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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
4.0
A deeply poignant and heart wrenching tale based, not only on real life events but real people, too—albeit fictional versions. Set both in Nice, France and on board the doomed maiden voyage of the Titanic.
Set in 1911, after three years of marriage Marcella Carretto has decided to divorce her cruel and controlling husband, Michael. But while awaiting the judges’ decision on the custody of their two children, Michael receives news that changes everything.
Meanwhile, fun loving New York socialite, Margaret Hays has grown bored of her Grand Tour Of Europe and decides to head home on the most famous steamer ever built—RMS Titanic.
As the ship sets sail for America, carrying two children bearing false names, the lives of Marcella, Michael and Margaret cross—and nothing will ever be the same again.
I really enjoyed this one, it was undeniably gripping and had me emotionally invested in the fates of Imrie’s characters, particularly Marcella and her young sons.
The level of historical detail was absolutely incredible, it was easy to tell that Celia Imrie had done extensive research on the topic. The characters were also written incredibly well and imbued with the humanity (and flaws) that I found brought realism to their narrative.
It’s told from three separate POVs- Marcella, Michael and Margaret. The first half of the book starts with Marcella’s POV and chronicles the start and eventual deterioration of Marcella and Michael’s marriage—I found it quite slow at first but the pace does pickup in the second half.
Overall a pretty solid read!
Though Celine Dion wasn’t singing during the Titanic scenes (or the aftermath), nor was there a Jack or a Rose—I couldn’t help but cry several times whilst reading this, so—if emotionally charged historical fiction is your thing, then I thoroughly recommend you check this out.
Also, a Massive thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC.
Set in 1911, after three years of marriage Marcella Carretto has decided to divorce her cruel and controlling husband, Michael. But while awaiting the judges’ decision on the custody of their two children, Michael receives news that changes everything.
Meanwhile, fun loving New York socialite, Margaret Hays has grown bored of her Grand Tour Of Europe and decides to head home on the most famous steamer ever built—RMS Titanic.
As the ship sets sail for America, carrying two children bearing false names, the lives of Marcella, Michael and Margaret cross—and nothing will ever be the same again.
I really enjoyed this one, it was undeniably gripping and had me emotionally invested in the fates of Imrie’s characters, particularly Marcella and her young sons.
The level of historical detail was absolutely incredible, it was easy to tell that Celia Imrie had done extensive research on the topic. The characters were also written incredibly well and imbued with the humanity (and flaws) that I found brought realism to their narrative.
It’s told from three separate POVs- Marcella, Michael and Margaret. The first half of the book starts with Marcella’s POV and chronicles the start and eventual deterioration of Marcella and Michael’s marriage—I found it quite slow at first but the pace does pickup in the second half.
Overall a pretty solid read!
Though Celine Dion wasn’t singing during the Titanic scenes (or the aftermath), nor was there a Jack or a Rose—I couldn’t help but cry several times whilst reading this, so—if emotionally charged historical fiction is your thing, then I thoroughly recommend you check this out.
Also, a Massive thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC.
karlamcclatchey's review against another edition
5.0
What a stunning historical tale. This beautiful story is set primarily in early 1900s Nice, based on the Navratil story, their difficult marriage and Marcella's petition for divorce due to her ill treatment ove there husbands petty jealousies concerning other men and indeed their own infant sons. There are a host of wonderful characters, some sinister and spiteful and others more sympathetic. Eventually the tale lapses onto the infamous Titanic. The breathtaking descriptions of life on ship and the harrowing scenes during its demise are riveting. I was astounded by how many "facts" around the Titanic were mere gossip strengthened by false newspaper claims. So much of the story and the characters are based on superb historical research, which makes this book so powerful . An epic story. #celiaimrie #netgalley #bloomsbury
gelatolady's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
gabrielle07mcm's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for giving me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.
First off, this was the first book I’ve read by the author. I have a huge love for anything Titanic so of course I had to request this book! I found the beginning of the book very slow. I didn’t want to give up on the book because of the compelling blurb. So, I kept going and found myself getting bored of reading due to the slow pace.
However, when the book reached the Titanic it got more interesting. I became hooked in the plot, but I would have preferred to also see the reaction in Nice during the Titanic chapters too. It really would have added to the story. Nevertheless, the author’s research and historical interest in the Titanic and the time period in general truly brought this story to life. It made the characters and the places much more realistic and I know the characters will stay with me for a long time after due to this.
