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nikiniki's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nicolajane's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book, the characters were so enchanting. and it was so easy to pick up.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
mollieh14's review against another edition
5.0
The story follows three different POV’s, Marcella, Michael and Margaret. Marcella is a young Italian girl living in Nice when she marries an older man, Michael, and has 2 little boys. Margaret is a young American woman on a trip around Europe with her friend and her mother. Their paths cross amongst the sinking of the Titanic and the aftermath of the trauma caused by this tragic event. Based on a true story with a chapter at the end dedicated to the historical aspect of the story.
I was absolutely hooked on this book- I physically had to pull myself away from reading it on occasions where I had to be getting on with something else! I love dual POV stories so being able to get perspectives from several characters was really vital for me to understand the different aspects of the plot and how the different characters were feeling about the events that took place.
The plot developed at the perfect pace for me, there was no long dragging moments without a lot happening and there were no rushed areas where details were missed which I really appreciated. The story was tugging on my heart throughout and it got very emotional at times (didn’t quite make me cry though!) It is especially heartbreaking to know this was a true story and the events that took place were in fact real, which must have been extremely devastating for those involved.
A must read for anybody into historical fiction or interested in a different perspective of different stories from the titanic as I had not heard of this one prior to this book!
I was absolutely hooked on this book- I physically had to pull myself away from reading it on occasions where I had to be getting on with something else! I love dual POV stories so being able to get perspectives from several characters was really vital for me to understand the different aspects of the plot and how the different characters were feeling about the events that took place.
The plot developed at the perfect pace for me, there was no long dragging moments without a lot happening and there were no rushed areas where details were missed which I really appreciated. The story was tugging on my heart throughout and it got very emotional at times (didn’t quite make me cry though!) It is especially heartbreaking to know this was a true story and the events that took place were in fact real, which must have been extremely devastating for those involved.
A must read for anybody into historical fiction or interested in a different perspective of different stories from the titanic as I had not heard of this one prior to this book!
deeisabibliophile_'s review
5.0
When I started reading this, I was curious about the plot and its link with RMS Titanic. Imrie’s one hell of a wordsmith to keep the readers curious and compelling them to explore the world of sea gradually. The exotic images of Nice combine with the historical images of London and eventually you find the grandeur of Atlantic. The gothic images of the perpetual darkness were finely crafted by Imrie. All I want to say is that, James Cameron must read this piece for giving another great Titanic saga plus this time the characters and the story is real and much powerful. Full marks for the painstaking research beyond the craft. Part of me is still there in the blue waters of Atlantic exploring the idea of eternity as the sun goes on embracing the icy blanket each day. Rimbaud’s poem to summarise the saga was the best part for me. In the end, “she’s found but still there’s a long way to go…
“Elle est retrouvée.
Quoi ? – L’Eternité.
C’est la mer allée
Avec le soleil.”
“Elle est retrouvée.
Quoi ? – L’Eternité.
C’est la mer allée
Avec le soleil.”
jo_bookworm's review
4.0
Marcella married young, swept away by Michael a man who has ambitions to be the best tailor in Nice, South of France. However the romance has gone and Marcella is left with a jealous husband who wishes to control and bully.
Marcella makes the momentous decision that she needs to leave this man for the sake of herself and her two young boys. Divorce is not going to be easy, it is 1911 and the French courts need to decide whether this will go ahead and what happens to the two young boys.
Margaret has been touring around Europe with friends, but she is bored and wishes to return to her home in America. When the chance to travel home in style on the RMS Titanic, Margaret makes the fatal choice.
How can these different lives cross? It is inevitable that they will, but perhaps not in the circumstances that everyone thinks. When you begin a book which clearly features one of the most famous ships in history, there is an inevitably about it – prior knowledge means you known what happens on that fateful night in April 1912. Interestingly the event doesn’t happen until well into the last third of the book – a sense of trepidation is built as the story of Michael and Marcella is built upon.
The introduction of Margaret, becomes clearer as the book goes on and as readers we are swept under the sea as everyone’s worlds change.
Whilst slow at points, I did wonder where and how this book was going to culminate and I was so intrigued by the characters that were created. I was completely surprised by the fact that whilst this story was fiction – every person and experience was based on real people and real events. The information and research given at the end of the book is fascinating and brought more to the story than if it had been pure fiction.
Very different to previous novels and I noticed that the author has had some assistance in research which is fine, but made me doubt as to how much was really the author. That though is probably my fussiness and for fans of historical fiction this definitely a book that is worth a read.
Marcella makes the momentous decision that she needs to leave this man for the sake of herself and her two young boys. Divorce is not going to be easy, it is 1911 and the French courts need to decide whether this will go ahead and what happens to the two young boys.
Margaret has been touring around Europe with friends, but she is bored and wishes to return to her home in America. When the chance to travel home in style on the RMS Titanic, Margaret makes the fatal choice.
How can these different lives cross? It is inevitable that they will, but perhaps not in the circumstances that everyone thinks. When you begin a book which clearly features one of the most famous ships in history, there is an inevitably about it – prior knowledge means you known what happens on that fateful night in April 1912. Interestingly the event doesn’t happen until well into the last third of the book – a sense of trepidation is built as the story of Michael and Marcella is built upon.
