What do you think?
Rate this book
Novels of the Titanic
The Girl in the Lifeboat: A novel of the Titanic
"SOS TITANIC TO ALL SHIPS. SINKING HEAD DOWN 41.46 N 50.14 W. COME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE"
She has survived the sinking of the Titanic; will she survive the White Star Line’s attempts to silence her?April 1912: Runaway aristocrats Poppy and Daisy Melville sign on as stewardesses for the Titanic’s maiden voyage. After their harrowing rescue by the Carpathia, they are forbidden from disembarking in New York and sent back to England with the other survivors of the Titanic’s crew.
Soon they learn that the White Star Line will stop at nothing, including murder, to prevent the truth of the disaster’s cause from emerging.
Daisy, a beautiful young woman used to getting her way, harbors a secret that raises the stakes even higher. Where was she while the ship was sinking and why is she stalked from New York back to England?
Poppy must protect her sister from a vengeful murderer by uncovering the real cause of the sinking.
The Girl in the Lifeboat is the second book in Eileen Enwright Hodgetts’ “Novels of the Titanic” series. She intricately weaves fact and fiction to expose a disturbing truth about the shipwreck that changed the world. If you like dynamic heroines, little-known but meticulously researched facts, and a touch of romance, then you’ll find yourself completely immersed into the aftermath of the Titanic.
She has survived the sinking of the Titanic; will she survive the White Star Line’s attempts to silence her?April 1912: Runaway aristocrats Poppy and Daisy Melville sign on as stewardesses for the Titanic’s maiden voyage. After their harrowing rescue by the Carpathia, they are forbidden from disembarking in New York and sent back to England with the other survivors of the Titanic’s crew.
Soon they learn that the White Star Line will stop at nothing, including murder, to prevent the truth of the disaster’s cause from emerging.
Daisy, a beautiful young woman used to getting her way, harbors a secret that raises the stakes even higher. Where was she while the ship was sinking and why is she stalked from New York back to England?
Poppy must protect her sister from a vengeful murderer by uncovering the real cause of the sinking.
The Girl in the Lifeboat is the second book in Eileen Enwright Hodgetts’ “Novels of the Titanic” series. She intricately weaves fact and fiction to expose a disturbing truth about the shipwreck that changed the world. If you like dynamic heroines, little-known but meticulously researched facts, and a touch of romance, then you’ll find yourself completely immersed into the aftermath of the Titanic.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2022
160 people are currently reading
655 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Enwright Hodgetts
37 books119 followersEileen 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
August 6, 2022
Rounded up from roughly 3.5 stars ⭐️
The Girl in the Lifeboat follows sisters Poppy and Daisy who manage to survive the sinking of the Titanic. But many of those involved are trying to keep things hidden. Will the truth come to light?
I always find anything relating to the sinking of the Titanic particularly harrowing. The opening of this book left me with tears in my eyes. Eileen was able to convey the tragedy so well I truly felt like I was in the water. This book mostly focuses on the aftermath of the incident, switching between the points of view of various characters. I love the depth that can come from multiple POV’s, but unfortunately I struggled to connect to any of the characters. I did have a bit of a soft spot for Poppy, but she was slightly lacking the strength of character that I wanted from her. I found the number of subplots a little distracting too. This was the only downside of the book for me, the rest I thoroughly enjoyed.
I absolutely loved how much this book taught me about the Titanic disaster. Much of it is based on real events, but it’s written in a way that makes the facts less dry. It’s informative without being boring and really opened my eyes to events that I knew nothing about. It definitely sent me down another Googling wormhole as I tried to dig out more information about what I was reading. I’ve never read anything based around the Titanic or by this author before, but I definitely want to read more now!
I want to thank Eileen Enwright-Hodgetts for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.
The Girl in the Lifeboat follows sisters Poppy and Daisy who manage to survive the sinking of the Titanic. But many of those involved are trying to keep things hidden. Will the truth come to light?
I always find anything relating to the sinking of the Titanic particularly harrowing. The opening of this book left me with tears in my eyes. Eileen was able to convey the tragedy so well I truly felt like I was in the water. This book mostly focuses on the aftermath of the incident, switching between the points of view of various characters. I love the depth that can come from multiple POV’s, but unfortunately I struggled to connect to any of the characters. I did have a bit of a soft spot for Poppy, but she was slightly lacking the strength of character that I wanted from her. I found the number of subplots a little distracting too. This was the only downside of the book for me, the rest I thoroughly enjoyed.
