The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian by David Dyer

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: March 30, 2016

As the Titanic and her passengers sank slowly into the Atlantic Ocean after striking an iceberg late in the evening of April 14, 1912, a nearby ship looked on. Second Officer Herbert Stone, in charge of the midnight watch on the SS Californian sitting idly a few miles north, saw the distress rockets that the Titanic fired. He alerted the captain, Stanley Lord, who was sleeping in the chartroom below, but Lord did not come to the bridge. Eight rockets were fired during the dark hours of the midnight watch, and eight rockets were ignored. The next morning, the Titanic was at the bottom of the sea and more than 1,500 people were dead. When they learned of the extent of the tragedy, Lord and Stone did everything they could to hide their role in the disaster, but pursued by newspapermen, lawyers, and political leaders in America and England, their terrible secret was eventually revealed. The Midnight Watch is a fictional telling of what may have occurred that night on the SS Californian, and the resulting desperation of Officer Stone and Captain Lord in the aftermath of their inaction. Told not only from the perspective of the SS Californian crew, but also through the eyes of a family of third-class passengers who perished in the disaster, the narrative is drawn together by Steadman, a tenacious Boston journalist who does not rest until the truth is found. David Dyer's The Midnight Watch is a powerful and dramatic debut novel--the result of many years of research in Liverpool, London, New York, and Boston, and informed by the author's own experiences as a ship's officer and a lawyer.

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I feel like the only person who didn’t fall for David Dyer’s The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian. I’ve been in the minority before, it’s no big deal, but I wanted to like this one and I am rather disappointed it didn’t work out.

I personally found the general idea is fascinating and give Dyer a lot of credit for attempting it. Explaining what might have prevented the Californian from acting proved a refreshing angle. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a comparable narrative and I enjoyed the contrast this story provided alongside others featuring the disaster.

I was also impressed with the author’s utilization of the historic record. I think Dyer’s use of context masterful and feel his manipulation of the material intensely creative. A great deal of research went into this piece and as a fan of the genre, I couldn’t help admiring the dedication that so obviously went into the creation of this piece.

I preached a desire to see male protagonists at the Historical Novel Society Conference in Denver last year and Dyer’s work made that wish a reality in the best way. He creates a diverse cast of flawed individuals with a wide range of personal experiences. The story is naturally quite masculine in tone, but the novel doesn’t suffer for it and I hope the powers that be recognize that fact and open the door for more male protagonists.

Unfortunately for me, certain elements of the story’s structure undermined the novel’s strengths. I don’t mean to sound cruel in this admission, but the monotony of the narrative put me to sleep on more than one occasion. Despite all that I appreciated, there simply wasn’t enough movement to engage my imagination.

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So responsibility for action fell like a snowflake from the sky, landing gently between them, touching neither. And in this concentrated moment in history, nothing was done.

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Under the Wide Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: September 4, 2013

The much-anticipated second novel by the author of Loving Frank, the beloved New York Times bestseller, this new work tells the incredible story of the passionate, turbulent relationship between Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and his wild-tempered American wife, Fanny.In her masterful new novel, Nancy Horan has recreated a love story that is as unique, passionate, and overwhelmingly powerful as the one between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney depicted so memorably in Loving Frank. Under the Wide and Starry Sky chronicles the unconventional love affair of Scottish literary giant Robert Louis Stevenson, author of classics including Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and American divorcee Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne. They meet in rural France in 1875, when Fanny, having run away from her philandering husband back in California, takes refuge there with her children. Stevenson too is escaping from his life, running from family pressure to become a lawyer. And so begins a turbulent love affair that will last two decades and span the world.

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Robert Louis Stevenson, portrait by Girolamo Nerli 

I began Nancy Horan's Under The Wide Starry Sky with high hopes, but ultimately liked the idea that behind the piece more than the reality. Though I found the narrative offered interesting perspective on Stevenson's personal life, the structure of the novel left much to be desired. Be warned, possible spoilers ahead. 

For one thing, I found the pacing of the novel particularly troublesome. I lost interest in the first few chapters, stopped, read two other books, then came back to it. It isn't that the story isn't intriguing, it was just so slow to progress that I had problems staying engaged with the narrative. 

