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A review by helenwhite83
Women & Children First by Gill Paul
5.0
Women and Children First is a poignant tale told from the perspective of three very different survivors of the Titanic disaster.
Reg Parton is a member of the first class victualling crew from a humble Southampton background. Boarding the Titanic, he leaves his family and his love, Florence, behind, proud to be serving on the unsinkable ship.
Lady Juliette Mason-Parker, an English rose with a scandalous secret, is crossing the Atlantic with her mother, who relishes in the company of the high society darlings on board.
Annie McGeownis uprooting her four children from Ireland to make a fresh start with her husband Seamus in New York. When tragedy befalls the family, she struggles to rise above her grief.
As the three stories entwine and the fateful journey unfolds, we follow the characters as they each struggle with their lives post-Titanic.
Having always been fascinated by the story of the Titanic, Women and Children First was an obvious choice for me. Paul tackles the subject with dignity, refusing to sensationalise the tragedy for entertainments sake. We see Reg, struggling to adapt to his life post-Titanic, and following his story I truly felt that his could be the story of many a survivor, wracked with the guilt of being one of the few to return to their loved ones. Annie's story was the only one that I felt unsettled by - I felt that the spiritual side of it bordered on sensationalism, although that was more the storyline rather than Paul's depiction of it. However, i do imagine it to be quite conceivable that charlatans may have emerged out of the tragedy, looking to exploit grieving families.
All in all, this was a pacy read that had me well and truly snared from the off. It may well have been the first offering I've read from Paul, but it certainly won't be the last!
Reg Parton is a member of the first class victualling crew from a humble Southampton background. Boarding the Titanic, he leaves his family and his love, Florence, behind, proud to be serving on the unsinkable ship.
Lady Juliette Mason-Parker, an English rose with a scandalous secret, is crossing the Atlantic with her mother, who relishes in the company of the high society darlings on board.
Annie McGeownis uprooting her four children from Ireland to make a fresh start with her husband Seamus in New York. When tragedy befalls the family, she struggles to rise above her grief.
As the three stories entwine and the fateful journey unfolds, we follow the characters as they each struggle with their lives post-Titanic.
Having always been fascinated by the story of the Titanic, Women and Children First was an obvious choice for me. Paul tackles the subject with dignity, refusing to sensationalise the tragedy for entertainments sake. We see Reg, struggling to adapt to his life post-Titanic, and following his story I truly felt that his could be the story of many a survivor, wracked with the guilt of being one of the few to return to their loved ones. Annie's story was the only one that I felt unsettled by - I felt that the spiritual side of it bordered on sensationalism, although that was more the storyline rather than Paul's depiction of it. However, i do imagine it to be quite conceivable that charlatans may have emerged out of the tragedy, looking to exploit grieving families.
All in all, this was a pacy read that had me well and truly snared from the off. It may well have been the first offering I've read from Paul, but it certainly won't be the last!