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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first half of the book was very slow, boring and unneeded. It did not add to the story. Instead of writing back on what she experienced I wish the book was written as a journal on her trip aboard the ship. Thankfully the second half of the book was better and I was able to finish it.
This. This was good.
By chance, I read a book not too unlike the way this one is structured: The events are being told from a point in the future.
But this, this is a good example for how you do that and pull it off successfully.
Dorothy is telling us the story after it happens, but it's done with a great deal of realism: She hesitates. She cuts herself off. She starts and stops, like a trauma victim would. She describes things with the right amount of detail and description that a twelve year-old would give, and the way the information is written- it sounds like a kid writing it. It sounds like something that could have organically come from someone this age, about the actual tragedy.
And see, the descriptiveness and lack thereof works; in some parts, Dorothy's focusing on details because she doesn't want to get to the bad parts of the story. And then, when the bad parts happen, she relates them very shortly and simply, because she wants to get it done and over with.
Good book. Very good book.
By chance, I read a book not too unlike the way this one is structured: The events are being told from a point in the future.
But this, this is a good example for how you do that and pull it off successfully.
Dorothy is telling us the story after it happens, but it's done with a great deal of realism: She hesitates. She cuts herself off. She starts and stops, like a trauma victim would. She describes things with the right amount of detail and description that a twelve year-old would give, and the way the information is written- it sounds like a kid writing it. It sounds like something that could have organically come from someone this age, about the actual tragedy.
And see, the descriptiveness and lack thereof works; in some parts, Dorothy's focusing on details because she doesn't want to get to the bad parts of the story. And then, when the bad parts happen, she relates them very shortly and simply, because she wants to get it done and over with.
Good book. Very good book.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This one just fell short for me, I have some plans to read more on the subject but I just found this one seemed to lag in the story telling. I did find some interesting things in it but for the most part I wasn't as engaged as when I was reading the others.
I picked this one up for nostalgia’s sake — I wanted to see how Dear Canada stacked up against my beloved Dear America series, particularly the still-superb Voyage on the Great Titanic. And I’m pretty impressed! DA’s book is definitely better if you want a focus on the Titanic’s voyage and disaster in the narrative itself, whereas DC’s That Fatal Night is exclusively told in hindsight. I give the author serious kudos for portraying PTSD in a child so honestly and authentically while still giving us an inkling of what a headstrong, playful, and stubborn kid Dorothy was pre-disaster. For that reason alone, this is a worthy contribution to the plethora of Titanic literature out there. Most books focus on the sinking, whereas this one is far more interested in the aftermath, which is sorely underrepresented in Titanic fiction. Bonus points for being geared towards children.
My one gripe is that the stewardess, Beryl, is VERY obviously based on Violet Jessop (right down to the character’s anecdotes about childhood, which were blatantly lifted from Jessop’s memoir), and there was no recognition of this in the historical notes or in the author’s notes. Absolutely no mention of Jessop at any point in this book. The plot and writing were superb, but this just doesn’t sit right with me. Otherwise a quick but enjoyable read.
My one gripe is that the stewardess, Beryl, is VERY obviously based on Violet Jessop (right down to the character’s anecdotes about childhood, which were blatantly lifted from Jessop’s memoir), and there was no recognition of this in the historical notes or in the author’s notes. Absolutely no mention of Jessop at any point in this book. The plot and writing were superb, but this just doesn’t sit right with me. Otherwise a quick but enjoyable read.
Great book, though the actual sinking was very quick, and not very much was made of what was going on, she was woken up, and taken to a lifeboat, then she was on the ship to take the survivors to NY. So I wish there was more of the actual sinking, but oh, well. Great book!
These remind me of going to the library in elementary school. I used to take out the one called No Safe Harbour, which tbh was actually pretty gory/horrifying, and that's why I liked it. I read it again at the beginning of the pandemic.
I thought this one would be pretty brutal too but it wasn't! I wasn't a huge fan of the way she made some of her jorunal entries into plays and I thought there'd be more of the actual sinking.
Even still I like historical fiction and I enjoyed the extra info + pics at the end :)
Gonna read more of these since they're fast lol gotta meet that reading goal, I have 9 books to go!!
I thought this one would be pretty brutal too but it wasn't! I wasn't a huge fan of the way she made some of her jorunal entries into plays and I thought there'd be more of the actual sinking.
Even still I like historical fiction and I enjoyed the extra info + pics at the end :)
Gonna read more of these since they're fast lol gotta meet that reading goal, I have 9 books to go!!
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
True confession: I love the Dear America series and was deeply bummed when I discovered that there was a whole set of Dear Canada books that I had absolutely no access to, since I live in the US. I mean, I might have been able to purchase them online, but as a librarian and avid library user, I didn't really want to do that. I was SUPER EXCITED when my library bought a digital copy of this book! In the same Dear America tradition (IDK which came first?), this fictional diary of a girl living through a major event in history did a nice job of making the event and time period realistic for readers.