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spinningwheeler's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this one. The characters were well developed and the storylines interesting. At first I thought that knowing what happened to the titanic survivor would ruin the climax, but it turns out that there were tons of other little surprises along the way. I appreciate that the author took the time to wrap up all the loose ends, although maybe a little too conveniently.
chrissyz's review against another edition
4.0
" Never leave yourself open to regret, Grace. We can only make a decision when we know the choices we are faced with. If we shy away, turn our backs and hide, we will simply never know. And that is when you end up old and wondering and regretting. Live a life of hope. Don't live a life of regret."
The audiobook was wonderful and probably made it more enjoyable than it would have if I had read it in print alone.
The audiobook was wonderful and probably made it more enjoyable than it would have if I had read it in print alone.
sarahcoller's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this first novel by Hazel Gaynor. Having read The Cottingley Secret earlier this month (her fifth novel), I was a little more generous than I'd normally be with the cliched, too-good-to-be-true conversations, happenings, and randomly serendipitous Ireland trip at the end, knowing that this promising author's storytelling vastly improved in such a short time. The sinking scene was not at all believable but I couldn't have written it well myself. There were a few draggy parts and I did find it weird that introductions to the travelers were made almost half way into the book, slowing it down for awhile.
Lest you get too bad an impression of the story, I was pulled in right away. It's a beautiful story---and who can resist a well-researched Titanic story? It was difficult reading about the goodbyes as grown children left parents to set sail. I'd just bought my 17 year old son's plane ticket to send him out to Oregon after graduation---it's gonna be so hard!
I really loved how this story gave us a look into the life of the third class passengers. Usually people want to hear about the rich and famous names on board but I loved reading about third class in a positive light.
On a fun side note, my husband took me to the Titanic museum in Branson, Missouri a couple weeks ago where visitors are presented with a character card upon entering and are encouraged to go "find themselves" on the tour. I got Catherine Murphy, a young girl from Ireland. Her sister was Margaret, or Maggie, Murphy. Same name as the main character of the story! Catherine survived. My husband, who got the name of a Catholic priest, did not.
Lest you get too bad an impression of the story, I was pulled in right away. It's a beautiful story---and who can resist a well-researched Titanic story? It was difficult reading about the goodbyes as grown children left parents to set sail. I'd just bought my 17 year old son's plane ticket to send him out to Oregon after graduation---it's gonna be so hard!
I really loved how this story gave us a look into the life of the third class passengers. Usually people want to hear about the rich and famous names on board but I loved reading about third class in a positive light.
On a fun side note, my husband took me to the Titanic museum in Branson, Missouri a couple weeks ago where visitors are presented with a character card upon entering and are encouraged to go "find themselves" on the tour. I got Catherine Murphy, a young girl from Ireland. Her sister was Margaret, or Maggie, Murphy. Same name as the main character of the story! Catherine survived. My husband, who got the name of a Catholic priest, did not.
bcgg's review against another edition
3.0
A story we all know but told from the steerage class rather than the glamourous 1st class perspective.
phonologia's review against another edition
2.0
I love a good historical fiction novel for light reading, but every line of this book had me rolling my eyes from cliche overload. Each character was a flat, utterly predictable trope (naive but well-intentioned American college girl, naive but well-intentioned Irish girl, wise and spunky grandmother, stern unmarried aunt, selfish rich lady, etc. etc. etc.), and I spotted the surprise ending about halfway through the book. I'm not usually this harsh, but I found very little to redeem this book.
jacieandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
*Audiobook* I love hearing it read in an Irish accent... good story, although I enjoy most Titanic stories.
micasreads's review against another edition
3.0
Maggie Murphy, along with her Aunt Kathleen and other members of her village, are heading for America aboard the Titanic. Maggie is one of the few survivors and has spent the rest of her life keeping her story to herself until she sees her great-grandmother, Grace, floundering after the death of her father. Knowing Grace has the talent and opportunity to be a great journalist, she shares her story with Grace as a way of teaching her that life goes on and teaching herself that remembering that time is healing.Â
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I had yet to read historical fiction about the Titanic and believed this would be a good choice. While the premise of the story was appealing, there was far too much - far too many characters, far too many storylines, and far too many chapters going round and round. It felt like Gaynor was trying too hard and should have had better editors. For a debut novel, the topic was impressive and Gaynor has grown leaps and bounds as an author.Â
booksabrewin's review against another edition
4.0
I received a physical copy of this book from the publishers for participation in a blog tour and in exchange for an honest review.
I developed an obsession with the story of the Titanic early on in my life. Surprisingly, my hunger for details of such a tragic occurrence in history did not come from a fondness for Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. I read a book called "A Night to Remember" ages ago and became so intrigued I started reading anything I could find on the subject. I don't know if it was out of morbid fascination or simply my heart aching for some semblance of happiness to come out of a nightmarish event. When I read the synopsis for this book, it immediately sparked my interest in the Titanic once more. I had not read any sort of historical fiction books on the subject in ages and wanted to reacquaint myself with it. Naturally, this made the decide to read this book a no-brainer.
The book opens on a young, seventeen year old girl departing her life in Ireland for a tip across the Atlantic to live in Chicago with her two aunts. Her mother had just died and instead of leaving young Maggie all alone, her aunt Kathleen decided to take her back to America with her. However, Maggie longs to stay in the home where her mother lived and died and her heart found love in a young man named Seamus. Hesitantly, Maggie goes vowing to one day return to her home and her sweetheart.
The story is told in alternating viewpoints. It skips from Maggie being the main focal point back in 1912 to her great-granddaughter, Grace, in 1982. Grace has just lost her father and is home from college helping her mother. After her father's passing, Grace has lost her fire for journalism. That is until Maggie finally confides in her about her experience on Titanic.
Maggie relives her life changing tragedy for her great-granddaughter. She tells her of the young steward she met who saved her life, the girls she traveled with from her hometown, and her experiences with the social class differences aboard the ship. All the while, Maggie regales Grace with how often her mind turned to Seamus and how deeply she cared for him. Through reliving the past, Maggie learns to let go and Grace learns to hold on to the things she cares about.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I am not ashamed to admit I sobbed my eyes out through over half the book. I wanted to reach through the pages and the sands of time and rescue those poor people from the frigid waters of the Atlantic. I could physically feel Maggie's longing for Seamus as well as her devastation of that terrible night. The book is slow moving simply because of the fact that you already know what is going to happen and are anxious to get there quickly. But the devil is in the details and the details are poetic and needed to give the story depth.
The Girl Who Came Home will have you laughing, crying, gasping, and raging all in a matter of a page flip. It is a fictional account of one of the most devastating events in history with a romance or two thrown in. Titanic and the passengers who died during it's sinking should never be forgotten.
Review Posted on: http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot.com
gracehand's review against another edition
I did my best to power through but it’s just soooo generic