Amanda/Miranda

by Richard Peck

Intrigue, romance, and scheming aboard the Titanic

This updated edition of the popular Richard Peck novel, available in time to commemorate the anniversary of the Titanic's fateful voyage in 1912, starts with a chilling prophecy. When Miranda begins her position as maid-servant to the glamorous and selfish Amanda Whitwell, Amanda wastes no time in using Miranda to suit her own cruel purposes. Miranda becomes the lynchpin to a plot that Amanda devises to marry an American who can maintain her lavish lifestyle, but also keeps the rogue she loves close at hand. However, destiny intervenes, and they board the ill-fated Titanic. This story has all of the romance, glamour, intrigue, and tragedy of the Titanic but ends, satisfyingly, with redemption and forgiveness.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Mystery, Childrens

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Richard Peck was an American novelist known for his prolific contributions to modern young adult literature. He was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel A Year Down Yonder. For his cumulative contribution to young-adult literature, he received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1990.

Reviews

[Sarah Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently there's an abridged middle-grade version of this novel, & I'm sure it's horrible. The central topics -- abusive mistresses, social/class upheaval, sexual manipulation, bigamy, & the ridiculous loss of life on the Titanic -- wouldn't fit properly in a mid-grade frame. That said, the original adult version is way too long, lingering (needlessly?) over endless descriptions of clothes, furniture, scenery, architecture, housekeeping, & social issues of late Edwardian England. Indeed, the last 150-odd pgs are easily the best of the book, & would have been better in an overall product half the length.

Aside from the meandering descriptions -- well-written, yes, but still annoyingly long-winded -- the biggest flaw is that Amanda has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Even the cruelest villain requires *something* sympathetic (aside from those rare 'pure evil' characters, e.g. Sauron in LotR), otherwise their villainy is cardboard & obnoxious...as was the case here. There was no legit reason for Thorne & Gregory to be so devoted. Why? How? Nobody will ever know.

Miranda herself had quite a journey, but she was dense & not particularly interesting. You can't keep seeing through manipulation & still be surprised when you're treated like crap...yet she was. Go figure. (And being an exact duplicate of someone you're not related to? Yeah, that stretches belief. I figured she'd at least turn out to be a bastard daughter, but nope. She just looked like Amanda. Sounded like Amanda. Had THE SAME FIGURE as Amanda. Whut.) Anyway...far more interesting were side characters like butler Finley, housemaid Betty, & Eleanor, the aristocratic matriarch of the family.

I've read worse, but this wasn't anything special. So here's an equally lukewarm 3 stars.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally published in 1980 as an adult novel more than three times the length of this version, Amanda/Miranda was re-edited and released decades later for young readers, the audience Richard Peck has more appeal with. In 1911 England, eighteen-year-old Mary Cooke comes from a poor family and has few prospects. Her mother hires her off as a serving girl to Sir Timothy and Lady Eleanor Whitwell, whose teenage daughter Amanda claims Mary as her personal attendant. Amanda changes Mary's name to Miranda to echo her own, but that isn't the strangest thing. The resemblance between the girls is enough they could pass for twins, though Miranda isn't high-mannered like the Whitwell heiress. Miranda can't forget a prophecy spoken over her by the local Wisewoman, who predicted a bizarre, wondrous future for her. Right now Miranda is only a maid.

Household servants bicker and Amanda is a difficult boss, but Miranda finds small pleasures in employment by the Whitwells. One source is John Thorne, a young man hired by the estate who, late one night, grabs Miranda in the hallway and kisses her. Ah...he mistook her for Amanda, the first sign Miranda sees that Amanda doesn't plan to marry Gregory Forrest, whose family heritage makes him a logical mate. Amanda prefers John Thorne and will do what's necessary to have him, though Lady Eleanor would be outraged.

Handsome as Miranda finds Gregory, John Thorne is closer to her social class and a more practical option. Miranda and John are repeatedly drawn into each other's orbits, Amanda's gravity accounting for these coincidences more than anyone knows. She plans on traveling to America with Gregory but finding romance with John Thorne, and having Miranda go along on the voyage to shade her own sly intentions. Amanda's schemes usually work out...but the Wisewoman's prophecy has yet to bloom. The sea vessel they are taking to America is the Titanic; where will Miranda and Amanda wind up on the other side of the coming disaster?

