyed the description of the ship. It looks like the author did a fair amount of research on the ship, some of its passengers and events related to the sinking. The first part of the book is dedicated to the journey and tragic sinking while the second part is based on the lives of four survivors and how they coped with the tragedy, bereavement and their new life in New York. At some point, the lives of these four survivors intertwine and I like how the author managed to incorporate a bit of mystery, particularly at the end. Definitely a page turner, full of likeable and fascinating characters. Will most certainly look up other Gill Paul novels :)

[Casandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has such a high rating, and now having read it, I'm really surprised. It's not the worst book I've ever read, and on the positive side, I did think the author captured captures nicely the chaos of the sinking while still sticking to the facts and not sensationalizing or demonizing people (looking at you, James Cameron). But that was about it as far as the good goes.

The characters all rotate POVs throughout the book, and for the most part, they seem pretty one dimensional. The dialogue is ridiculous - it sounds like these are people living in 2012, not 1912, and so that was annoying. There wasn't much of a time when I felt like I had really been transported to the setting, whether it was the Titanic, the Carpathia, or 1912 New York.

Then there was what happened to the characters afterwards. It was all so ridiculous, sometimes over-the-top, or overly sentimental and schlocky. These included a murder mystery, an attempted murder, a woman with the "second sight" who begins practicing spiritualism, and a romance and marriage. Everything at the end got wrapped up a little too neatly for me too, and then there was the epilogue. Dear God, the epilogue. These were fictional characters, but the epilogue was written as though they were real and the author was describing historical events. It was short, rushed, and some of what was described was simply not believable based on what had been written before.

I was looking forward to reading this book, because not many books or movies delve into the idea of what it would be like AFTER surviving something like the Titanic. But this one was a miss, for me.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes you think. To be lucky enough to survive a tragedy such as the sinking of the titanic, yet having to live on with guilt and remorse. Sometimes you can't escape what life has in store for you.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The first part while aboard the titanic and the immediate aftermath is more like a 4-4.5 star book. I lost interest in the made up lives of the surviving characters in the months after the sinking.
The historic details of the ship and how life was like aboard were excellent. I felt like I was a part of it and flew through the first 200 pages. Getting to see life from crew, first class and third class perspectives was great. The hitting of the iceberg and the chaos that ensued afterwards was fabulously written. The terror of realization that it was sinking, how poorly the rescue was dealt with, how many lifeboats left half full, and just the split second decisions that had to be made was written wonderfully. How people survived and the horror of hearing and seeing so many others die was shown well in this story.
Then we get to the how do you continue after a tragedy like this and the characters new lives in New York. Some of this was interesting but parts got a bit too far fetched for me. Characters like Reg had so much happening to them it felt unrealistic. I got a bit bored with Juliet's story and Annie's as well really. Parts were alright but the last section was just too long for me.

Overall a good book, just not a great one.

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astonishingly moving and wonderfully written. My first Gill Paul but not my last.

[Steph LaPlante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rate 6.5/10
I was very interested in reading this book because like most people, I've always had a fascination with the Titanic. I've read a few novels about the Titanic but none that followed the lives of people after the sinking. I've always wondered how did life go on for people afterwards, how can life go on after going through such a dramatic ordeal? It was neat to see an authors idea of how that could've played out, by writing the lives of 4 survivors.
It was a good fast read and I did enjoy it.

[Jennifer N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was hard to put down. Part 1 takes place on the Titanic and we get different perspectives. Reg is a first class steward, Annie is an Irish mother who is taking her children to meet her husband and Juliette is a young, pregnant first class woman trying to find a husband quickly. Part 2 is what happens after the sinking (spoiler alert - all 3 survive). It was really interesting and I liked all of the main characters and was rooting for them.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. As always Gill Paul wrote a page turner.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book follows 4 passengers from the Titanic, as they try to get on with their lives after the disaster.

Reg-a first class steward, an all around good guy who struggles with the loss of his best friend

Lady Juliette-A young British woman of good breeding, who is traveling to America to hide a pregnancy

Annie-An Irish woman traveling alone with her 4 children to join her husband in America

Margaret and George-an American couple returning home after visiting Europe

This was a fast, fairly light read with a a good story. The writing isn't spectacular, but for a HF/Romance/ Mystery it held it's own. It was nearly a 4 star read for me, until the last third of the book. The ending to each persons story seemed a bit far-fetched to me and that annoyed me enough to cut it down to 3 stars.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I didn’t have a lot of time to sit and read so this book was a perfect fit. Short chapters, easy plot line, incredibly enjoyable every time I picked it up.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