While the start may have been slow, the book picked up from the halfway point with the Titanic. The aftermath was probably my favourite bit. The emotions of the characters and the experiences of coping with the disaster were incredibly realistic. It really made me love this book.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I would definitely read another book by this author again
First off, this was the first book I’ve read by the author. I have a huge love for anything Titanic so of course I had to request this book! I found the beginning of the book very slow. I didn’t want to give up on the book because of the compelling blurb. So, I kept going and found myself getting bored of reading due to the slow pace.
However, when the book reached the Titanic it got more interesting. I became hooked in the plot, but I would have preferred to also see the reaction in Nice during the Titanic chapters too. It really would have added to the story. Nevertheless, the author’s research and historical interest in the Titanic and the time period in general truly brought this story to life. It made the characters and the places much more realistic and I know the characters will stay with me for a long time after due to this.
While the start may have been slow, the book picked up from the halfway point with the Titanic. The aftermath was probably my favourite bit. The emotions of the characters and the experiences of coping with the disaster were incredibly realistic. It really made me love this book.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I would definitely read another book by this author again
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
I found the first half of this book extremely slow and was going to give up but I thought "one more chapter".
It was the right decision because the book became gripping and the pace faster.
A good mix of facts and fiction, a vivid historical background and an interesting story.
I enjoyed it but you have to be patient.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It was the right decision because the book became gripping and the pace faster.
A good mix of facts and fiction, a vivid historical background and an interesting story.
I enjoyed it but you have to be patient.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
anxiouspurpleelephant's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide attempt
my_expanding_bookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
3.0
Orphans of the Storm was an enjoyable read based on the true story of two families affected by the Titanic disaster. I have such a soft spot for anything Titanic-related and love learning about it so this cover really drew my eyes when I was browsing Netgalley.
The book is set across Nice, England, New York, and the Titanic. As the story and the characters are based on real people. these locations fitted the characters well. It was also clear that there was a lot of research that went into the historical details. However, I was disappointed tha the Titanic didn't make an appearance until almost the halfway point of the book. And there weren't many chapters set on the ship at all. In fact, those chapters felt slightly rushed.
The characters, however, weren't very likable. Michael and Stefan were just horrendous and gave me the absolute creeps. I felt so mad reading about what they did. Margaret was so stuck-up and cared too much about what she was seen to be doing. However, I do think she grew throughout the story (who wouldn't after going through her ordeal) and I loved how she bonded with Michel (a different character to Michael) and Edmond. She really fought for them.
Marcela also annoyed me as she was such a pushover when it came to Michael. I just wanted her to stand up for herself and her boys. However, at the same time, she was young and domestic abuse is terrifying so she would have felt isolated and helpless.
The story is told via the POV of Marcela, Michael and Margaret (so many M names!). It really helps you empathise with Marcela and Margaret and hate Michael more. Michael's thoughts about his own children are beyond belief. Being a Titanic story based on real people, it is predictable. The story of the "Titanic Orphans" is a well-known one. But I found this interpretation interesting all the same.
The story is also split into three parts, before, during and after the Titanic. I found part one very slow and I almost DNF'ed. For me, it wasn't the part I was interested in. The pace definitely picked up over parts 2 and 3 and I couldn't help but keep reading. In fact, it took me almost a week to read part 1, whereas I read parts 2 and 3 across an evening and morning.
Overall, I did enjoy Orphans of the Storm, even if I was disappointed in the lack of Titanic and the dislikable characters. If I come across more Celia Imrie books I might pick them up, but I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction based on real people.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Kidnapping
lolahodgson's review against another edition
3.0
'Orphans of the Storm' is an enjoyable piece of historical fiction, in which Imrie utilises a writing style that is easy and quick to read, which made it difficult to put down.
Although I originally picked this up due to a personal interest in Titanic, for me the Titanic sections themselves felt slightly rushed, and the use of multiple perspectives meant there were some characters I liked a lot more than others, and found some more difficult to get through.
The first half of the novel also felt slightly too drawn out, though I did enjoy the non-Titanic elements and sections much more than I expected myself to, and found myself really sympathising and bonding with Marcella as a character, which made it an almost unputdownable read.
(Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with this eARC!)
Although I originally picked this up due to a personal interest in Titanic, for me the Titanic sections themselves felt slightly rushed, and the use of multiple perspectives meant there were some characters I liked a lot more than others, and found some more difficult to get through.
The first half of the novel also felt slightly too drawn out, though I did enjoy the non-Titanic elements and sections much more than I expected myself to, and found myself really sympathising and bonding with Marcella as a character, which made it an almost unputdownable read.
(Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with this eARC!)