"The mercy of a stranger may well be the most valuable of all gifts and the least understood."

—Amanda/Miranda, P. 146

Richard Peck's parade of pretty words perfectly suits the elegance of the Whitwell manor. The story addresses themes of self-determination and making the best of a situation that turns bad, but the emotional connection isn't quite there for me to rate Amanda/Miranda more than two and a half stars. This abridged edition is probably more enjoyable than the original, but I'm curious what they left out. Any way you slice it, Amanda/Miranda is a decent Richard Peck novel.

[E.M. Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a Titanic retelling as much as the next person, but I would recommend Passage , Connie Willis' exploration of the power of Titanic's story crossed with near-death experiences, over this one.

Amanda/Miranda is the kind of short novel that I think about when someone says "dime store pulp stories." Written by the late Richard Peck long before young adult existed as a genre, it's a fever dream of melodrama and over-the-top tropes, on top of one of the most famous nautical disasters in history.

The plot? Our heroine is Mary, or Miranda as she comes to be known, a British country girl pressed into service as a maid in Edwardian England. She also bears a striking resemblance to her manipulative mistress, Amanda, that is never explained.

There is a germ of a good novel hiding in this story about Amanda and her refusal to live a patriarchal existence. This novel is not that book. Many, many ridiculous hijinks ensue before the famous ship even makes an appearance.

If memory serves, I heard about this novel on a bookseller's TikTok in a list of books about the famous disaster long before last summer's disastrous submarine trip put Titanic back on everyone's radar. Truthfully, I can't be 100 percent sure if that's where I heard about it.

Half the fun of reading as much as I do means I can blow my attention on a deeply silly book every now and then. You can definitely put this one in that column.

I am grateful as always for Toronto Public Library's extensive ebook collection, which means I can experiment with books like this one without spending my own money to explore.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about 300 pages too long, but I can't think of any portion or subplot to cut from it. All of it seems completely necessary to the story, which is complicated, emotional and very well articulated. Peck writes from the perspective of both Amanda and Miranda as well as from the third person omniscient perspective with none of the jarring transitions other books who employ that device seem to fall prey too. The historical period clothing and home decor are vibrantly described, especially by a male writer.
I picked this book up originally because of the fact that a voyage on the Titanic figures prominently in the story; however, the interlude does not seem terribly original, and a lot of what happens is foreshadowed quite heavily earlier in the book.
Otherwise, though, I did enjoy the majority of the book.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Miranda -born Mary Cooke- goes into service in the Whitwell home, and becomes lady's maid to the willful, beautiful Amanda Whitwell. Amanda is being courted by a wealthy American who dreams of building safe and sound homes for immigrants in the States - and Amanda dreams of ways to be with her chauffeur lover. Happily, Miranda looks like Amanda's twin. Amanda plots and connives to find a way to have American money and her common lover - and then all those plans, Amanda and Miranda get on the maiden voyage of the Titanic to sail to America to meet the rich fiance.

There were a lot of adult themes: sexual immorality, lies, deception, selfishness - and all of it smoothly resolved by people ultimately being okay with the deception. I like Peck, but this is not his best work.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a book sale for less then .20 cents. I didn't know anything about it. I only got it because of the title. My name is Amanda and my sister's name is Merinda but everyone calls her Miranda when they first meet her. Anyhow, I rather enjoyed it. It was an interesting story line with a somewhat satisfying ending. I only liked 2/3 of the ending. It was very interesting how the main character's name is so important, and how at the end when her name is said you have to sit and remember who they are even talking about. I liked the author's style of writing but some of the words and phrases he used made me forget it was suppose to be set in 1912 and not more recent.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel deals with an English lady’s maid who looks like her willful mistress, enough so that when the mistress’s promiscuity ends in her drowning on the Titanic, the maid takes her place and makes a good life for herself New York. The book is fairly positive and interesting historical fiction that portrays the “upstairs/downstairs” class structure of turn of the century England. However, though the sexuality is implicit and understated, it forms the major motivation for upper class Amanda’s (the mistress) motivation, so this book is rather PG13 rated.

