Summary:
Maggie Murphy is a teenager from a small Irish village when she boards the Titanic. Her heart is broken for leaving the man she loves behind in search of a new life in America. When tragedy strikes, she is one of the few that survives. Skip ahead a few years, to Maggie's great-granddaughter, Grace. Grace is tarting a career in journalism, but seems to be struggling with what to actually do with herself. While conversing with her nana, Grace finds out what really happened in Maggie's past. This sets her journalism mind working and the two set out to explore what happened many years ago.
My thoughts:
As with any historical fiction, you need to allow for some historical inaccuracies to allow the story to come alive. Overall, this is a story about family and character. Both female leads are well developed. There is clearly a bond between great-granddaughter and nana. The tale unwinds as a sharing between the two of them. There are letters, journal entries, and telegrams to help move the plotline along and add further interest between the characters. It is nice to also hear how a woman that was in steerage was able to survive, especially when so many were locked down there to help the wealthier passengers get to safety. While we often hear the story of the unsinkable Molly Brown, it is nice to also hear that another woman with not as many means was unsinkable.
Lorene F. (lorenef) reviewed The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic on + 82 more book reviews 