Take a photo of a barcode or cover
nerdygnome 's review for:
Surviving Savannah
by Patti Callahan
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Well, this one ended up being tough for me to rate. I was entertained by the story, but ultimately, it just wasn't a home run for me.
Everly Winthrop is still reeling from the death of her best friend when she's approached by her friend's ex-fiance, seeking her help to build a museum exhibit about the wreck of the Pulaski steamship in 1838. Initially reluctant to have anything to do with him, she agrees after realizing her own family may have a link to this past. Digging into the history, Everly slowly unfolds the story of two aristocratic women, Augusta and her niece Lily — one who survived and the other who was mysteriously never seen again. The narrative switches back and forth between Everly's modern-day era and 1838 as the disaster occurs.
Patti Callahan Henry gets high marks for being able to draw me into the story quickly. The characters are, for the most part, likable and I appreciated getting a look at a slice of history that was new to me. It was also fun seeing the thought and consideration that goes into the making of a museum exhibit. That said, I found the dual timeline distracting. I usually am a sucker for a multi-POV, dual-timeline book, but in this case, I really struggled to relate to Everly's personal drama and didn't feel the story of her friend's death (and Everly's ensuing emotional angst) had enough of a tie-in with the other era to feel worth including. Perhaps it's because I've recently read some books with some deeply genuine-feeling grief themes, or perhaps it's because we were never really shown much of her best friend's character or their past relationship, but Everly's grief felt a little flat. I found myself wishing for more time spent in 1838 and getting to know those characters time better, and a little less time in Everly's head.
Everly Winthrop is still reeling from the death of her best friend when she's approached by her friend's ex-fiance, seeking her help to build a museum exhibit about the wreck of the Pulaski steamship in 1838. Initially reluctant to have anything to do with him, she agrees after realizing her own family may have a link to this past. Digging into the history, Everly slowly unfolds the story of two aristocratic women, Augusta and her niece Lily — one who survived and the other who was mysteriously never seen again. The narrative switches back and forth between Everly's modern-day era and 1838 as the disaster occurs.
Patti Callahan Henry gets high marks for being able to draw me into the story quickly. The characters are, for the most part, likable and I appreciated getting a look at a slice of history that was new to me. It was also fun seeing the thought and consideration that goes into the making of a museum exhibit. That said, I found the dual timeline distracting. I usually am a sucker for a multi-POV, dual-timeline book, but in this case, I really struggled to relate to Everly's personal drama and didn't feel the story of her friend's death (and Everly's ensuing emotional angst) had enough of a tie-in with the other era to feel worth including. Perhaps it's because I've recently read some books with some deeply genuine-feeling grief themes, or perhaps it's because we were never really shown much of her best friend's character or their past relationship, but Everly's grief felt a little flat. I found myself wishing for more time spent in 1838 and getting to know those characters time better, and a little less time in Everly's head.