Maiden voyage A Titanic story

Gr 6-9-Isabella, Abby, and Lucy, each from various social classes, find themselves bound together as they sail to New York on the Titanic. Despite their different hopes in America, they must first survive the journey-a complicated feat. Lucy's affluent father is acting suspiciously as the ship leaves the dock, but Lucy is optimistic that this vacation will aid in her sick mother's recovery. While Abby is supposed to be serving Lucy, she is struggling with the sudden loss of her own mother and is consumed with fear that her stowaway brother will be discovered. Isabella did not expect to be aboard and is having difficulty understanding why her parents would send her on this trip alone. This captivating tale is filled with intrigue. Written from the point of view of each of the young women, the chapters begin with the time and date of the entry. Readers are brought ever closer to the historical event and yet, the unlikely connections among the protagonists will draw teens' attention away from the impending tragedy. The rich description of the passengers on the ship from the manual laborers to the first class guests, as well as the distinct challenges that Isabella, Abby, and Lucy face, make this title an excellent choice for learning about the early 1900s. The gentle description of the sinking of the ship is appropriate for younger readers, though some may be dissatisfied with the neat-and highly improbable-ending. VERDICT An additional purchase for collections serving young teens who enjoy historical fiction.-Paige Rowse, Needham High School, MA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The tragic tale of the Titanic serves as backdrop for a series of smaller familial tragedies.Three girls board the luxurious ship with no idea that their fates are soon to be irrevocably entwined. Lucy's hope for this trip is for her parents to show affection for each other, though her father's dark personality makes this unlikely. Abby, Lucy's maid, hopes her secrets go undetected long enough for her to start a new life in America. And Isabella hopes to discover why her parents woke her in the night and made her board the Titanicalone. An entertaining series of mishaps, misunderstandings, and revelations play out on various decks as the well-known climax approaches, this knowledge increasing the tension even further. In her debut novel, Jane liberally sprinkles historic references amid the action, including Marconi's wireless and the women's suffrage movement, to fold an authentic educational experience into the story. Jane shines at atmospheric descriptions of the opulence of the ship and the people themselves while also managing to bring her powers of keen observation to the third-class passengers, many of whom were immigrant families full of hope. The characters are white and of European background and straddle several economic classes.A compelling novel that stands both on its own merit and as an addition to the wealth of Titanic literature. (Historical fiction. 12-15) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.