I absolutely loved how much this book taught me about the Titanic disaster. Much of it is based on real events, but it’s written in a way that makes the facts less dry. It’s informative without being boring and really opened my eyes to events that I knew nothing about. It definitely sent me down another Googling wormhole as I tried to dig out more information about what I was reading. I’ve never read anything based around the Titanic or by this author before, but I definitely want to read more now!
I want to thank Eileen Enwright-Hodgetts for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.
September 5, 2022
First, I want to say I have enjoyed the Titanic books by Eileen Enright Hodgetts. The Girl in the Lifeboat took me a while to finish as there is a lot to absorb. Yet, it was captivating to see how complex the plot became as there are a number of story lines happening in this novel that will keep you on your toes. Of course, at the nucleus of the novel is the Titanic’s sinking and what happened or may have happened to those who were on board. Particularly in those last minutes when’ selected’ passengers scrambled to board the few lifeboats available. It would have been a very traumatic event of desperation fuelled by the fear of death.
As readers of historical fiction, we are fortunate that authors have powerful imaginations and writing abilities to capture a range of emotions and to deliver those possible scenes of what could have happened through a cast of characters. In The Girl in the Lifeboat, we are provided a close up view of this event through the two Melville sisters (Poppy and Daisy) who departed their home in England to escape their father’s wrath and control. These ladies manage to get positions as stewardesses on the Titanic. Their differing perspectives and personalities shine through as they each shed a light on the norms and happenings of the time. But before the ship sinks, they find themselves placed in separate lifeboats to assist the passengers who manage to escape. They become part of a highly stressed rescue team who have to make horrible decisions under strict instructions. For a sensitive soul like Poppy, these are heartbreaking moments when many screaming victims are reaching out to be saved from the daunting freezing sea. We truly get a sense of the hopelessness and helplessness in these scenes and compassion is aroused in our hearts.
But even before these bone chilling encounters, a number of dramatic events happen. As you would expect, with all the wealth, jewels and gambling on board, along with some very well-to-do passengers, the potential for loss and even theft runs high. This creates real drama and friction in the additional plots, worked out through some interesting characters. I must add, there is a wonderful blend of real persons and fictional ones. The latter particularly gives way to the demonstration of a wide range of themes such as romance, family drama, class issues, power plays and self-discovery. These are all successfully added to an already gigantic mass of Titanic troubles. Like the iceberg, there’s more below the surface than what you initially see.
It is amazing to me how Eileen manages to gather, utilise and weave so much Titanic information into a cohesive fascinating fictional story. She does it brilliantly and in such a way it allows us to put ourselves in the characters’ shoes. The novel, during enquiries, delves into the possibilities of why the ship ran into the iceberg and sank. As we know, interest in the Titanic has never ceased and new information has risen today. After I completed my read of the novel, I actually watched a fascinating documentary 10 Mistakes that Sunk the Titanic and this explored many of the new ideas. In the realm of safety studies, it is never one thing that causes an accident but often many holes, weaknesses or failures that line up to result in a disaster. The Swiss Cheese model developed by James Reason is often used to explore and explain the causes of accidents. It is utilised in risk analysis and risk management in the airline industry, healthcare, engineering and emergency services. It states that although there may be layers of defence between hazards and accidents, there will be flaws in each layer (because humans and their plans are not perfect). Once all those holes line up, disaster can occur. We see this with the Titanic.
There were many factors that led to her sinking. But back in July 30th, 1912 the Report of the Court determined that after careful consideration (as noted in the Author’s Notes): ‘the loss of the ship was due to collision with an iceberg, brought about by excessive speed at which the ship was being navigated.’ Yes, she was moving too fast—charging into a region known for icebergs. The look-out system was not ideal. There were no binoculars accessible that might have helped. Human error, bad judgement, over confidence did play a big part. Also missed iceberg warnings from other ships, unusual weather conditions, the haze on the horizon creating an optical illusion and changing the ship’s course. A long term coal fire possibly weakened one area of the ship’s wall and faulty rivets fractured under pressure. Inevitably, water poured in, some of which was aided by passengers who opened the port holes to see what was happening.
Yes, Titanic was the biggest most beautiful ship of its day. But its structure was not as bullet proof as everyone thought. Yet, even with all we now know, we cannot dismiss the fact, this ship was made for passengers, not for battle. And to do battle with an iceberg – meant the iceberg would surely win—especially with the speed and angle of attack. The first officer instinctively tried to avoid the collision by swerving past the iceberg. But there was more hidden under the waterline. Engineers state today that hitting it head on would have been better because the front of the ship is its strongest area and more tolerant of impact. But human nature does not seek to fly into the face of danger—only try to escape it. At the end of the day, it wasn’t one thing, as we can see that led to this disaster. Sadly, a number of holes lined up at that point in time and merged with the iceberg.
