The Girl on the Carpathia - A Novel of the Titanic

Novels of the Titanic

by Eileen Enwright Hodgetts

A tragic collision with an iceberg. A ruthless quest to assign blame. Can one young woman stand her ground in the face of a deadly mob?

North Atlantic Ocean, 1912. Kate Royston longs to bury her family’s shame. Struggling to start a new life on board the Carpathia, she’s startled by her own tenacity as she helps rescue the Titanic’s desperate survivors. But when they’re forced to return to New York City, Kate’s wounded sense of self-worth leaves her stranded in the chaotic streets without a passport or papers.

Digging deep to find her courage, she negotiates her way to safety and becomes entangled in the high-profile investigation of the shocking disaster. And though she’s dismayed by the witch hunt she observes, she’s terrified that pitting her eyewitness account up against powerful men with a clear agenda will leave her ruined.

Can Kate’s humble perspectives stem the tide of public rage?

The Girl on the Carpathia is a gripping standalone historical fiction novel inspired by real events. If you like passionate characters, surprising revelations, and endearing romances, then you’ll love Eileen Enwright Hodgett’s seamlessly woven story.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Historical Romance, Book Club, Romance

280 pages, ebook

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Eileen Enwright Hodgetts is a much traveled writer. Brought up in England and Wales, she has also lived and worked in South Africa and Uganda. Eileen and her husband, Graham, now make their home in Baden, PA. Eileen’s life experiences allow her to use exotic backgrounds for her novels and to understand how an adventure can begin with just one small incident. For ten years she directed a humanitarian mission in East Africa as an employee of Christ Church at Grove Farm in Sewickley, PA. and her whole family continues to be involved in Uganda through the Ugandan Gold Coffee project bringing coffee to the United States and returning the profits to Uganda to be used for drilling water wells. She writes historical fiction from Arthurian sagas to World War Two murder mysteries. The major movie "Unsinkable", currently in production, is based on her national award-winning stage play "Titanic to all Ships". Her latest work "The Girl on the Carpathia - A novel of the Titanic" reflects over twenty years of research into both the US senate hearings and the British inquiry into the sinking.

Reviews

[Neena Christianson Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been fascinated by the Titanic since I was a child. I started out reading and watching the romanticized versions in books and movies. I did not visually get a good feel for what happened till James Cameron's movie Titanic. Then I read this book, a fictionalized account of the sinking of the Titanic, yet full of true historical facts and people. I learned so much from this book, some enlightening and some scary and almost barbaric. The senate inquiries and the testimony of actual survivors will chill your blood. Some actions are truly heroic while others were devastating. The characters in this book are well thought out, and the locations from the icebergs to New York and Washington were spot on for the time frame of this book. This is a truly good and thought-provoking book.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly well researched and documented. I honestly could not put it down and set all my tasks aside so I could read. Anyone interested in the Titanic, will find this story, after the ship sunk, fascinating. Put it on your reading list. You won’t be sorry.

[Kelly Anne]

I could not continue past the first chapter of this book as it was so erroneous and ridiculous as to be defamatory with regards to one of the greatest rescues in marine history. Therefore I won't rate the book (it would be a one star based on the first chapter) but I will post a review:

We have Kate “THE GIRL” in yet another one of those trite book titles, who comes face-to-face with a nervous, mumbling Harold Cottam, Marconi officer onboard Carpathia who claims no one on the bridge believed him about Titanic’s messages. Kate then talks him into notifying the sleeping Captain and accompanies him to do so.
FALSE: Cottam did notify the bridge and the OIC and he immediately went to Capt Rostron’s quarters. Rostron gave immediate orders to alter course before he was even dressed. Later when all was said and done it was Cottam that Rostron credited with saving the survivors by his quick thinking and steady actions that night.

Kate then relays that Carpathia slowed to almost a stop to navigate the ice field.
FALSE: Carpathia was brought up to 18 knots, her fastest ever, and that speed was maintained thru the ice field with the aid of extra spotters and added lights on the sides of the ship.

Kate relates that previously on their voyage during daylight hours Carpathia had safely steered thru the icefield.
FALSE: the eastbound shipping lanes were considerably south of the westbound lanes that Titanic was in so Carpathia’s journey had not encountered any ice until nearing Titanic’s location.

