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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read a lot of historical fiction and it’s really refreshing to read about a time that doesn’t seem to be covered as frequently. Part of this story takes place in the 1830’s around the sailing of the Pulaski and the rest takes place in present day.
In the present day, Everly is still mourning the loss of someone close to her. It’s been awhile but she is still deeply in mourning. She has always been fascinated by the stories of the Pulaski. Her grandfather told her the legends when she was growing up. It happened locally too, so it’s part of Savannah’s history.
Lilly and Augusta were on the ship.
We get all the details of the ship from that time period, we get to know the characters in their present day and not just the way history remembers them.
This was a story about survival and “surviving the survival”. There were some very good lessons here. Just because someone survived something bad does not guarantee that they will be stronger. It doesn’t guarantee that they will live a great life. That’s something Everly struggles with, she seems to have survivor’s guilt. I don’t want to dig too much into the story because I’m planning for this to be a spoiler free post. Just know that this story isn’t just about what happened with the ship, it’s about how those that survived the accident continued to have to figure out how to survive.
I enjoyed it and I liked the characters and setting.
In the present day, Everly is still mourning the loss of someone close to her. It’s been awhile but she is still deeply in mourning. She has always been fascinated by the stories of the Pulaski. Her grandfather told her the legends when she was growing up. It happened locally too, so it’s part of Savannah’s history.
Lilly and Augusta were on the ship.
We get all the details of the ship from that time period, we get to know the characters in their present day and not just the way history remembers them.
This was a story about survival and “surviving the survival”. There were some very good lessons here. Just because someone survived something bad does not guarantee that they will be stronger. It doesn’t guarantee that they will live a great life. That’s something Everly struggles with, she seems to have survivor’s guilt. I don’t want to dig too much into the story because I’m planning for this to be a spoiler free post. Just know that this story isn’t just about what happened with the ship, it’s about how those that survived the accident continued to have to figure out how to survive.
I enjoyed it and I liked the characters and setting.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
I liked it but I didn’t love it. The Augusta/Lilly plot was excellent and kept me engaged and interested.
Some elements of Everly’s story were just weird. Many of the events that happen to her are unrealistic. She was unlikeable at times and the writing from her perspective was rote and boring. I think it would’ve been a better book overall if Everly was taken out. It’s still a decent read if you enjoy historical fiction.
Some elements of Everly’s story were just weird. Many of the events that happen to her are unrealistic. She was unlikeable at times and the writing from her perspective was rote and boring. I think it would’ve been a better book overall if Everly was taken out. It’s still a decent read if you enjoy historical fiction.
This book is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. I enjoyed the stories in both the modern and past timelines and the parallels between the two. Both timelines address issues such as what we make of ourselves when we survive the surviving, loss, slavery, friendship and love. If you enjoy learning about bits of history that you were most likely unaware of, this book is for you.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
4.5 stars.
Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to curate a collection of artifacts being recovered from the recently discovered Pulaski. While researching the disaster, she comes to learn of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together including two women - Augusta Longstreet and her niece Lilly Forsyth. Both of these aristocratic women were part of the Savannah society and each was faced with heartbreaking decisions to be made in the wake of the disaster.
The themes of the book are the role of fate and the challenges of survivor’s guilt not only by those on the ship, but by Everly herself. Indeed the author has noted that fate has also had a role in her experience in learning about the Pulaski, researching the passengers and artifacts found, and finding the drive to see the book to its completion.
I really enjoyed the book and was captivated throughout. The level of research that went into the writing of this book is evident. The characters are well developed and likeable. The flow of the parallel stories, each holding my interest, was excellent. I appreciated the inclusion of diversity of the characters which felt respectful to the original passengers of the Pulaski. I recommend this book to those readers that enjoy historical fiction or women’s fiction.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book which was performed by Brittany Pressley and Catherine Taber. These women gave an impressive performance, which was articulate and expressive. I found their voices to be believable and easy to listen to. Additionally, I appreciated listening to the author’s notes at the end of the book in her own voice which provided some interesting facts about the inspiration to write this book. I would not hesitate to recommend the audiobook version of this book to those that enjoy this format.
Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to curate a collection of artifacts being recovered from the recently discovered Pulaski. While researching the disaster, she comes to learn of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together including two women - Augusta Longstreet and her niece Lilly Forsyth. Both of these aristocratic women were part of the Savannah society and each was faced with heartbreaking decisions to be made in the wake of the disaster.
The themes of the book are the role of fate and the challenges of survivor’s guilt not only by those on the ship, but by Everly herself. Indeed the author has noted that fate has also had a role in her experience in learning about the Pulaski, researching the passengers and artifacts found, and finding the drive to see the book to its completion.
I really enjoyed the book and was captivated throughout. The level of research that went into the writing of this book is evident. The characters are well developed and likeable. The flow of the parallel stories, each holding my interest, was excellent. I appreciated the inclusion of diversity of the characters which felt respectful to the original passengers of the Pulaski. I recommend this book to those readers that enjoy historical fiction or women’s fiction.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book which was performed by Brittany Pressley and Catherine Taber. These women gave an impressive performance, which was articulate and expressive. I found their voices to be believable and easy to listen to. Additionally, I appreciated listening to the author’s notes at the end of the book in her own voice which provided some interesting facts about the inspiration to write this book. I would not hesitate to recommend the audiobook version of this book to those that enjoy this format.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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:
Yes