Regardless of the reasons, blame would inevitably be placed on someone. Faults were passed around. Everyone connected was examined. The Girl in the Lifeboat mainly explores the enquiries in London where The Girl on the Carpathia includes the American enquiries. We get a broad view of the possibilities and opinions of the time. We also get the bonus of interesting fictional characters thrown into the mix. Tension runs high as we don’t know exactly what will happen to these people and must follow the trail of events to see. Through history accounts, we know mostly about the real people involved and their outcomes but we are in unknown territory with the fictional characters. They add an extra level of mystery and intrigue to an already fascinating, though tragic, series of events connected to the Titanic.
I was glued to the pages and was satisfied of the outcomes for Poppy, Daisy and others. I learned a lot on the journey with them and more about the real passengers, and the enquiries, too. I suggest those interested in the Titanic read The Girl in the Lifeboat and its previous The Girl on the Carpathia. For these novels are well worth the effort. 5 Stars
Thanks to the Author for a copy to review.
As readers of historical fiction, we are fortunate that authors have powerful imaginations and writing abilities to capture a range of emotions and to deliver those possible scenes of what could have happened through a cast of characters. In The Girl in the Lifeboat, we are provided a close up view of this event through the two Melville sisters (Poppy and Daisy) who departed their home in England to escape their father’s wrath and control. These ladies manage to get positions as stewardesses on the Titanic. Their differing perspectives and personalities shine through as they each shed a light on the norms and happenings of the time. But before the ship sinks, they find themselves placed in separate lifeboats to assist the passengers who manage to escape. They become part of a highly stressed rescue team who have to make horrible decisions under strict instructions. For a sensitive soul like Poppy, these are heartbreaking moments when many screaming victims are reaching out to be saved from the daunting freezing sea. We truly get a sense of the hopelessness and helplessness in these scenes and compassion is aroused in our hearts.
But even before these bone chilling encounters, a number of dramatic events happen. As you would expect, with all the wealth, jewels and gambling on board, along with some very well-to-do passengers, the potential for loss and even theft runs high. This creates real drama and friction in the additional plots, worked out through some interesting characters. I must add, there is a wonderful blend of real persons and fictional ones. The latter particularly gives way to the demonstration of a wide range of themes such as romance, family drama, class issues, power plays and self-discovery. These are all successfully added to an already gigantic mass of Titanic troubles. Like the iceberg, there’s more below the surface than what you initially see.
It is amazing to me how Eileen manages to gather, utilise and weave so much Titanic information into a cohesive fascinating fictional story. She does it brilliantly and in such a way it allows us to put ourselves in the characters’ shoes. The novel, during enquiries, delves into the possibilities of why the ship ran into the iceberg and sank. As we know, interest in the Titanic has never ceased and new information has risen today. After I completed my read of the novel, I actually watched a fascinating documentary 10 Mistakes that Sunk the Titanic and this explored many of the new ideas. In the realm of safety studies, it is never one thing that causes an accident but often many holes, weaknesses or failures that line up to result in a disaster. The Swiss Cheese model developed by James Reason is often used to explore and explain the causes of accidents. It is utilised in risk analysis and risk management in the airline industry, healthcare, engineering and emergency services. It states that although there may be layers of defence between hazards and accidents, there will be flaws in each layer (because humans and their plans are not perfect). Once all those holes line up, disaster can occur. We see this with the Titanic.
There were many factors that led to her sinking. But back in July 30th, 1912 the Report of the Court determined that after careful consideration (as noted in the Author’s Notes): ‘the loss of the ship was due to collision with an iceberg, brought about by excessive speed at which the ship was being navigated.’ Yes, she was moving too fast—charging into a region known for icebergs. The look-out system was not ideal. There were no binoculars accessible that might have helped. Human error, bad judgement, over confidence did play a big part. Also missed iceberg warnings from other ships, unusual weather conditions, the haze on the horizon creating an optical illusion and changing the ship’s course. A long term coal fire possibly weakened one area of the ship’s wall and faulty rivets fractured under pressure. Inevitably, water poured in, some of which was aided by passengers who opened the port holes to see what was happening.