In this same first chapter we find crew members of Carpathia, incredulous about the veracity of the reports, being questioned by Kate and then imparting information to her regarding the situation. We also find Kate giving advice bordering on orders to the Chief Stewardess as to where they should set up to receive women and children. She also speaks of her employer in First Class whom she doubted “had enough sympathy in his whole body to spare a thought for the passengers on the Titanic”. Again, this is such a disservice to the real passengers onboard the Carpathia who, regardless of class, gave up their accommodations and their clothing and spent days bringing comfort to the survivors.

Capt Rostron and by extension his crew were given some of the highest awards for bravery. He was knighted by the King of England, given the Congressional Gold Medal by US President Taft, and more significantly the Captain and the entire crew were given gold medals by the survivors of the Titanic. The entire crew gave 100% that night without question to reach Titanic as quickly as possible with little thought for their own peril.

I’m not sure why this book has the high rating that it does. Perhaps if I had continued it would have gotten better. However when only the first chapter is so offensively and historically inaccurate I just couldn’t justify wasting any more of my time.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing concept on the Titanic, completely different. The story is from a young woman’s side. Short but draws you in and keeps you there. Ready for more.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to read this book before publication. It is one of the better books I've read recently. It tells the well known story of the Titanic disaster from a completely different view. The author builds up the tension excellently on The Carpathia from opening the book and reading the Marconigrams from and to the Titanic, to the moment a distraught Harold Cottam, radio operator encounters Kate, the heroine of the story, on his way to wake up the captain because the officers on the bridge won't believe him that the Titanic is sinking. From then on, the story of Kate becomes increasingly intertwined with the story until we discover her personal history near the end. The attitudes of First Class passengers on the Carpathia seems unbelievably cold, selfish and indifferent to the plight of the Titanic survivors. How ever many times we read or see this story in films, it doesn't get old when told in such a well drawn, insightful way. I felt the tensions as though I were there. The events that unfold after the Carpathia arrives in New York are moving and frustrating. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I felt that, good as the intentions of Senator Smith were, he didn't ask the right questions in the right way. The witness testimonies were very well described and quite chilling. Poor Captain Smith, having gone down with his ship, was an easy target for blame. Thank goodness the truth was eventually unfolded in the 21st century and he was exonerated. If you think you know enough about the Titanic story for this to be just another repetition, please think again. It is well worth reading. There is a list at the back of which characters were fictional and which were real. I must say, I was surprised and quite disappointed to find those who were fictional - they were all so well drawn I really believed in them. A great read.

[peachrings · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I’m having a hard time reviewing this! I overlooked it multiple times since the title is so uninspired, then I actually read the summary and got excited because the senate inquiry tends to go unacknowledged in Titanic books/movies/etc.

The Good:

The subject matter is fascinating and I loved seeing the inquiry unfold, as well as characters who were set on a certain viewpoint of the sinking and whose “fault” it was slowly coming to realize it’s more nuanced than they imagined. I adored the depictions of Lightoller, and appreciated a more realistic version of Ismay than we usually get. The scenes involving the witnesses and Senator Smith’s processes were the strongest in the book. I also thought the very last page was so sweet.

The Bad:

The writing quality is extremely average, and rarely stirred me to emotion even though I have plenty of emotions regarding Titanic! The beginning was a bit rough, with several clunky info dumps. In regards to vocabulary, it could've used a sharp editor - how many times do we have to hear one man described as a Viking? Based on reviews I was expecting fantastic historical detail, but it's only decently researched, not meticulously. I may be a bit of a Titanic nut, but I’m not the level of Titanic nut who expects flawless accuracy… but there weren’t “five surviving officers,” there were four, as Marconi operators were not officers. Bruce Ismay wasn't titled "sir." Irish did not make up the majority of third class. None of this is obscure knowledge.

Also, there’s a backstory reveal to explain a secondary character’s motivations that felt soap opera-ish and unnecessary. Instead of a revenge subplot, I think it would’ve been all the better had Eva just been a wealthy, powerful, entitled woman - maybe who'd lost someone in the sinking, maybe who's just used to getting her way - searching for one sole person to heap the blame on, as this represents many people's feelings toward Titanic both then and now.