Another aspect that made this piece something of a challenge was that I felt the telling unbalanced. Most of the book is told from Fanny's point of view, but there are a handful of episodes in which Horan pulls a one-eighty and writes from Stevenson's perspective. I found the inequality confusing and would have been much happier if the couple had enjoyed equal face time with the reader or if the author had limited herself to one or the other of her leads. 

Horan's treatment of Belle was similarly perplexing. The character is introduced to the reader early in the novel, but a personal rift between the girl and her mother removes her from the story for a large portion of the book. If Fanny or Stevenson had reflected on her at all during this separation, I might have felt the the emotional poignancy of their reunion, but they don't and the feelings Horan attempted to throw in at that last moment seemed to come entirely out of left field. I'm sorry, but was I supposed to care? 

There was enough material here for me recognize the story within these pages, but I think Horan might have taken on more than she could handle in her attempt to give that story life. I couldn't empathize with her cast or get lost in their experiences and at the end of the day, I needed to feel that connection to take more than a passing interest in this piece. 

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"I am wondering why you take whatever I say and misconstrue is, madam. You have known me five minutes, not nearly long enough to despise me. It usually takes at least ten."

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Like Chaff in the Wind by Anna Belfrage

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Book Tours

Read: March 16, 2013

Matthew Graham committed the mistake of his life when he cut off his brother's nose. In revenge, Luke Graham has Matthew abducted and transported to the colony of Virginia to be sold as indentured labour. Matthew arrives in Virginia in May 1661 and any hope he had of finding someone willing to listen to his story of unlawful abduction is quickly extinguished. If anything, Matthew's insistence that he is an innocent man leads him to being singled out for the heaviest tasks. Insufficient food, gruelling days and the humid heat combine to wear him down. With a sinking feeling, he realises no one has ever survived their seven years of service on the plantation Suffolk Rose. Fortunately for Matthew, he has a remarkable wife. Alex  Graham has no intention of letting her husband suffer and die. So she sets off from Scotland on a perilous journey to bring her husband home. Alex is plagued by nightmares in which Matthew is reduced to a wheezing wreck by his tormentors. Sailing to Virginia, she prays for a miracle to carry her swiftly to his side. But fate has other plans, and what should have been a two month crossing turns into a year long adventure - from one side of the Atlantic to the other. Will Alex find Matthew in time? Will she be able to pay the price of setting him free? Like Chaff in the Wind continues on from The Rip in the Veil, taking Alex and Matthew's love story to a new continent.

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I don't know if it was the cover or the premise that drew me to Anna Belfrage's Like Chaff in the Wind, but I jumped when offered the opportunity to read the book and thankfully my enthusiasm was rewarded with a surprisingly engaging story. For the record I haven't read book one of The Graham Saga which is probably why I felt I was playing a little bit of catch up heading straight into book two, but even so I really enjoyed this one.

By far my favorite aspect of this book were Belfrage's leads, Alex and Matthew being comprised of far more dynamic personalities than I'd anticipated. Alex's feisty determination and Matthew's steady resolve captivated me from the very beginning. That kind of attraction is something I look for in books, it is what keeps me up after I should be in bed and what I remember long after finishing the final page. 

Not that Belfrage needs help in that department. Even without such intriguing characters I would have been drawn to this book. More than once I found myself lost in the steady rhythm of her story, stuck by how well and beautifully it is written. I literally tuned out the world while reading this book which is saying something with a nine month old in the house. 

If you haven't realized it yet I'm being deliberately vague even for me. Like Chaff in the Wind is one of those rare books that really does have something for everyone and covers such a wide scope that I am afraid to risk giving anything away. Suffice it to say this one is anything but typical and definitely better than I'd expected going into it.

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May she be alright, he prayed, wherever she is may she be safe and may she always know I love her.

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Check out all the stops on the Historical fiction virtual book tour of Anna Belfrage's Like Chaff in the Wind

Monday, March 18
Review at Layered Pages
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, March 19
Review at Bippity Boppity Book
Interview at Layered Pages

Wednesday, March 20
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Guest Post at Bippity Boppity Book

Thursday, March 21
Guest Post & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Friday, March 22
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie

Monday, March 25
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Tuesday, March 26
Guest Post at Flashlight Commentary
Giveaway at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Wednesday, March 27
Review at The Worm Hole
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Thursday, March 28
Review & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Friday, March 29
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, April 1
Review at Raging Bibliomania
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Tuesday, April 2
Review at Books, Belles and Beaux

Wednesday, April 3
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
Guest Post & Giveaway at Books, Belles and Beaux

Thursday, April 4
Review & Interview at Sir Read-a-Lot

Friday, April 5
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Local Library

Read: July 20, 2012

Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy. Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes. Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky. On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

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Lady Duff Gordon

I have started to review Kate Alcott's The Dressmaker a hundred times and a hundred times I've thrown up my hands in frustration. Focusing on content alone makes it impossible to understand where I am coming from, but examining my experience with the book also leaves quite a bit out. Apologies, but this might be a little long winded. 

It seems like aa lifetime ago, but like so many I went through a Titanic phase, studying anything and everything I could get my hands on. The publication of The Dressmaker rekindled that interest. Eagerly I waited for the book to become available at my local library. 

While I waited, I came across a New York Times article that detailed the trials Patricia O'Brien faced in getting her manuscript to print. I was naturally upset by the treatment she received from the publishing industry and by the time I finally landed a copy of her work was convinced her struggle was entirely unjust. Then of course, I read the book. 

I'm sorry, but Jack Dawson winning a pair of tickets in a lucky hand of poker was more believable than Tess Collins landing a position with Lucile Duff Gordon on the docks the day Titanic set sail. It is a pivotal moment, one the entire book depends on, but I couldn't force myself to swallow it for anything. The very idea is nothing short of ridiculous though not quite so much as the manner in which Alcott tackled the actual sinking.

The sinking of Titanic

Alcott's story begins in Cherbourg on April 10th, the iceberg made famous by the tragedy is first mentioned on page 48 and by page 65 our plucky heroine is watching dawn break over the waves from a lifeboat in the north Atlantic. While I can understand that Alcott wanted to focus on the hearings that followed the sinking, I cannot wrap my head around actual event receiving less than twenty pages of text. Honestly it might as well have been left out entirely.

Do you see what I'm getting at? The story lacked plausibility, there is no real development of the characters or their relationships and it utterly failed to strike the emotional chord I expected considering the intense subject matter. I wanted to like the piece, but Alcott missed the mark at nearly every turn, the exception being female reporter Pinky Wade who I actually enjoyed even if her involvement with the suffragette movement clashed with the legal proceedings that inspired Alcott to write the book. 

Arrival of the "ship of sorrow" at New York

I forced myself to finish the piece, but it was an uphill battle all the way. By the time I completed the final page I couldn't help wondering if this book was ever given a fair shot. It was initially rejected because of the author's sales record, but it was also part of the rush of Titanic lit that was released to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the disaster. Was it at all possible that the book was rushed through the editing process? Would this lack of development and conflicting storylines exist if the book were to have been released on  some other date? Would the marketing department have created a promotional campaign that more accurately reflected the content of the book if they hadn't been concerned with a deadline? These are just a few of the questions that plagued me every time I attempted to write this review, the root cause of my frustration and reason I don't really know how to phrase my feelings on the book. 

I honest don't know if I had trouble with The Dressmaker because I couldn't appreciate Alcott's style of storytelling or because I set an unrealistic expectation and that my judgment was corrupted before I even got hold of the piece. I am willing to admit both played a part in forming my overall impression of the book, but I suppose in the end it doesn't really matter. I liked the idea of the book, Alcott's exploration of the aftermath, but the execution failed to draw me in.

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“I've told you to look for opportunity, dear Tess. Keep your head up, not down. Don't settle for safety. Push forward-you are not foolish to try.”

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A Tainted Dawn: The Great War by B.N. Peacock

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: January 28, 2013

August 1789. The Rights of Man. Liberty. Equality. Idealism. Patriotism. A new age dawns. And yet, old hostilities persist: England and Spain are on the brink of war. France, allied by treaty with Spain, readies her warships. Three youths - the son of an English carpenter, the son of a naval captain, and the son of a French court tailor - meet in London, a chance encounter that entwines their lives ever after. The English boys find themselves on the same frigate bound for the Caribbean. The Frenchman sails to Trinidad, where he meets an even more zealous Spanish revolutionary. As diplomats in Europe race to avoid conflict, war threatens to explode in the Caribbean, with the three youths pitted against each other. Will the dawn of the boys' young manhood remain bright with hope? Or will it become tainted with their countrymen's spilled blood? 