Yes, Titanic was the biggest most beautiful ship of its day. But its structure was not as bullet proof as everyone thought. Yet, even with all we now know, we cannot dismiss the fact, this ship was made for passengers, not for battle. And to do battle with an iceberg – meant the iceberg would surely win—especially with the speed and angle of attack. The first officer instinctively tried to avoid the collision by swerving past the iceberg. But there was more hidden under the waterline. Engineers state today that hitting it head on would have been better because the front of the ship is its strongest area and more tolerant of impact. But human nature does not seek to fly into the face of danger—only try to escape it. At the end of the day, it wasn’t one thing, as we can see that led to this disaster. Sadly, a number of holes lined up at that point in time and merged with the iceberg.
Regardless of the reasons, blame would inevitably be placed on someone. Faults were passed around. Everyone connected was examined. The Girl in the Lifeboat mainly explores the enquiries in London where The Girl on the Carpathia includes the American enquiries. We get a broad view of the possibilities and opinions of the time. We also get the bonus of interesting fictional characters thrown into the mix. Tension runs high as we don’t know exactly what will happen to these people and must follow the trail of events to see. Through history accounts, we know mostly about the real people involved and their outcomes but we are in unknown territory with the fictional characters. They add an extra level of mystery and intrigue to an already fascinating, though tragic, series of events connected to the Titanic.
I was glued to the pages and was satisfied of the outcomes for Poppy, Daisy and others. I learned a lot on the journey with them and more about the real passengers, and the enquiries, too. I suggest those interested in the Titanic read The Girl in the Lifeboat and its previous The Girl on the Carpathia. For these novels are well worth the effort. 5 Stars
Thanks to the Author for a copy to review.
January 25, 2023
Book 2 in the Novel of the Titanic series has Poppy and Daisy returning to England after the hearings in the United States. Although they had planned to head to California, they were told they must return to England or they would not get their stewardess pay. Little does Poppy know what her younger sister had done on her way to the lifeboats and that it would follow them to England.
Once again, Daisy continues to be the wild younger sister who manages to get herself into one scrape after another and relying on her big sister, Poppy, to rescue her. By the end of book 2, I did not like Daisy at all for what she put her sister through. Daisy was very self-centered and had a bad case of "me-itis." I was glad to see towards the end of the book, that Poppy finally stood up for herself and let Daisy fend for herself. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the friendship develop into something more between Poppy and the Sargeant. She well deserved it.
It was very interesting to see the difference between the hearings regarding the Titanic's sinking in Book 1 in the US and in Book 2 in England. Both countries tried to lay the blame on the bigwigs and did not listen to the stokers who really knew what truly was the cause of the sinking.
Two great books that gave an inside look at the sinking as well as the two hearings that were conducted.
Once again, Daisy continues to be the wild younger sister who manages to get herself into one scrape after another and relying on her big sister, Poppy, to rescue her. By the end of book 2, I did not like Daisy at all for what she put her sister through. Daisy was very self-centered and had a bad case of "me-itis." I was glad to see towards the end of the book, that Poppy finally stood up for herself and let Daisy fend for herself. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the friendship develop into something more between Poppy and the Sargeant. She well deserved it.
It was very interesting to see the difference between the hearings regarding the Titanic's sinking in Book 1 in the US and in Book 2 in England. Both countries tried to lay the blame on the bigwigs and did not listen to the stokers who really knew what truly was the cause of the sinking.
Two great books that gave an inside look at the sinking as well as the two hearings that were conducted.
June 12, 2022
The Girl in the Lifeboat is a story about the Titanic and what happened on that awful night. The Girl in the Lifeboat is a story written in fiction but weaves in some very real truths. Some characters are fictional but some are real people that were actually on the Titanic when it sank.
I love any and all stories that involve the Titanic. The Girl in the Lifeboat kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end as I watched as each character's stories were revealed.
The Girl in the Lifeboat tells the story of two sisters who left their home to sail to America. Their father barely knows there alive. The only reason he probably knows they are alive is that they are a reminder that he has no sons to rule after his death.
One of the sisters wants to go to America to be an actress, the other one, the older one has always looked after her sister and couldn’t let her go alone. Polly and Daisy were working on the Titanic as stewardesses to pay for their tickets or passage.
The night the ship sank one of the sisters took something that didn’t belong to her worth a lot more than she thought as she surely didn’t have a clue as to what she had taken. She thought she had gotten away without anyone seeing her but alas that was not the case. Daisy and her sister Polly are chased all the back home by the person she stole from. He is determined to get back what belongs to him no matter what the cost.
In order to try and save her sister, Polly looks into the real reason the Titanic sank as someone is doing everything possible to keep the truth from what really happened that night a secret. What do they have to hide? What really happened on that night on April 14, 1912? Who is the person chasing Polly and Daisy?
I enjoyed reading The Girl in the Lifeboat tremendously. Once I opened it up and read that first page I was sunk as it pulled me deeper and deeper into its depths and the world around me was no more. As the ending came insight I was slowly pulled back to the real world once again. I hated to see that Polly and Daisy's story had come to an end.
I am now sitting and pondering over Daisy and Polly’s story as I write their review for The Girl in the Lifeboat, something I will do for a long time to come. I am also anxiously awaiting the next story in the Novels of the Titanic. Whose story will be told next?
I highly recommended The Girl in the Lifeboat to all fans of the sinking of the Titanic. One-click your copy of The Girl in the Lifeboat today on a tragic journey as the Titanic sinks into the North Atlantic Ocean!
I love any and all stories that involve the Titanic. The Girl in the Lifeboat kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end as I watched as each character's stories were revealed.
The Girl in the Lifeboat tells the story of two sisters who left their home to sail to America. Their father barely knows there alive. The only reason he probably knows they are alive is that they are a reminder that he has no sons to rule after his death.
One of the sisters wants to go to America to be an actress, the other one, the older one has always looked after her sister and couldn’t let her go alone. Polly and Daisy were working on the Titanic as stewardesses to pay for their tickets or passage.
The night the ship sank one of the sisters took something that didn’t belong to her worth a lot more than she thought as she surely didn’t have a clue as to what she had taken. She thought she had gotten away without anyone seeing her but alas that was not the case. Daisy and her sister Polly are chased all the back home by the person she stole from. He is determined to get back what belongs to him no matter what the cost.
In order to try and save her sister, Polly looks into the real reason the Titanic sank as someone is doing everything possible to keep the truth from what really happened that night a secret. What do they have to hide? What really happened on that night on April 14, 1912? Who is the person chasing Polly and Daisy?
I enjoyed reading The Girl in the Lifeboat tremendously. Once I opened it up and read that first page I was sunk as it pulled me deeper and deeper into its depths and the world around me was no more. As the ending came insight I was slowly pulled back to the real world once again. I hated to see that Polly and Daisy's story had come to an end.
I am now sitting and pondering over Daisy and Polly’s story as I write their review for The Girl in the Lifeboat, something I will do for a long time to come. I am also anxiously awaiting the next story in the Novels of the Titanic. Whose story will be told next?
I highly recommended The Girl in the Lifeboat to all fans of the sinking of the Titanic. One-click your copy of The Girl in the Lifeboat today on a tragic journey as the Titanic sinks into the North Atlantic Ocean!
June 11, 2022
Excellent, I have read the girl in the barrel by this author and thought that was excellent and I believe this one was even better. I was given a free copy for an honest review and am know if I paid it would be worth ever penny.
Two privilege ladies absconded from there challenging Father (there mother having passed away) only to find them selves if the most luxurious of cruise ship of it's era a shame it was called the Titanic. Hence the lifeboat and rather a lot of well not the life they expected. The story stays very close to the true story with our hero's and heroines being the extra ingredients to enable this adventure that I hope truly delights you as it did me. The characters are very real for this era just before the Great War the class system very much alive and used to enhance not distract from the plot.
Although this ship was the cause of so much tragedy it was a major turning point in merchant naval history and the cause of great curiosity even today it even got my Kids interested in history as a school subject. In fairness it was the teacher as much as the subject matter. But there is a section at the end that gives you lots of information about the inquiry held here as opposed to the American one. Before that the novel will keep you gripped and I loved it from the first page to the end there are some fantastic twists and I felt apart of the adventure the sign of a great writer.
So this is an easy five stars from me and I hope you feel that as well. Enjoy yourself I did when not gripping my seat.
Two privilege ladies absconded from there challenging Father (there mother having passed away) only to find them selves if the most luxurious of cruise ship of it's era a shame it was called the Titanic. Hence the lifeboat and rather a lot of well not the life they expected. The story stays very close to the true story with our hero's and heroines being the extra ingredients to enable this adventure that I hope truly delights you as it did me. The characters are very real for this era just before the Great War the class system very much alive and used to enhance not distract from the plot.
Although this ship was the cause of so much tragedy it was a major turning point in merchant naval history and the cause of great curiosity even today it even got my Kids interested in history as a school subject. In fairness it was the teacher as much as the subject matter. But there is a section at the end that gives you lots of information about the inquiry held here as opposed to the American one. Before that the novel will keep you gripped and I loved it from the first page to the end there are some fantastic twists and I felt apart of the adventure the sign of a great writer.
So this is an easy five stars from me and I hope you feel that as well. Enjoy yourself I did when not gripping my seat.
July 4, 2022
Poppy and Daisy worked on the Titanic as First Class stewardess. They ran away from their stately home to escape a negligent father who ignored their existence. This was the maiden voyage of this great ship. When disaster occurred they survived the sinking, but their ordeal wasn't over. The White Star Line had an agenda and the survivors were prevented from leaving the Carpathia. I was shocked at how they were treated. No one worried about the emotional trauma that they suffered. Daisy is reckless and risked her life and that of her sister when she steals from a desperate vengeful gambler. He won't stop until he get what's his. The crew are pawns In the hands of the White Star Line and the greedy politicians. Will the truth ever be revealed ? I wasn't sure it would ever be told. Poppy and Daisy are strong characters. They are polar opposite
which gives a more intense picture of what each woman saw happen as well as their interpretation of events. The Girl In The Lifeboat is a unflinching behind the scenes look at all the political machinations concerning the Titanic. Eileen Enwright Hodgetts has created a spellbinding story which combines truth with fiction and she has added a touch of romance. I loved this book!
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
which gives a more intense picture of what each woman saw happen as well as their interpretation of events. The Girl In The Lifeboat is a unflinching behind the scenes look at all the political machinations concerning the Titanic. Eileen Enwright Hodgetts has created a spellbinding story which combines truth with fiction and she has added a touch of romance. I loved this book!
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
July 26, 2022
I thought this book was boring. There were too many plots going on. It was hard to keep up with who was who and what was what. But it was interesting reading the story from the crews point of view.
May 25, 2023
After reading the girl on the carpathia, I had high hopes. I’m so painfully disappointed. Wow.
July 18, 2022
I received a copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
I have been fascinated by the story of the Titanic ever since the 1953 movie version of “Titanic.” This book is filled with all the elements of the dramatic event. The author shows us how frightening the sinking of the ship was. She takes us along with the passengers and crew as they attempt to save themselves from a watery death. There are not enough lifeboats for everyone, many boats are launched with too few passengers, hundreds understand they are facing death in the freezing water.
Then the inquiries begin. Ms. Hodgetts provides some fascinating information that the survivors disclosed. We are left to decide who was really at fault for this great sea disaster. I could not put the book down. This is a must read for anyone, especially those who are still fascinated with the Titanic’s disaster.
I have been fascinated by the story of the Titanic ever since the 1953 movie version of “Titanic.” This book is filled with all the elements of the dramatic event. The author shows us how frightening the sinking of the ship was. She takes us along with the passengers and crew as they attempt to save themselves from a watery death. There are not enough lifeboats for everyone, many boats are launched with too few passengers, hundreds understand they are facing death in the freezing water.
Then the inquiries begin. Ms. Hodgetts provides some fascinating information that the survivors disclosed. We are left to decide who was really at fault for this great sea disaster. I could not put the book down. This is a must read for anyone, especially those who are still fascinated with the Titanic’s disaster.
June 5, 2023
I really did love this story!!!!! April 12 1912 Runaway aristocrats Poppy and Daisy Melville sign on as stewardesses for the Titanis's maiden voyage. After their harrowing rescue by the Carpathia they are forbidden from disembarking in New York and sent back to England with the other survivor's of the Titanic's crew. Soon they learn that the White Star Line will stop at nothing including murder. Daisy a beautiful young woman used to getting her way harbors a secret that raises the stakes even higher. Where was she while the ship was sinking and why is she stalked from New York back to England??? Poppy must protect her sister from a vengeful murderer by uncovering the real cause of the sinking. I loved this second book by this author a book I just could not put down!!!!!
Want to read
September 2, 2024I can't get enough of the Titanic. This story focuses the involvement, or lack thereof, of the Californian on that fateful night and adds more "what ifs" to a story already loaded with "what ifs". I think it interesting to read about what happened after the sinking. There are still many unanswered questions, which makes the story of the Titanic timeless.
The author weaves the historical facts with fiction flawlessly. The fictional characters added depth and the story of Sophie Paxton gave the reader an insight to what an impact the Titanic had on people and their lives after the sinking. Her dreams were crushed but she came to realize there were so many more who lost much more than she did.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC in return for my honest review.