The Ugly:

While Kate is inoffensive, her sections are rather weak. I struggle to name any distinct character attributes. Too bad she doesn't have much of a personality (or smarts) to go with her stunning beauty that all the men notice. Is it really important for the readers to know that the more than twice her age senator with a nice loving wife thinks she's so gorgeous he has to force himself to avert his gaze? It's not the worst crime for an author to commit but I cringed hard.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl on the Carpathia is a novel that tries to show what happened on the night that the Titanic went down. The Girl on the Carpathia is told from many points of view as we get the story from people that were on the Titanic that night and people who were on the Carpathia.

The Girl on the Carpathia is also about one girl who was sailing across the Atlantic to America while trying to leave her life behind. The Girl on the Carpathia tells Kate Royston’s story of how she went up against some very powerful people to reveal what she witnessed as the Carpathia went about rescuing survivors from the Titanic pulling them out of the cold water and what she overheard from some of the people who were on board the Titanic that night.

The Girl on the Carpathia grabbed me from the first page and drew me and it never let go until I had read the last page. Although I am not sure that it will actually ever let go. I think The Girl on the Carpathia is one novel that will stay with me forever.

I love watching Titanic over and over again even though it makes me sad and I cry through the whole movie so when I saw that The Girl on the Carpathia was available for review I knew I had to read it. Like Titanic, The Girl on the Carpathia was just as sad.

I am so glad I read The Girl on the Carpathia so I could dive deeper into Titanic's story and find out what may have gone down on that awful night. I liked getting the story from more than one character’s point of view. The Girl on the Carpathia is well worth the read if you are looking for more info on the Titanic or even if you are just looking for a great story.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl on the Carpathia is the story of a young woman on the ship that saved victims of the Titanic disaster. I'm singling this out as a diamond because it is one of the few independently published novels I've read that held my attention...

Kate is a mystery. She knows about disaster and the ensuing loss and devastation wreaked on one person’s world which is why she has ended-up as a governess to a family on the way to Europe. And now her fortunes change for better, and for worse. Helping the survivors, she overhears conversations that embroil her directly with the investigation into the sinking.

You think you’ve read all there is about the Titanic but this is a new take and it’s good, very good. The scenes aboard the rescue ship and the sight of the wreckage are fresh and moving, and even if the court room drama of the inquest has been done before, it still holds the attention.

What could be better is the construction - investment in a terrier of a nit-pick technical editor would turn a very good book into a stunningly brilliant one. As it is, points of view appear too fast and furious – quite literally – so we lose one character just as another comes in, and you long to get back to Kate. Overcome that if you can; it’s worth it.

The major flaw for such a well-researched novel is one I find all too often in historical fiction – the (mis-)use of titles. Nobody addresses an English Countess of X as “Countess” but as Lady X and so on.

Despite my comments, a very good novel. Highly recommended.

Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciate well researched,historical aspects of this novel, I became bored with the story by page 100.

I've always been interested in the stories of what happened to the people involved in the Titanic tragedy after the event. This one made me feel that Kate and the other characters were more about rich versus poor and the social inequality of first class vs steerage in life as well as on these ships. Felt more like a 21st century slant.

Interesting version to tell the story of the Carpathia and its involvement in the aftermath of Titanic. Carpathia's role of picking up survivors which left scars on their lives forever as well.

The short bios at the end concerning some of the real life players was a plus.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! If I could, I would give it 10 stars. This is an amazing work of fiction based on a true story. The characters were well written and believable and the blending of brilliant research and imagination on the part of the author. I was captivated and emotional from the beginning. This is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading...highly recommend. I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Cindy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful and vivid story surrounding the terrible tragedy of The Titanic. I am so pleased I had the opportunity to read this incredible novel that draws upon the facts of history and weaves them effectively into fiction while maintaining an authenticity and sharpness that pulls you in. It is easy to imagine you are one of the survivors on the Titanic or one of the rescuers on the Carpathia. Many novels have been inspired by this epic tragedy but it is pleasing to see one from the viewpoints of Carpathia’s passengers and her crew. For this ship was a hero in a sense as she became the sole saviour of the Titanic remnant on that fateful night.

