Survivors: A True-Life Titanic Story

by Elisabeth Navratil

This book explores aspects of the Pilot; what it is, when to apply it and for whom it was developed.

Genres: Biography

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2000

About the author

Elisabeth Navratil's grandfather, Michel Navratil, and her father and uncle, were aboard the Titanic on the night the world's unsinkable ship sank. The story of the tragedy is now very much a part of Elisabeth's own life story. She has realised her dreams of a career in music by becoming an opera director. Elisabeth has directed works such as Carmen, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, and as well as a production called Mozart Titanic.

Reviews

[Jemma Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book while on a city break in Belfast! Visiting the Titanic Belfast Museum was a fantastic experience! And I enjoyed everything about it, learning so much more than what I had learnt in school. This book was quite engaging, and I enjoyed reading it. It was a wonderful book to get me back into reading after a few months.
I will give it 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with Titanic books is that the market has been flooded with them before and after the anniversary, so that it's really hard to stick out from all the others. There are some people who have an added advantage, like Elisabeth Navratil, the granddaughter of Michel Navratil and daughter of his son, Michel Jnr.

For the people who don't know this story, a man who's wife had cheated on him essentially kidnapped their two children, Edmond and Michel, and ended up on the Titanic. Through a mishap, his wife does not find out where he's gone until after the accident.

This book pretty much covers the children's life on board, but as both were very young, the author has obviously had to take some allowances with the storyline and characters, as she states herself in the postscript, they had only a small recollection of the actual events that took place. I did find some sections of the book strange though - some stuff came up in conversation that the children wouldn't have been able to understand, or would have even been involved in, and this is where I found the book slipped for me. I think from a different perspective, it could have worked more as a fictional account based on truth, but because the author has a link to the events, she's tried to throw in too much information. I definitely think it would have worked better from an author who wasn't directly linked to the events.

However, the telling of the story was very good. She described the ship and the boys experiences as best she could, and that part of the book really shone through. I enjoyed the postscript at the end, which gave more information about at least Michel, but I would have enjoyed hearing more detail about his later life, rather than what was briefly mentioned.

It's certainly not the best book about the Titanic you can get out there, although I appreciate the author has done her research, but I do think it would have been better coming from an unbiased point of view. A quick and easy read, but certainly doesn't stand out in the overpopulated market of Titanic books.

[Kate Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable, with an interesting sub-plot of the children being taken from their mother. I don't feel it is accurate to describe it as a true-life story, due to the level of imagination clearly used to embellish the tale, including the level of intelligence and depth of thought from a 3 year old! This is also backed up by comments in the postscript.

[Barb Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent re-creation of the story of the two little boys dubbed 'The Titanic Orphans'.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Titanic story about French family (father and two small boys).

I am fascinated by Titanic. I read everything I can get. I know the story of the sinking inside out, but every time I read a story about it it grips me. And this book was no expectation.

Well written book by the granddaughter of one of the small boys. (And nothing wrong with the English translation either.) Good choise to use her imagination when there was no facts to be found.

[Vasu Udatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice