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amyr 's review for:
Surviving Savannah
by Patti Callahan
Patti Callahan's Surviving Savannah introduces readers to the little known story of the Pulaski, a luxury steamship that tragically sank in the middle of the night on June 14, 1838. Known as the Titanic of the South, the Pulaski represents one of the largest maritime disasters the US has ever experienced. Told in alternating viewpoints, Surviving Savannah follows three young women: Lilly and Augusta in 1838 and Everly Winthorp in present day Georgia. All three women are struggling with how to move forward in the aftermath of tragedy, while also finding out who they are as individuals and gaining strength from what feels like impossible circumstances.
I found Callahan's writing prose to be compulsively readable and sophisticated. All three women were brought to life in vivid detail and it was not hard for me to connect with the story. As a huge history buff myself, I particularly enjoyed the back story of the Pulaski and found myself googling the disaster to dig deeper into historical basis for the story. I could tell through the storyline that the author did her due diligence in research so that the reader is provided with a factual foundation to build her story off from. I find historical fiction is always the most successful when it has a strong base to build off from.
There were a few aspects of the novel that I wished were a little bit better. I felt that Lily's story ended a little abruptly. I wish the author had chosen to include one to two more chapters from Lily's viewpoint. I know that she has Augusta wrap up Lily's story in the end, but I feel like it would have been more powerful if Lily's fate had been revealed in her own voice. I also found that Everly's storyline started out really strong but ended up being slightly predictable and a little underwhelming. I would have liked to have seen maybe a little more of a twist with the resolution to her tragedy as it seemed a little too rushed and convenient.
Overall, I found this novel to be a strong piece of historical fiction. I always enjoy when I can learn something new about history and the people who took part in the events. It is a read that I would recommend and have actually recommended it to friends already. If presented in the future with an opportunity to read more work by this author, I would happily accept.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found Callahan's writing prose to be compulsively readable and sophisticated. All three women were brought to life in vivid detail and it was not hard for me to connect with the story. As a huge history buff myself, I particularly enjoyed the back story of the Pulaski and found myself googling the disaster to dig deeper into historical basis for the story. I could tell through the storyline that the author did her due diligence in research so that the reader is provided with a factual foundation to build her story off from. I find historical fiction is always the most successful when it has a strong base to build off from.
There were a few aspects of the novel that I wished were a little bit better. I felt that Lily's story ended a little abruptly. I wish the author had chosen to include one to two more chapters from Lily's viewpoint. I know that she has Augusta wrap up Lily's story in the end, but I feel like it would have been more powerful if Lily's fate had been revealed in her own voice. I also found that Everly's storyline started out really strong but ended up being slightly predictable and a little underwhelming. I would have liked to have seen maybe a little more of a twist with the resolution to her tragedy as it seemed a little too rushed and convenient.
Overall, I found this novel to be a strong piece of historical fiction. I always enjoy when I can learn something new about history and the people who took part in the events. It is a read that I would recommend and have actually recommended it to friends already. If presented in the future with an opportunity to read more work by this author, I would happily accept.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.