Like many, I am sure, I have often wondered what could have happened during those dark hours between the disaster and rescue. What decisions were made and how it affected the outcome. It is heartbreaking to think of those who died and how those who survived were left feeling vulnerable and tossed upon a sea of sadness. Eileen takes us there with her tools of trade: well crafted words and gives us much to think about.

This novel has a large cast. Eileen has used a number of real people who participated on the Carpathia during the rescue such as Radio Officer Harold Cottam, Reporter Carlos Hurd, ship’s Medical Officer Dr. Arpad Lengyel and Captain Arthur Rostron. Many of the Titanic passengers, officers and crew were included as well. Plus, those who participated in the US Senate Hearings such as various Sheriffs, Senators and President William Taft. Woven into this already heavy cast are intriguing fictional characters that add a layer of imagined experience into the story. The author blends these two parts wonderfully into a complete and believable whole as both real and fictional characters share vivid details of the unforgettable tragedy. I personally became engrossed in the story, the characters’ lives and was effortlessly transported to the setting and events.

Whenever there is an epic tragedy and massive loss of lives such as in the sinking of the Titanic, the desire to pin blame on someone is inevitable. Fingers will be pointed. This is when the weight of being a leader or captain shows up and is seriously scrutinised. Human weakness or failure will be exposed at this time and the man at the helm knows all too well, if he has not possessed the strength, wisdom and ability to make the best or correct decisions in a crisis, there will be difficult days ahead in answering for his actions or inactions. Sadly no matter how prepared someone may be— when tragedy strikes— sometimes every seemingly sensible plan of action can go wrong. The blame though, will fall heavily on the shoulders of the leader. But is the fault one hundred percent his? As we know, from the true and fictional accounts in the story, there were others dragged into the mix who may have shared in this unsinkable ship’s ill fate.

I admired the fictional character Kate. She plays an important role in the story. I also loved how the novel parallels her personal family tragedy (fictional part of the plot) alongside the Titanic tragedy. Without giving anything away, I noticed the similar reactions of both Captain Smith and Kate Royston’s father (completely different circumstances) and how each dealt with their large scale disasters and remorse in a tragic way. We can only guess at the anguish these men must have felt, blaming themselves for the downfall/death of others. But were they both guilty of any crimes?

The novel explores the testimonies of various witnesses. These facts are utilised well and I learned a great deal from Eileen’s thorough research. The Girl on the Carpathia focuses a large part on the hearings done by the US Senate from April 19 to May 25, 1912 but they were far from dry. The fictional characters fleshed-out some of the possible reactions of the public at the time. Their input added valuable insight and with their own dramas, played out alongside, there is a great deal of tension and release to keep us connected to events with the swing of emotions constantly pulling on our hearts.

This is a hard novel to put down once starting. It grabs your attention from page one and never let’s go. The creative use of research is phenomenal. There’s plenty of tension and even though we know what happened to the Titanic, the fictional characters like Eva Trentham, Kate Royston, Danny McSorley and others keep the suspense rolling and gives the story extra layers of interest. Also, having fresh views and perceptions of various fictional characters, makes us look at the event from various angles.

I must add that I even enjoyed Wolfie the Otterhound! Although this dog is a fictional addition, we know in the true event, there were at least a dozen dogs on the Titanic but only three survived: two Pomeranians and one Pekingese taken in the lifeboats by their owners, mostly wrapped in blankets and tucked under their coats. They were small enough to be hidden and carried. But the fictional Otterhound, on the other hand, in The Girl on the Carpathia, due to its large size could not be saved this way. The author, though, has chosen to include this rare British canine breed to be rescued by a woman who knew its value. This dog truly is a strong swimmer so it could have survived the disaster if someone saw it in the water and if he/she could get it into a boat. Lots of ‘ifs’ but regardless, this dog holds a tender place in the story and what it becomes to some. One thing rings true is the strong connection between owners and their pets. And this novel certainly shows that. Wolfie becomes another Titanic survivor who has lost his loved ones in the tragedy, making him another orphan. Of course, there is anger among some who believe a dog should not have taken a seat from a person. But there was loss all around: women that day lost their husbands and children, children lost their fathers and siblings, people lost their pets and so on...