And this makes.......a hat-trick of 5* reads by this author !! Another superb story, though, as is her wont, her books are set around true stories which I really like a great deal-can you tell ? Of course, the title gives this one away as being set on the ill-fated Titanic, though not too much is actually on board as we follow the lives of a few of those who were lucky enough to survive. She advises us at the end that pretty much all the main characters are set around real people aboard, and especially Reg. I liked him a great deal, though wasn't always impressed by decisions he made along the way. He gets to redeem himself in my eyes, though. Another favourite was Margaret Grayling.....what a lovely lady.
It was shocking to read, in amongst all the grandeur on board that the staff only had 2 baths for 800+ of them !! Another shocking thing I'd never considered was it being as dark as it was and upon ending up in the water that night, it was hard to figure out in which direction to swim ! I'd never, ever heard of a Lozier car, either, so looked those up on Google. It was sad to read a ship had been closer than the Carpathia that night, which I don't recall reading about before. I looked up The Horseback Dinner, too.
Something I didn't like and hope gets "fixed" for future editions is the utilisation of the first line from each chapter in the Table of Contents. Of course I couldn't just flick past them so ran my eyes down them only to learn one constituted a big fat spoiler !! THAT needs sorting.
I also wasn't keen on a couple of spellings she used when the Irish women spoke......like wan or childrun.....there was no need for it and at first I thought they were frightful spelling mistakes till I saw them repeated further in. Amazon needs to fix its spelling of Juliette in their synopsis as well as it's written Juliet. Not sure if it is on Goodreads as well but I'll check and correct that myself if it's wrong when I've finished my review.
I spotted one missed out fullstop and wondered whether dictates should've been dictats when it was used and bucks severance pay I'd have put an apostrophe in but that was it for my nitpicking.
A couple of parts made me properly cry but I'll leave you with this passage the author writes at the end....says it all, really: "The experience of sitting in a lifeboat listening to 1496 people dying in the water around you must have been devastating."

[Saturday's Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one I noticed on some Goodreads lists and wanted to read it as it has the Titanic in the plot. I have read the authors non-fiction book so I was looking forward to reading this one. At first I wondered if it could hold my interest in part two, the lives of people after the sinking but it certainly did.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read, Set around a heartbreaking story line. The sinking of the Titanic it’s a story that everybody knows about me and to read this novel based around this has been an emotive experience.
The characters were interesting, likeable and stood out on their own on the page. I think the only Negative thing I would say , is that it was slow being told.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had so much promise. Titanic has been done a million times. The idea that this might explore the lives of the passengers after the disaster was really exciting to me. Sadly, not one of the characters were interesting, well-developed, realistic, or even likable.

[Soo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. I kept imagining the movie version of Titanic as I read it. Great job giving a historical account of the sinking and bringing in personal life stories to hook the reader.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The setting for Women and Children First was the doomed maiden voyage of the Titanic. Through the lives of three people aboard the ship, the author examined how survivors managed in the aftermath of the tragedy. Reg, a first class steward, Annie, a steerage passenger, and Juliette a first class lady, each had unique stories and secrets that were depicted so well in this historical fiction novel.

Everything, both good and bad, about the ill fated ship was brought to life so well here. The author clearly had done significant research, as the many details of the ship were used to help create this story. The first few chapters highlighted the ship’s luxury with scenes set in the well known lavishly decorated rooms. The characters’ problems were expressed in the first few chapters, so I was instantly immersed in their drama.

The sinking was depicted as a chaotic scene, and the truth of that night was absolutely heartbreaking to read about. The time period of 1912 is interesting to me because it was filled with decorum and social procedures that are so foreign to present day readers. those procedures kept third class passengers locked in the ship while stewards seated life boats according to class. Reg and Juliette’s life after the sinking was challenging because they found it hard to live life the way society expected them to after seeing such trauma.

The writing was so great. This was my third novel by this author and I continue to love everything she writes! This was an emotional novel with human characters, and good plots with interesting climaxes. The story was compelling and heart wrenching in a way that only a talented author can achieve. I highly recommend this.

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical fiction brought me back to 1912 and one of the most famous disasters at sea of what was considered the unsinkable Titanic. Paul delivers the horrific turmoil of the collision and also, the aftermath’s effects on its survivors. It’s these stories that make up the greater part of the story. With much of the narrative coming through the person of first class waiter, Reg Parton, we get a glimpse into not only the utter devastation of the sinking but also, the machinations of the treatment of different classes of passengers. On board ship, it was clearly a microcosm of a very different set of social mores than exists today. The author reflected some factual stories of actual passengers and fabricated others while all the while presenting the effects on both upper class wealthy people like the Graylings and working class families like Annie McGeown’s. Although I found most of the stories compelling, I thought that some were hard to believe. Clearly, there were hints of what we might call PTSD today and the coping strategies used by the characters certainly looked familiar. Overall, I enjoyed this book and author’s writing style.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

My intention to dislike this book failed. I was hooked upon boarding the Titanic. From E deck to Aster deck, the souls aboard ship faced the same disaster. The characters were representative of all classes and occupations. The survivors were re-united, either loosely or closely, in New York City through tragedy, joys, sorrows and mysteries. Look for the character who survives the Titanic and takes the Lusitania on his return trip home to England.

Thank you, Ms. Paul, for a good read.

[Vanessa ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I really love her writing and have read quite a few of her books but this one fell short for me..good but not great, although I loved her take on the Titanic events and focusing on the aftermath.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Gill Paul’s writing style. Once I start, I always get sucked into her characters and find the story to be compelling and engrossing.

One thing I really liked about this one was how it focused on a male protagonist. I read a lot of fiction by women, and I love stories about women through history, but I really found this to be refreshing for some reason.

Sure, there were female protagonists too, but to me, Reg stood out as the main one,

In all, an excellent read with a bit of mystery and subterfuge, lots of opulence, and characters that simply walk off the page.

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good yarn to sink your teeth into. I liked Reg and the other main characters esp Mrs Grayling.