The author weaves the historical facts with fiction flawlessly. The fictional characters added depth and the story of Sophie Paxton gave the reader an insight to what an impact the Titanic had on people and their lives after the sinking. Her dreams were crushed but she came to realize there were so many more who lost much more than she did.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC in return for my honest review.
March 6, 2024
Poppy and Daisy Melville were aristocracy run aways acting as stewardess on the Titanic. Daisy was always dreaming of being rich and lazy but her sister, Poppy, promised her dying mother that she would protect Daisy. As the Titanic is sinking both girls were in different life boats and survived. They were on the survival list and so were going back to England to their home. Many events because of the sinking and the girls were interviewed. Well written
August 29, 2024
The English Side of Titanic
We all know the story of Titanic, but this one is a little different. This book was well written and entertains what went on with the surviving crew of the Titanic in its aftermath, and of the actual workings of the Titanic. The book is a nice mix of fiction and historical facts of the English and the White Star Line. Its an excellent sequel to The Girl on Carpathian by Miss Hodgetts.
We all know the story of Titanic, but this one is a little different. This book was well written and entertains what went on with the surviving crew of the Titanic in its aftermath, and of the actual workings of the Titanic. The book is a nice mix of fiction and historical facts of the English and the White Star Line. Its an excellent sequel to The Girl on Carpathian by Miss Hodgetts.
April 19, 2025
3.5 rounded up
So many characters and story lines made it distracting and hard to follow at times. The middle third of the book dragged for me. Fortunately the last 20% or so caught my attention again. The possibilities of what happened before, during and after the sinking were fascinating and will have my brain occupied for a long while. Loved the first book and will now progress to the third story.
So many characters and story lines made it distracting and hard to follow at times. The middle third of the book dragged for me. Fortunately the last 20% or so caught my attention again. The possibilities of what happened before, during and after the sinking were fascinating and will have my brain occupied for a long while. Loved the first book and will now progress to the third story.
July 19, 2022
Chances
First read by this author. I loved this story! I found myself actually believing the ideas that were offered! So believable with marvelous explanations!
The characters were very interesting. I enjoyed the way the author told the story. And well, the Titanic!!!!!!
#netgalley
First read by this author. I loved this story! I found myself actually believing the ideas that were offered! So believable with marvelous explanations!
The characters were very interesting. I enjoyed the way the author told the story. And well, the Titanic!!!!!!
#netgalley
February 28, 2024
I had higher expectations for this book after having read The Girl on the Carpathia, which was excellent. This book was a lot slower, a little redundant at times in the middle, and the most interesting was the last 50 pages. Some things about Daisy were never explained, seemed like an oversight that an editor should have caught.
April 9, 2025
My goodness, what a tedious book. This has less to do with the Titanic itself than it does with its aftermath. There are too many plot lines and not enough focus on the two main characters themselves, Poppy and Daisy. The whole story was so roundabout and did not maintain focus.
I read the first in this series and enjoyed it but this was a miss.
I read the first in this series and enjoyed it but this was a miss.
November 28, 2023
A nice story, based on facts relating to the Titanic disaster. I found it very interesting. I liked the way it was written, easy to follow. I just ordered “An American Beauty” & am looking forward to reading it.
July 24, 2022
This is one to skip
The most boring book I've ever read. Would never recommend it to any one. The chata cuff gets were dull
The most boring book I've ever read. Would never recommend it to any one. The chata cuff gets were dull
September 14, 2022
Lovely interesting read
Thoroughly enjoyed it
Thoroughly enjoyed it
October 3, 2022
Just okay
The true facts of the story were interesting, nut it seemed to drag on.. I had a hard time finding it.
The true facts of the story were interesting, nut it seemed to drag on.. I had a hard time finding it.
October 29, 2022
Good read
Easy read book with lots of colourful characters I enjoyed the way the story unfolded it kept me reading and interested
Easy read book with lots of colourful characters I enjoyed the way the story unfolded it kept me reading and interested
January 12, 2023
Interesting
Gives lots of information on how the titanic sank and what happened to some of the survivors. Good story of the two sisters Poppy and Daisy..
Gives lots of information on how the titanic sank and what happened to some of the survivors. Good story of the two sisters Poppy and Daisy..
March 18, 2023
Highly enjoyable
Excellent characters. Fast paced with great historical references. It was hard to put down. Definitely worth the time and money.
