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A review by yorticia33
Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
4.0
Everly is curating a museum collection for "The Titanic of the South", steamship Pulaski. The marvelous steamship sank because a boiler exploded, and until the present day, it remained beneath the waves since that day in 1838. It's up to Everly to piece together the story of this ship, its crew, and its passengers, wherever it leads. She soon finds that of the passengers on board that day, two women from a large family faced monumental and unforgiving decisions as tragedy struck. One of them, Augusta Longstreet, survived. The other, her niece Lilly Forsyth, did not. What matters is how these women tried to survive the cataclysmic explosion, and what happened in the aftermath of the Pulaski's sinking.
I enjoyed this intriguing work of modern and historical fiction! Following Everly in the present day, and Augusta and Lilly in the past, the story wends the river of time following themes of cultural expectations, unexpected tragedy, and fighting for survival. Both Augusta and Lilly wanted to escape Savannah, Georgia for their own reasons, but an unlucky stroke of fate takes them from unfavorable circumstances at home into a maelstrom of terror. In the present, Everly pieces together Lilly's fight to stay alive, and what happened to Augusta after she did. By examining these lives long past, Everly is better able to deal with a tragedy from her own life.
I thought all of these characters were well-written, and I loved that these women were so strong in the face of adversity, even as we witness how fragile life can be. I liked the different points of view, and the aspects of historical culture that helped bring the city of Savannah and the waters of the Atlantic to life. If I could change one thing, I would have liked even more of the past storyline, with more detail about the lives of Augusta and Lilly. Surviving Savannah is a brilliant, heartfelt story about inescapable fate, living as a survivor, and perhaps some good that can happen after irrevocable tragedies. Highly recommended to those who have lost, or who may yet lose and wonder why they deserve to live.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free digital copy of this book.
I enjoyed this intriguing work of modern and historical fiction! Following Everly in the present day, and Augusta and Lilly in the past, the story wends the river of time following themes of cultural expectations, unexpected tragedy, and fighting for survival. Both Augusta and Lilly wanted to escape Savannah, Georgia for their own reasons, but an unlucky stroke of fate takes them from unfavorable circumstances at home into a maelstrom of terror. In the present, Everly pieces together Lilly's fight to stay alive, and what happened to Augusta after she did. By examining these lives long past, Everly is better able to deal with a tragedy from her own life.
I thought all of these characters were well-written, and I loved that these women were so strong in the face of adversity, even as we witness how fragile life can be. I liked the different points of view, and the aspects of historical culture that helped bring the city of Savannah and the waters of the Atlantic to life. If I could change one thing, I would have liked even more of the past storyline, with more detail about the lives of Augusta and Lilly. Surviving Savannah is a brilliant, heartfelt story about inescapable fate, living as a survivor, and perhaps some good that can happen after irrevocable tragedies. Highly recommended to those who have lost, or who may yet lose and wonder why they deserve to live.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free digital copy of this book.