About the book
I was to stand trial for my life. I was twenty-two years old. I had been married for ten weeks and a widow for six. In the summer of 1914, the Empress Alexandra, a magnificent ocean liner, suffers a mysterious explosion on its voyage from London to New York City. On board are Henry Winter, a rich banker, and his young new wife, Grace. Somehow, Henry manages to secure a place in a lifeboat for Grace. As the castaways battle the elements, and each other. Over the course of three perilous weeks, the passengers on the lifeboat plot, scheme, gossip and console one another while sitting inches apart. Their deepest beliefs about goodness, humanity and God are tested to the limit as they begin to discover what they will do in order to survive.
Reviewed by Museum Group
We were all glad we read the book although one member did find herself “waiting for something pleasant to happen”. Overall a fascinating study of human survival with some extremely complex psychological character studies, particularly in the depiction of the central character.
Star rating: ***
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