The introduction of Margaret, becomes clearer as the book goes on and as readers we are swept under the sea as everyone’s worlds change.
Whilst slow at points, I did wonder where and how this book was going to culminate and I was so intrigued by the characters that were created. I was completely surprised by the fact that whilst this story was fiction – every person and experience was based on real people and real events. The information and research given at the end of the book is fascinating and brought more to the story than if it had been pure fiction.
Very different to previous novels and I noticed that the author has had some assistance in research which is fine, but made me doubt as to how much was really the author. That though is probably my fussiness and for fans of historical fiction this definitely a book that is worth a read.
eliss959's review
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Waaaaa
I’ve just finished this book and I absolutely loved it ♥️ and it’s my first non fiction that reads like a story! Mesmerising, gripping and heart-wrenching 💦 I loved that it’s all real and it tells you at the end what happened in the long run to the main characters met in the book. I couldn’t have read faster as eager as I was while knowing the verdict. Real life meets tale. I’m not a sailing fan (I haven’t even watched the movie) but it was so much more than just the Titanic and I felt that everything was talked through the right amount of pages and the book explores various issues rather than focusing on the Titanic disaster only.
I’ve just finished this book and I absolutely loved it ♥️ and it’s my first non fiction that reads like a story! Mesmerising, gripping and heart-wrenching 💦 I loved that it’s all real and it tells you at the end what happened in the long run to the main characters met in the book. I couldn’t have read faster as eager as I was while knowing the verdict. Real life meets tale. I’m not a sailing fan (I haven’t even watched the movie) but it was so much more than just the Titanic and I felt that everything was talked through the right amount of pages and the book explores various issues rather than focusing on the Titanic disaster only.
mugglemom's review
2.0
Honestly, I got through 50% of the book before I just lost interest in how the dialogue was so wonky. Mostly due to the modern turn of phrases being "supposedly" used in 1910s France. Oh, for example, when Micheal calls Marcella a "drama queen" or when Micheal makes reference to Disney's version of Snow White to Marcella "did an old woman with a spinning wheel and apple...." and just a bunch of other likewise things sprinkled throughout...l
The characters, tho based on real people and real court documents & news articles, are written with hard-to-believe dialogues. I just couldn't grasp their "supposed" motives as written. Why would Micheal suddenly want his two sons after barely acknowledging their short lives and whisk them off to America? He barely let Marcella acknowledge them when she/they worked/lived under the same roof. If the story was more believable, then maybe I could buy into the plot.
So I skipped to the end and I enjoyed the actual documentation research more than the tale.
I saw one major critical review that stated my thoughts perfectly
"Truth is not only stranger than fiction, it also often tells a far more compelling story. The same could be said of Orphans of the Storm — a mildly entertaining novel that could have, in the right hands, been a gripping work of narrative nonfiction."...
The characters, tho based on real people and real court documents & news articles, are written with hard-to-believe dialogues. I just couldn't grasp their "supposed" motives as written. Why would Micheal suddenly want his two sons after barely acknowledging their short lives and whisk them off to America? He barely let Marcella acknowledge them when she/they worked/lived under the same roof. If the story was more believable, then maybe I could buy into the plot.
So I skipped to the end and I enjoyed the actual documentation research more than the tale.
I saw one major critical review that stated my thoughts perfectly
"Truth is not only stranger than fiction, it also often tells a far more compelling story. The same could be said of Orphans of the Storm — a mildly entertaining novel that could have, in the right hands, been a gripping work of narrative nonfiction."...
cathylpowell's review against another edition
4.0
Marcella is a dreamer, she dreams of being a famous singer, but she hasn't had any training. Her family thinks that she needs a trade, so she goes to a college to learn about tailoring. It is here she meets Michael and her life changes. She falls in love with Michael, they get married, have two children and then he changes. He becomes jealous of her relationship with their two young sons.
April 1912 and the Titanic is due to set sail. The vessel holds many wealthy people on it along with others of lessen fortune. We meet Margaret, a bored young woman who has led a priviledged life. Her life, along with many others changes forever as a result of the fate of the Titanic.
Her life becomes intwined with Michael, the two boys and Marcella.
This is my first book by Imrie that I have read. I will admit to requesting it mainly due to the Titanic voyage angle. It was a highly enjoyable read.
April 1912 and the Titanic is due to set sail. The vessel holds many wealthy people on it along with others of lessen fortune. We meet Margaret, a bored young woman who has led a priviledged life. Her life, along with many others changes forever as a result of the fate of the Titanic.
Her life becomes intwined with Michael, the two boys and Marcella.
This is my first book by Imrie that I have read. I will admit to requesting it mainly due to the Titanic voyage angle. It was a highly enjoyable read.
georgilvsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Another enjoyable book on the titanic, that was based on a real life situation that happened with these two brothers who became known as the orphans of the titanic.
Perfect for historical fiction readers and fans of the titanic.
Perfect for historical fiction readers and fans of the titanic.
hayleyyelyah_'s review
4.0
It was a slow start, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I just wished we had more content about being aboard the titanic. Really recommend this book.