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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
This is a very, very good story. It had all of pathos that you'd expect from, as the book itself coins, "tragedy porn." I loved the story of survival at sea. And I did like that it addressed the philosophical question of fate's hand in tragedy. That was well done. My reservation- my only one- was the strict adherence to the "historical fiction formula." Tragic historical moment? Check! Little bit o'romance? Check! Narrator from present day who is dealing with something loosely connected with what happened in the past? Check! Likeable time period heroine carrying some kind of injury of the heart? Double check! Cover of the book is of a silhouetted woman from behind, pensively looking off into the distance? Of course! Seeing the frame before the story is a bit of a let down. But I did really like it, teasing aside. I recommend this book, especially to those who get their kicks out of novels where many people die suddenly and dramatically, and only the few brave and deserving ones survive.
"How to survive the surviving" Author's note p.399
New York Times best selling author Patti Callahan's novel "Saving Savannah" is a riveting account of the 1838 sinking of the steamship the Pulaski. Hundreds perished. 180 years later the sunken ship is located and a Savannah history professor is contracted to curate a museum exhibit about this little-known event.
The harrowing description of the passengers/crew fight for survival and the difficult aftermath made for a fascinating read. I highly recommend this historical fiction book. The author's note and list of resources are compelling.
New York Times best selling author Patti Callahan's novel "Saving Savannah" is a riveting account of the 1838 sinking of the steamship the Pulaski. Hundreds perished. 180 years later the sunken ship is located and a Savannah history professor is contracted to curate a museum exhibit about this little-known event.
The harrowing description of the passengers/crew fight for survival and the difficult aftermath made for a fascinating read. I highly recommend this historical fiction book. The author's note and list of resources are compelling.
3.5 stars. I loved the dual timeline, descriptive language and setting in Savannah, but I didn’t like some of the sentence structure and forced dialogue. I also didn’t like the drunk driver tie in - it felt forced and random. The relationship with Oliver felt strange and hard to root for. However, I really enjoyed learning about this slice of history!
I was glad that Surviving Savannah was chosen for my book club to learn more about the 1838 sinking of the luxury steamship Pulaski (referred to as the “Titanic of the South”), and the discovery of the wreckage in 2018.
From what is known about the incident, there were fewer than 200 passengers and crewmembers on board the steamship headed from Savannah to Baltimore. After a disastrous explosion which originated in the boiler room, only 59 survivors were found. The wreckage was not discovered until 180 years later, 40+ miles off the coast of North Carolina.
The story is told in dual timelines, one from current day where Everly is asked to curate a collection of items from the wreckage, and one from the ship’s voyage which follows two related women on the journey — Augusta and her niece, Lilly. Everly’s story was the least interesting of the three. The use of her past trauma was a tiresome plot device that detracted from the story of the shipwreck, but she did grow on me over time.
I felt the actual story is likely more interesting than this “dramatization.” I really enjoyed Once Upon a Wardrobe, but the writing in Surviving Savannah was just so flat. Coupled with my dislike for Everly, this wasn’t Patti Callaghan’s best work.
NOTE: If you’d like to read more about the discovery of the Pulaski shipwreck, watch Expedition Unknown — season 9, episode 6. Patti Callahan even makes an appearance!
From what is known about the incident, there were fewer than 200 passengers and crewmembers on board the steamship headed from Savannah to Baltimore. After a disastrous explosion which originated in the boiler room, only 59 survivors were found. The wreckage was not discovered until 180 years later, 40+ miles off the coast of North Carolina.
The story is told in dual timelines, one from current day where Everly is asked to curate a collection of items from the wreckage, and one from the ship’s voyage which follows two related women on the journey — Augusta and her niece, Lilly. Everly’s story was the least interesting of the three. The use of her past trauma was a tiresome plot device that detracted from the story of the shipwreck, but she did grow on me over time.
I felt the actual story is likely more interesting than this “dramatization.” I really enjoyed Once Upon a Wardrobe, but the writing in Surviving Savannah was just so flat. Coupled with my dislike for Everly, this wasn’t Patti Callaghan’s best work.
NOTE: If you’d like to read more about the discovery of the Pulaski shipwreck, watch Expedition Unknown — season 9, episode 6. Patti Callahan even makes an appearance!
The stories of the women in this story are fascinating. I enjoyed learning more about the historic Pulaski ship through the fictional accounts of the passengers. The theme of strength and overcoming tragedy is clear.
Didn't mind the dual timeline. The timelines weren't as parallel as other texts who use this structure, but it didn't bother me. Maybe a focus on just the Pulaski survivors would have worked just as well. We spent way too much tie restating Everly's emotional trauma and then became way too philosophical on the dive and everything that follows. The Pulaski story raised certain questions in the author's mind, but she didn't need to hammer the readers with those questions or her answers. Trust your readers to come up with their own "big picture" connections.
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
sad
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes