Publication Date: 8 June 2023

The Blurb

Young cabin steward, Sid, is proud to be working on the Titanic, the greatest stream liner ever built.

Clara dreams of adventure at sea, and discovers it the hard way as a stowaway on a much smaller ship, the Carpathia. Here, she meets a giant bear of a dog: Rigel, who has a reputation for mischief.

What none of them can foresee is how they’ll need each other on the night Titanic collides with an iceberg. Or that an even more extraordinary creature might also answer their call…

The Review

A remarkable story mixing historical fact with fiction, and just a pinch of mythology, to create a gripping adventure that is as informative as it is entertaining.

Vivid, detailed descriptions bring the ships and the ice field they are sailing into to life, sending us back in time to the run up to one of histories most tragic events, and the rescue attempt that followed it. Lindsay has captured the intricate details that set the different classes apart on board, from the luxury of first class, to the basic dormitory style cabins in third.

Clara is a fabulous character – spirited throughout, we see her wrestle with her impulsiveness as it drags her away from home and into the biggest adventure of her life. Her curiosity and kindness towards Rigel see her find a firm ally in the Carpathia’s captain who genuinely believed in sea monsters in real life.

I loved travelling aboard the Titanic with Sid – his court transcripts brought home the disbelief that the ship could possibly sink, and the horror of it actually doing so with so many souls stuck aboard.

I also loved the range of text types throughout, from prose to court transcripts, letters home, and the new telegrams between ships and shore, and the addition of documents that would have been found on board White Start Cruise Liners at the time.

For any readers wanting to know more about the Titanic’s tragic voyage, try Tragedy At Sea: The Sinking Of The Titanic by David Long.

Huge thanks to Laura and Chicken House for sending me a copy, and inviting me to take part in the blog tour. Do make sure you check out all of the other stops.