I would not hesitate to recommend this novel to those who want a full reading experience of what happened and might have happened. It is a great triumph that explores further the tragedy of the Titanic, the Carpathia’s part in rescuing the survivors and the US trials thereafter. Although this is a fictional account, it is based on history and I believe The Girl on the Carpathia is an excellent tribute to those who were there and who wanted answers. 5 Haunting Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to the author for a review copy. I truly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more of her books.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is historical fiction that takes a totally different look at the sinking of the Titanic. Although it covers it briefly in the first section, the focus of this book is the United States government's hearing on what happened due to the deaths of many important, wealthy Americans and what can be done to prevent this every happening again.

I did not even know that our government looked into this as I assumed it would be taken up strictly by the British as an English owned ship. But thanks to the persistence of Senator William Aiden Smith, things were discovered that might have lead to the sinking of the ship as well as at the end of the hearing laws being passed that would prevent this ever happening again.

Hodgetts' historical research was incredible making this book not only a fascinating read with lots of important characters, but also a learning experience of many little known facts regarding the entire story of the Titanic. I look forward to reading the second book in this series: The Girl in the Lifeboat.

[Krista (Mrs K Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this may seem like bad timing for me to have read this book considering what happened just last week with Oceangate's Titan Submersible but I have been fascinated by the Titanic since I was a child. I started reading and watching documentaries and then James Cameron's movie Titanic. Then i wanted to know all i could. Learn about the survivors like Molly Brown, mrs. Astor...as well as the second and third class passengers as well as the people who died.

I hage read many historical fictions regarding titanic.Then I read this book, The Girl on the Carpathia grabbed me from the first page and drew me and it never let go until I had read the last page. Although I am not sure that it will actually ever let go. I think The Girl on the Carpathia is one novel that will stay with me forever.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated with stories about the Titanic and this book was no exception. Although it is lengthy, I finished it in just a couple days and it is definitely worth the read. A mix of facts and a good story to follow the survivors of the famous sinking.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS is the Titanic book I’ve been wanting. Yes.

[Linda Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Different perspective from the rescuers.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would give 3.5 stars. A rather slow read.

[Sue Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it! So many facts new to me regarding the Titanic and tragic events. A great read!

[Donna Troutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiction connected to real life events. Excellent

[Peggy Weatherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is a passenger on the Carpathia the night the Titanic sinks. She is a young girl of wealth who has fallen on hard times and is working as a nanny in order to get to Europe. When the Carpathia rescues passengers from the Titanic Kate volunteers to help. The story weaves from there with Kate, a senator, a radio operator, a sheriff, the wealthy woman in the US, and her Irish nurse along with a dropped paper, a gun shot, revenge, and a note for the president. Enjoyable read!

[M]

Excellent book- one of the best I have read in ages. It is about the sinking of the Titanic, and I know that has been done a lot, but this story is from a slightly different angle. Of course, it starts as the ship sets out, just as most do, but this book goes on to explore the effect the sinking had on future safety measures, and not just the number of lifeboats either. It also glimpses its effects on some lives. The covering of all this history and looking at the facts might make you wonder if the book is dry and boring. Not at all. The story is full of life, some turns, and a few surprises all the way to the end.
However, the author did a fantastic job of researching for the book- I would be glad to sit and read all her notes on what she found in researching or a blog about it-and I joined and avidly read all her newsletters going into these details.
The story is also well-written by an author who cares about getting writing right, as well as getting the facts straight. Those of you who are driven crazy by errors need not worry about that here.
The characters are well developed- many are taken from what is known of real people, but there are also a few fictional characters involved in their own stories, including a bit of romance. You may have a hard time telling who is real and who fictional, but after the story is told there are some notes on that at the end to clarify.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical friction for anyone interested in the Titanic.

[Andrew Preziosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first reading encounter with EE Hodgetts was “The Serbian Solution”, an honest to goodness thrill packed adventure and mystery rolled into one that had me caught up from the very start and made me a fan of hers from then on out.