[Kayli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOOOOOVED reading this book! Honestly it was a treat to read. Why haven't I ever seen it before? Richard Peck's fantastic writing (I love Richard Peck!), captivating plot, good ending. I think if you're female, you'll love it. It's not very deep and it is fairly predictable, but mainly it's just a purely delightful book.

p.s. I just barely noticed that this is the YA abridged version, and I'm pretty sure that's what I read, and not the full adult version. Hmmm, I wish I could find that version, it would probably be even better.

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amanda/Miranda was kind of like an interesting twist on the Prince and the Pauper. I liked the story and the little twists and turns in it. Amanda is a rich girl living in England and Mary is soon to be her maid (and soon to be renamed Miranda upon Amanda's insistence). The girls are practically twins. Amanda realizes she can use this to her advantage when it comes to the two men in her life. Unfortunately, the girls end up headed for American on the Titanic and Amanda's plan may not work out the way she hoped.

[Sydney Cowie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I've read over and over since I fist picked it up at a library sale when I was 14. Amanda/Miranda is the perfect soap opera. I can't help but picture a 19 year old Elizabeth Taylor in the title roles.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Divertissant, mais répétitif. Personnages peu attachants.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naive and innocent Mary becomes clever, manipulative, and bored Amanda's lady's maid, and lives change forever. I liked the story a lot, really, but wow I did not at all like the writing style. I've loved his narration in books also published around this one, so it was a deliberate choice that kept me from really getting into it. Super melodrama, with Mary and Amanda unrelated yet virtually identical, and some romances.

I also think there's a clear undercurrent that says if Amanda had lived decades later, been educated and able to live her chosen life, she wouldn't have been such a crappy person. I like that. But it was fun to find the similarities to Downton Abbey and 1998's Titanic, written decades after this.

[Lindsey King · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in high school and I loved it, so I thought I’d reread it again. I still enjoyed the storyline, but I must have read an abridged version because the character development is lacking and there are major plot holes. I wanted to love this book as I did before, but lll have to find the full version to see if it fills the holes.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is rated as a 5th grade level reading book, however, the content although not explicit, is not what I would consider appropriate for a ten to eleven year old child to read.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melodrama at its finest

[Leeyela]

such a good book if you love titanic fiction

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

wanted much more time on Titanic. To much early back story.

[Mia Power · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read of book read in earlier teen years - why was I reading this then?? Still an interesting plot but story could have been fleshed out a lot more.

[Beth Rupe · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old (1980s) but goodie that I found at a book sale. Enough intrigue to keep me interested. A bit wordy but tolerable. I can pass it on if anyone desires.

[Ava Pultorak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Cooke, a young maid working for the Whitwell family looks identical to the family’s young mistress and Amanda Whitwell, a young mistress with an arrogant attitude, play the lead roles in “Amanda Miranda” written by Richard Peck. The author begins the book with Mary stumbling upon an old woman in the woods who describes to Mary that her future holds two marriages and that she will die and live again. After Mary finds her way back to the path, she had run off from, and is also the place where her parents stand to wait to carry on to Mary’s new job as a maid at the Whitwell estate. Soon after Mary arrives, she is ordered to go serve Ms. Amanda Whitwell. She gradually starts to become fixated on Mary because she looks very similar to the young mistress, sparking a plan in her mind. While Mary serves Ms. Amanda for the first time, she decides to rename Mary, Miranda. This begins Amanda’s detailed plan to end up with her true love, John Thorne, instead of the American Architect, Gregory Forrest. Amanda’s plan requires Miranda to marry John Thorne so that when Amanda is engaged to Gregory Forrest and moves to New York, John will come with Miranda since Miranda is Amanda's maid. As time goes on, Amanda succeeds in accomplishing the first two parts of her plan, but after Miranda got married to John Thorne, she realized Amanda used her and becomes very angered by the situation. Then the journey begins as Miranda and Amanda travel to New York on the Titanic, and John Thorne stays behind to accompany the mistress’s car months later on a different ship. In the beginning, Miranda and Amanda’s journey was running smoothly until The Titanic began to enter icy waters. The ship’s crowd became chaotic as they scrambled to get off the boat, but nobody knew where to find Ms. Amanda Whitwell. Miranda struggled to search for Amanda, but after learning the fate Amanda most likely suffered through, Miranda became overwhelmed. The boat sinking deeper into the Atlantic Ocean forced Miranda to jump off the ship. The jump would change her life forever turning her journey into someone else’s life.
“Amanda Miranda” written by Richard Peck, in memory of the voyage of the Titanic, shows insight into what social classes were like in 1912, the life of women in the early 1900s, and romance between people from the early 1900s expanding the knowledge readers have on these topics. Peck’s book falls into the young adult, romance, and historical fiction genres. The book, recommended for 12 to 18-year-olds includes strong emotion, tragedy, and a high level of vocabulary. When reading “Amanda Miranda” I felt intrigued to read more because the strong emotion and the history portrayed in a fictional way. Richard Peck’s portrayal of the Titanic creates a more exciting way for teenagers to learn the basics of the Titanic story.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this one years ago and I'm not sure if it was the abridged version or not. (I have a feeling it was not abridged, because I vividly remember a scene that would have been considered too risque for middle grade readers.) But as far as I can tell, it wouldn't make any difference, because the problems I had with this book lie in the creative choices, not the writing.

The protagonist, while going on a wild and crazy journey, was very bland, even passive. The antagonist on the other hand was a real go-getter who knew what she wanted and how to get it, but had no redeeming qualities. Yet she was able to string two different men along as romantic/sexual partners, even to the point where one of them was cheating on his wife to be with her. Thing is, the entire nexus of the story revolved around the fact that his wife looked exactly like the antagonist, which makes it even more bizarre - it wasn't like she was physically more attractive, and she definitely wasn't nicer in terms of personality. So what gives?

Anyway, the antagonist gets pregnant with the husband's kid... and is promptly killed on the Titanic. Her servant-double then assumes her identity, is accepted by the antagonist's family even after her deception is discovered, and everything is tied up in a neat little bow. (The cheating husband had already disappeared from the narrative before they even boarded the Titanic, killing any chance of the reader figuring him out.) The whole thing felt pointless and goofy. Any semblance of an interesting premise got bogged down by poor execution, and the more mature themes weren't handled very well. It sucked.

[Rebecca Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peck decided to write for adults, and this early novel shows why he was better off writing for teens. I don't say that as an insult to writing teen fiction. Not at all. I adore almost every single middle grade/high school book he wrote (and I'm reading them all). But I do say that he was still finding his footing here. Peck spent some time living in England and I think he did do a wonderful job of creating an immersive and convincing English setting. The early book feels like a moody English Gothic novel, a darker Downton Abbey, complete with a meaner butler and crazier mistress. The servant and young lady are depicted with some depth, though the higher born girl had a mean streak that isn't really ever defined, beyond spoiled madness. There's a hulking brute, straight from Wuthering Heights, but several IQ points lower. The novel has the plot tropes of a book written in the nineteenth century, and I felt at times like it was Peck's very long writing assignment for a hip English professor who thought of interesting ways to assign senior thesis projects. I do love Peck, but I don't love this one. I'm so glad for the world that he found his voice in writing for other audiences.

[Vicki Jaeger · Rating 4 out of 5]

My aunt had this book, and I can't even tell you how many times I read it! Finally found the unabridged version, and it was a great read.
A couple of quotes:
"I was beginning to learn that the Americans were more moved by the English peerage than any Englishman is. And I puzzled then, as I have puzzled since, over the strangeness of the American nation in turning their back on British rule. For a people who had turned their backs, they spent a great deal of time peering admiringly over their shoulders."

About men, women, and war:
"And I might even have cursed Gregory if he had not tried to hide his eagerness to be gone.
For yes, that is the way with men. They can come close to weeping like women at parting, but there is something else in them, something invisible to our eyes. They will throw themselves into battle. They are small boys again, brandishing sticks above their heads and hungry for the fray. And when to this is added their need to protect their homes and their way of life, they must be gone, to leave us standing cold with fear in rooms of racking silence."

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I originally read this book over 10 years ago when I was in elementary school because of the name "Amanda/Miranda." I recently found it at a book outlet for 50 cents and snatched it up, recalling how much I enjoyed the story as a little girl. Well... times change and I'm sad to say it wasn't as good as I remembered it. By simply looking at the cover and reading the blurb on the back, one would think this is a story about the sailing and ultimate sinking of the Titanic. The Titanic is in (maybe) three chapters. But that didn't bother me.

