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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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:
Yes
1838: About 11 pm on June 14th, the steamship Pulaski, called the Titanic of the South, sunk off the coast of North Carolina from a boiler explosion. Most of the passengers perished. Approximately 59 survivors floated on the ocean or were washed ashore for 4 days before rescue.
2018: The wreckage of the Pulaski was discovered 40 miles off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina. The site was rich in artifacts.
The book shifts back and forth between the two time periods. In 1838, the book follows the story of two women who managed to rescue themselves and some of their children. In 2018, Everly Winthrop, a gifted historian/curator of historical museums, is hired to research and prepare a museum exhibit featuring the story of the Pulaski and its treasure.
The story then switches between the two time lines to tell the story of Augusta Longstreet, who survives the sinking, and Lily Forsyth, who is one of the never found. The strength and determination of these two women in saving themselves and fighting to save their children is the core of this book.
Whenever there is a dual timeline in a work of historical fiction, there is almost always one storyline that seems brighter, more vibrant and alive than the other. It is usually the historical story that dominates the more modern timeline, which is definitely the case here. I found myself skipping forward in the Everly storyline, to get back to Augusta and Lily. I enjoyed this book and found it uplifting at the end. This quote from a letter of Augusta’s sums it up.
“The life that we live, we choose with every decision of the heart, soul, and mind. What do we do with our survival? Now what?”
I recommend this book to any lover of historical fiction It takes a couple of chapters to get a handle on who is who (the Longstreet party included 12 children), but it is well worth the effort.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5*
The modern day storyline with Everly was boring and often cringey and cliche. I wish the book had focussed on Augusta and Lilly, who were much more interesting
The modern day storyline with Everly was boring and often cringey and cliche. I wish the book had focussed on Augusta and Lilly, who were much more interesting
emotional
sad
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:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent
What a wonderful read! It never ceases to amaze me when I pick up a historical fiction book and learn about something I've never heard about in my life. Callahan did a beautiful job weaving the story of the Pulaski and its survivors into a narrative that seamlessly went from present to past and educated readers on a little known tragedy in 1838. I could not put this book down!