“TGotC” starts out quite differently, rather calmly and dignified in its own fashion, and while it never turns into a breakneck action thriller, though there is some of that, and never becomes a mystery per se; though again, there are elements of that included, what “TGotC” ultimately DOES become is a Quest.

A quest for answers; for truth, honor, cowardice, bravery, independence, peace, justice , change and love; surrounding both the event described within and the mysterious heroine who was involved from the very start. A quest so powerful indeed, that the very thought of war was floated about in the corridors of power on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean because of the incident at the heart of this novel.

To tell the potential reader anymore would give away so much that this reviewer will stop here, with but one request…READ this book, it will be worth your time, even if you think you know everything about this subject. And if this is your first EE Hodgetts novel, I assure you it will lead you to search for her other books, of which I might suggest “Afric”, but you could do no better than to follow “TGftC” with “The Serbian Solution”, after making sure your seat-belts are securely fastened beforehand.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

"I would say it is not just one thing that went wrong, but many things - a chain of events leading to an inevitable disaster."

The Girl on the Carpathia by Eileen Enwright Hodgetts tells part of the Titanic story that often gets forgotten. We know about the iceberg and the ship going down and the lifeboats being half full. And that is usually where the story ends. But it wasn't the end of the story. Not for the survivors, and not even for those who died.

The only reason I knew the Carpathia was the ship who came to rescue the survivors of Titanic was because of that scene where Kate Winslet looks up from under her blanket in the lifeboat to see the new ship in front of her. Without that fleeting scene I would never have been aware or thought much about what happened next.

"The Girl on the Carpathia" goes even deeper, with the American inquiry into the sinking of Titanic in the weeks that followed. Interviews were given, assumptions were made, villains and hero's were declared.

While reading, I was drawn to the parts that spoke of the historical facts much more than the fictional tale about the girl on the Carpathia - Kate Royston. I know we needed a character to follow along with, but I didn't connect to her or her backstory and by the end I found myself skimming those sections.

While I may not have loved the fictional aspect of this book, I'm glad it opened my eyes to more of the history of the Titanic.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It wasn't really about the Titanic but about the people that were on that ship and about other people on the ship (the Carpathia) and other people in America. The book revealed feelings from all those involved. The book revolved around a particular person on the Carpathia named Kate that helped the crew of the Carpathia with bringing the Titanic passengers aboard the Carpathia. Kate wrote their names down on a sort of logbook for future references. Kate was a lady of class but was on the ship as a governess for a wealthy family whom she abandoned to help out on the ship because of her compassion for all the passengers. Anyone who loves this time period will like this book.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all Titanic fans, this is the novel for you.

I would like to say a big thank you to Eileen Enwright Hodgetts for giving me the opportunity of becoming an Arc reader.

The Girl on the Carpathia is a fiction novel enriched with facts and highly researched into the history of the devastating events on the night of the Titanic sinking.

I have always been interested in the Titanic and this novel lives up to my expectations and so much more. I was glued all the way through.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the author's style of descriptive writing.
Eileen smoothly transitions between characters whilst focusing on the senator and Kate.

[Chelsea Pinkard]

An enjoyable read about the inquiry into Titanic's sinking in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. If I'm being honest, the title is somewhat misleading as the amount of time spent aboard Carpathia is slight. The novel does well to explore the shifting blame and expressions of guilt from survivors, although it does very much play on the villainisation of J. Bruce Ismay. A few minor historical inaccuracies as well (calling Titanic 'unsinkable', saying steerage gates were locked, etc.) but nothing that can't be excused as the creative liberties of historical fiction.

Full review to come on www.thetitanicgirl.com

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not in the majority with this book as it was very highly rated. I enjoyed the book but I found the main character very frustrating. All she did was run from one situation to another and I did not find her character plausible. She was so outspoken in certain situations and then would turn around and run away from other situations. It did not ring true to me. I like the premise of the story and enjoy reading about the Titanic, but this was a frustrating and disappointing read.

[Brittni Kitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems more like a biography as opposed to fiction with all the details, but in a believable way not a boring way. The story sucked me in and did not want to let go! Hard to believe most of the characters are fiction, as it could easily be diary entries combined into a story. Love historical books like this, especially centered around major events. Cannot wait to read more by this author!