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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Went back and forth between 2 or 3 ⭐️. I think the narrator kind of ruined this book for me? I feel like it should’ve been shorter. The chapters from Lily’s POV did little to move the story forward. And for a book that was about children being lost at sea, that is something that sounds like I should be crying over but I felt…nothing? I just couldn’t fall in love with the main female characters. I did like Owen and I did like the children, but Kitty, Lily, and Alice? Meh.
Also, small thing but the cover really bugs me because it looks like one woman with some children on the lifeboat when that was not the case at all!
Also, small thing but the cover really bugs me because it looks like one woman with some children on the lifeboat when that was not the case at all!
What a great book! Such a tragic story. I liked the focus on the survivors and then getting a little glimpse of their lives after their rescue.
I enjoyed this book much more than anticipated. It was a very vividly told story, with the perfect amount of detail. It felt so real at times, and I kept wishing I could Google the characters. I loved hearing about the real life inspiration after as well.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I truly enjoy the writing of Hazel Gaynor. She’s the author of one of my favorite books “A Memory of Violets”. I’ve read most of her books and I’m always excited when a new one comes out (I eagerly await “Christmas with the Queen, co-authored by Heather Webb, another favorite of mine, coming in October 2024).
This reminded me a bit of the Titanic, another ocean disaster which I’ve read quite a bit on. However, this tragedy was caused by war, as a German U-boat torpedoed a ship carrying, amongst others, child evacuees from London heading to Canada. Sadly, while this is historical fiction, it was based on actual events. The story is told of a young widow, Lily, who has to make a heartbreaking decision. Keep her two young children, Georgie and Arthur, with her in London where Hitler has been bombing the city, or apply to have them sent to another country to stay safe during the war. Even this choice could result in danger due to German u-boat attacks. I can’t imagine how devastating this decision had to be for parents and their children.
The other part of this story relates to Alice, a young woman who wants to do something meaningful and make a difference in life during wartime. She applies for and becomes an escort for children being evacuated to the other countries by boat.
Alice ends up on the boat with Arthur and Georgie and many other children heading to Canada. Tragedy strikes and not many will survive. I’ll leave it at that so as not to cause any spoilers. Hazel Gaynor tells the story well and gets the reader to feel so much emotion reading about difficult choices, heroic actions, and the will to survive when hope is so slim.
This reminded me a bit of the Titanic, another ocean disaster which I’ve read quite a bit on. However, this tragedy was caused by war, as a German U-boat torpedoed a ship carrying, amongst others, child evacuees from London heading to Canada. Sadly, while this is historical fiction, it was based on actual events. The story is told of a young widow, Lily, who has to make a heartbreaking decision. Keep her two young children, Georgie and Arthur, with her in London where Hitler has been bombing the city, or apply to have them sent to another country to stay safe during the war. Even this choice could result in danger due to German u-boat attacks. I can’t imagine how devastating this decision had to be for parents and their children.
The other part of this story relates to Alice, a young woman who wants to do something meaningful and make a difference in life during wartime. She applies for and becomes an escort for children being evacuated to the other countries by boat.
Alice ends up on the boat with Arthur and Georgie and many other children heading to Canada. Tragedy strikes and not many will survive. I’ll leave it at that so as not to cause any spoilers. Hazel Gaynor tells the story well and gets the reader to feel so much emotion reading about difficult choices, heroic actions, and the will to survive when hope is so slim.
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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:
No
A captivating tale of survival based on an actual historical event involving evacuation of children from Europe to “safety” during WWII. Crazy to imagine, fascinating to listen to and suspenseful to the end. Great characters and interesting themes regarding how we live our lives, curiosity, fear and strength.