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B.N. Peacock's A Tainted Dawn follows the lives of a trio of young men as three of Europe's superpowers move ever closer to war. A true coming of age story, the book has plenty to offer in terms of historic content and human emotion. 

Though not specifically addressed in the cover blurb, I found my favorite aspect of the book was Peacock's exploration of the father/son relationship. Though Jemmy, Edward and Louis come from very different situations, each of the boys has a very complicated relationship with their father and I found it most interesting to see how the dynamics of that relationship played into the choices they made and courses their lives took. 

Also noteworthy is Peacock's recreation of life on board an eighteenth century ship. The author really captured the spirit of the sea, offering up a no holds barred, naked glimpse into both its pleasures and it perils. Most pieces I've encountered completely ignore or make light of the brutal conditions and strict order that ruled and dominated the lives of sailors. Peacock's honest portrayal, the obvious research she put into her work, is admirable and appealing. 

Being the first in a trilogy, I'm naturally curious where further installments will take the boys, but for the time being I found A Tainted Dawn an enjoyable read both for its memorable characters and wide historic scope.

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Yes, the sea, his mistress... a seductive woman, treacherous and not easily wooed, one whom he’s never be sure of winning, one for whom he’s already had developed a healthy respect. The wind was her scent, exciting him, arousing him. Coral reefs the jewelry of the undulating body. The waves her touch, alternately playful or punishing.

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Check out all the Stops on The Historical fiction VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR of B.N. Peacock's a Tainted Dawn!

Tuesday, January 29
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
Review & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, January 30
Interview & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Thursday, January 31
Review at A Book Geek

Friday, February 1
Review at Book Dilettante

Monday, February 4
Review at The Novel Life
Review at Knitting & Sundries
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Tuesday, February 5
Guest Post at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Wednesday, February 6
Review at The Worm Hole
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook

Thursday, February 7
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary
Interview at Knitting & Sundries

Monday, February 11
Review & Giveaway at Ageless Pages Reviews
Interview at Bibliophilic Book Blog

Tuesday, February 12
Giveaway at A Writer’s Life: Working with the Muse

Wednesday, February 13
Review at BookRamblings

Thursday, February 14
Review at Jenny Loves to Read
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, February 15
Review at The Written World & Historical Tapestry

Monday, February 18
Review at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, February 19
Review at Impressions in Ink
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, February 20
Review at Words and Peace

Thursday, February 21
Giveaway at Words and Peace

Friday, February 22
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

One Night to Remember by Kristin Miller

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Personal Kindle Library

Read: March 23, 2012

First class clothing designer Elizabeth Scott isn’t all that she appears. She may be elegant and poised on the outside, dining with the richest on the ship, but she’s hiding a dark secret within. Thieves boarded the Titanic, too… Officer Thomas McGuire is as honest as they come. Working to make a decent living on the ship of dreams, he can’t believe his eyes when the most striking lady he’s ever seen steals from another first class passenger. As the night goes on, Thomas must decide whether he plans to arrest or seduce Elizabeth and she’s not making it easy on him—the heat sparking between their bodies is unlike anything either of them has ever known. Time is running out… The Titanic is sinking fast, with little more than an hour before it settles on the ocean floor. Although Elizabeth has finally met a true gentlemen, one who gazes upon her with total adoration and fulfills her deepest fantasies, he insists on helping other passengers until the last minute, even if that means going down with the ship.

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The fatal flaw in One Night to Remember is in the formatting. Miller chose to write her story as a novella which is fine but it doesn't give her a lot of opportunity to develop the cast. We learn very little about Miss Scott and even less about Mr. McGuire. They feel as if they are going through the motions more than anything. Miller might understand the motivations and background of her characters but these concepts were never adequately conveyed to her audience. As a reader, the lack of development made it difficult to accept or even care about Elizabeth and Thomas.

From a historic point of view I couldn't get excited over Miller's depiction of the sinking. Having read a handful titles about the ship I was familiar with the concepts Miller approached in her work. The confusion, the uncertainty... even the drama surrounding Collapsible B. All of it was old news. I think Miller and a lot of other authors forget the sinking itself is well known and as such doesn't make for much of a plot twist. 

According to the about the author section, "this book is the culmination of twenty-four years of research and countless dreams about writing a Titanic novel." I don't doubt the author harbors a deep affection for the ship and its fate but that passion doesn't translate well to her work. In reading the piece, I couldn't help feeling One Night to Remember had been slapped together in a mad rush to capitalize on the hundredth anniversary of the disaster. The erotic love scenes might appeal to certain brackets but I don't think there is much here for the main stream reader.

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"Let us pretend that you are bold and I am more than taken by you. Let us pretend that we are secluded within the four walls of this stateroom and whatever happens within these walls stay here."

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The Wake of the Lorelei Lee: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, On Her Way to Botany Bay by L.A. Meyer

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Local Library 

Read: Jan. 12, 2012 

Jacky Faber, rich from her exploits diving for Spanish gold, has purchased the Lorelei Lee to carry passengers across the Atlantic. Believing she has been absolved of past sins against the Crown, Jacky docks in London to take on her crew, but is instead arrested and sentenced to life in the newly formed penal colony in Australia. To add insult to injury, the Lorelei Lee is confiscated to carry Jacky and more than 200 female convicts to populate New South Wales. Not one to give in to self pity, Jacky rallies her sisters to "better" their position--resulting in wild escapades, brushes with danger, and much hilarity. Will Jacky find herself a founding mother of New South Wales, Australia? Not if she has anything to do about it!

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*** NOTE: This review contains spoilers. Please take heed and proceed at your own risk. 

The Lady Juliana in tow of the Pallas Frigate

I rarely do so but I fear the time has come to raise the white flag in surrender. After eight books I am thoroughly exasperated with Jacky Faber and company. Her adventures may hold the attention and imaginations of legions of others but I find myself compelled to admit defeat and make haste to the nearest life boat. The series has been floundering for some time and while Meyer tackled some more mature subject matter in The Wake of the Lorelei Lee I felt it was too little too late.

The book takes its premise from the voyage of the Lady Juliana (aka the Lady Julian), a ship that transported more than 200 female convicts to New South Wales in 1789. Mrs. Barnsley and little Mary Wade were both passengers on the vessel. The Chinese pirate Ching Shih is another historic figure. Now I love Meyer’s ability to weave history into his stories; these tidbits, down to the traditional songs, are my favorite aspects of his work. I love meeting these characters that would otherwise be forgotten to history. It is Meyer’s wayward heroine I have grown tired of.

The now sixteen year old Jacky is very much the same twelve year old we met in Bloody Jack. She has not grown or developed as I expected and I find her lack of maturity grates my nerves. She does not learn from her experiences or mistakes. She still acts impulsively and without much thought to the outcome of her actions. It doesn’t help that I find her to be a hypocritical snipe. She insists every female of her acquaintance strive for some semblance of respectability but applies no such standard to her own behavior. Her comments to Jaimy carry similar undertones as she continues to berate him for his single indiscretion while she is free to flirt and parade her bum in front of any man with a coin for her purse.

Jacky’s adventures have also stagnated. At the close of each book she has wormed her way out of trouble but within a few chapters of the next installment she is inexplicably ensnared in it once again. She is continually reuniting and being torn apart from Jaimy. Her enemies are remarkably similar and have started to run together. It doesn’t help that Jacky is universally more talented and intelligent than those around her… can someone please explain to me how a sixteen year old is more adept than every other sailor, performer, spy and soldier on the planet?

Each volume features such meager changes to cast, situation and local that I can't force myself to continue the series any longer, especially since Meyer is expected to release the tenth installment this fall. With no end in sight I feel I have no choice but to jump ship. Farewell Jacky, fair winds and following seas and long may your big jib draw.

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Ever the showgirl I dart over to the anchor, slap my rump down on it, slide my goggles up onto my forehead so I'll look more appealing, a ride up in grand style.

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