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A review by thegourmetbookworm
Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
3.0
On June 14, 1838, the steamship Pulaski sank thirty miles off the coast of North Carolina and two-thirds of her passengers and crew perished. Such is the backdrop of author Patti Callahan’s historical novel, Surviving Savannah. When the wreckage is discovered 180 years later, Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection of artifacts. Everly can't resist the opportunity to solve some mysteries and myths surrounding the devastating night of its sinking. Her research leads her to the astounding history of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together, and the extraordinary stories of two women from this family.
Wow… doesn’t that synopsis make you want to snatch up a copy of the book? When I received an advance reader copy of Surviving Savannah, I was excited. It sounded like a great departure from typical WWII historical fare, and besides, my small Minnesota community is home to Lake Pulaski. How could I not love it? First the good points. I’d never heard of the Pulaski disaster and I loved delving into the history of the sinking. The dual timeline alternating between the past and the present was an effective way to structure the novel. On the downside, I just couldn’t take off my editor’s hat. I wanted to restructure the sentences, put a red pen through oft-repeated words and phrases, and change the voice from passive to active. In my humble opinion, the ending was too predictable and the commentary on slavery didn’t seem to fit the narrative. 3.5 stars
Wow… doesn’t that synopsis make you want to snatch up a copy of the book? When I received an advance reader copy of Surviving Savannah, I was excited. It sounded like a great departure from typical WWII historical fare, and besides, my small Minnesota community is home to Lake Pulaski. How could I not love it? First the good points. I’d never heard of the Pulaski disaster and I loved delving into the history of the sinking. The dual timeline alternating between the past and the present was an effective way to structure the novel. On the downside, I just couldn’t take off my editor’s hat. I wanted to restructure the sentences, put a red pen through oft-repeated words and phrases, and change the voice from passive to active. In my humble opinion, the ending was too predictable and the commentary on slavery didn’t seem to fit the narrative. 3.5 stars