The unbelieveable characters didn't bother me, the switching POV didn't bother me, the lack of Titanic didn't bother me, the sped up sinking of the ship didn't bother me. The ending bothered me. It was so sudden and abrupt (literally in the middle of a conversation), for a moment, I thought I was missing the last page. I suppose if you're under twelve years old it's a great exciting read with romance, lies, and the destruction of the Titanic.

[hpboy13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Peck does his thing, bringing a time period alive through the eyes of a sympathetic protagonist. Any readers paying attention can figure out the exact ending of the book from about a quarter in, even without a prophecy spelling it all out. After all, there’s really only one solution that leads to a happy ending for the protagonist. But getting there is still enjoyable, and the passage about the sinking of the Titanic was hauntingly powerful.

I’ve a slight problem with Miranda’s One True Love, Gregory Forrest, who seems to have no trouble swapping his affections from girl to girl because they look the same. Whether intentional or not, what comes across is that he only values them for their looks, and if two girls look alike they’re interchangeable. The fact that he also knew for years and didn’t bring it up is messed up, why wouldn’t he want to clear the air before they got married?

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was so weird. I had run into this book years and years ago, but in the adult version. It was too graphic for me. Then, in recent years, I saw it on a shelf of a friend of mine. I knew she would also not have liked the sex scenes, so I was surprised when she said she liked the book so much.

Aha! Mystery solved! There's this YA abridged version. I finally read the whole thing. I've read other readers say that the original version also had a lot more detail about clothes, settings, and events. I wish there could have been a happy medium where they got rid of the graphic sex, but kept some of the other level of detail. This abridged book felt like it was on fast forward.

I gave it 3 stars because I liked the idea of the playing with the identities. Some readers said that they thought that was unlikely, but it was used as a plot device in Lady in White by Wilkie Collins, as well. In previous eras, people and records got lost all the time.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is filled with lust and deceit, a good woman and one use to getting her way. What happens when Amanda can't get her way with the lowly man she loves? She tricks Miranda into marrying him. The tables were never in Amanda's favor though.

Amanda has a rich suitor who she has vowed to marry, over in his homeland-- America. The obvious plan would be for her to trade places with Miranda and live happily ever after with John Thorne, the family's handyman. Instead, Amanda plots for John and Miranda to fall in love. In true spoiled manor Amanda has it set up so she can have both men; Gregory Forrest in hand and John on the side. All the while Miranda would be her maid over in America and would have to just deal with an adulterous husband.

Read more on The Banana Peel.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointment. I have loved the other books I've read by Peck. But this didn't even come close to their caliber. I was excited that he'd written a Titanic book, and that I was reading a ton of Titanic for the 100th anniversary. But the Titanic itself was a minor detail. Pivotal moment, yes, but we were only on the ship for maybe 15-20 pages!

The 3 different POVs were irritating. I couldn't stand the character of Amanda. (I suppose you are supposed to, though.) Miranda's character changed much too fast for me to believe it. The story went where I expected it and I was pleased with her eventual honesty. There were pieces of the book I liked, but overall I thought it was very blah and rather pitiful compared to such greats as I've read of his.

[Tammy Buchli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this years ago as a very young woman and really enjoyed it. On rereading it, I feel it mostly held up. Apparently it has been abridged recently and rereleased, which I think is a good idea. The book was way too long and could stand to be tightened up a good deal and to lose one lengthy (and unresolved) subplot completely. This was the book that was the catalyst for one of my favorite witticisms: Any time you read a book set around 1912ish, if a character takes a sea voyage you can count on it - SOMEBODY's going down on the Titanic! If all the literary characters that sailed on that fated ship had really existed, the thing would have sunk from the weight alone!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Richard Peck and his clean, clear style. There’s not much to criticize with his writing, even if this isn’t my favorite book.

I liked this book, the characters were intriguing, the situations extreme enough to hold my attention, but realistic enough to keep me reading, and the plot was interesting. It wasn’t my favorite historical fiction, but it has been well received. I think this book would have great appeal to tween and early teens, especially girls interested in historical fiction.