Excellent characters. Fast paced with great historical references. It was hard to put down. Definitely worth the time and money.
July 11, 2023
Great Book. At little long and tedious but I enjoyed it immensely. I have always enjoyed reading about the Titanic and how survivors fought to live.
April 21, 2024
Was it sabotage?
A lot of questions come to mind after reading this book. More historical literature would probably answer them. Interesting & lots of speculation.
A lot of questions come to mind after reading this book. More historical literature would probably answer them. Interesting & lots of speculation.
May 20, 2025
Another entertaining and interesting book. Well written. Believable characters. I enjoyed reading it.
July 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
‘There’s not a house on the waterfront that’s not lost someone - family, friend, or neighbour - on the titanic. It’s criminal. That’s what it is.’
Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres - especially if it’s novel about Titanic.
I’m interested in how an author takes the story and what characters they make on board. I’m interested in their research they do and how much truth is inputted into their stories. Which means I spend alot of time ‘googling’ during reading.
The Titanic is always a fascinating subject, it’s full of so many questions and it really shows you how different it was to live in that era. The class system being a huge one;
‘Poppy shivered. How many fine ladies had sent their maids back to fetch trinkets.’
This book starts after the titanic hits the iceberg and the last lifeboats are about to depart.
‘The last lifeboat had departed, and now it was every man for himself and no more nonsense about women and children first.’
It looks into how some spent their last moments awaiting the inevitable.
It also looks into the enquiry after and what happened to the staff on board who survived but had to live with this the rest of their life.
The whole way through is flashbacks on the ship and what each character did to save themselves.
A really good read. Lots of little character chapters within chapters so easy to pick up for a quick read now and again.
Lots of characters with interests in each other which did get a little confusing but did wrap up in the end nicely.
If you love historical fiction then I recommend this book ✨
‘There’s not a house on the waterfront that’s not lost someone - family, friend, or neighbour - on the titanic. It’s criminal. That’s what it is.’
Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres - especially if it’s novel about Titanic.
I’m interested in how an author takes the story and what characters they make on board. I’m interested in their research they do and how much truth is inputted into their stories. Which means I spend alot of time ‘googling’ during reading.
The Titanic is always a fascinating subject, it’s full of so many questions and it really shows you how different it was to live in that era. The class system being a huge one;
‘Poppy shivered. How many fine ladies had sent their maids back to fetch trinkets.’
This book starts after the titanic hits the iceberg and the last lifeboats are about to depart.
‘The last lifeboat had departed, and now it was every man for himself and no more nonsense about women and children first.’
It looks into how some spent their last moments awaiting the inevitable.
It also looks into the enquiry after and what happened to the staff on board who survived but had to live with this the rest of their life.
The whole way through is flashbacks on the ship and what each character did to save themselves.
A really good read. Lots of little character chapters within chapters so easy to pick up for a quick read now and again.
Lots of characters with interests in each other which did get a little confusing but did wrap up in the end nicely.
If you love historical fiction then I recommend this book ✨
June 7, 2022
I think the synopsis of this book pretty much tells the story. If you are interested in the story of the Titanic, this book starts with giving the bald facts, like The Girl on The Carpathia. The descriptions of the horror of that awful night are repeated in this book in as much graphic and upsetting detail. However, against the facts is the fictional story of the two aristocratic sisters, who are working their passage to New York, partly to escape their uncaring father, who doesn't even notice they're missing, but mainly to pursue the dream of the younger, pretty and flighty Lady Daisy, who dreams of becoming a film star. The sisters are thwarted, however, when Americans decide their testimony isn't needed and they're shipped back to England without even setting foot in New York. Before escaping into a lifeboat, however, opportunist Daisy steals the winnings of a professional gambler, including an item of much greater value than she realises. Thus begins his dangerous hunt for her to retrieve the item. Poppy, the older, more sensible sister is horrified at what Daisy has done and is prepared to go back to their previous life. The British enquiry is orchestrated by an Army man, whose priority is not to get to the truth. His ex army friend, and an Australian fireman on the Titanic who is more than he appears, both have an interest in getting to the truth - and in the two sisters. It's an interesting romantic thriller with some quite interesting and engaging characters, woven, like The Girl on The Carpathia, with true facts. I enjoyed this book as much as that previous one, but I'm glad some time has passed since reading the first one, otherwise I fear that reading certain parts of the sinking and it's aftermath could feel a bit repetitive. It is a Good Read, with a satisfying HAE for both sisters, if not for their awful father!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews