
Genre
Audience
Highschool & Up
Author’s Worldview
Catholic
Year Published
2020
Themes
Reviewed by
M.S. Ocampo
This novel is a tale of two young women: Taylor Romano, who is studying abroad in modern-day Oxford, England and Ava Knight, an heiress and aspiring photographer who is traveling with her father on the Titanic. Yes, that Titanic. What exactly connects these two together? This is the mystery that Taylor has to solve along with the mysterious death of Ava Knight’s descendant. The story alternates between Taylor’s modern day mystery and flash backs covering Ava’s days on the Titanic.
Read an Interview with the Author Here
While aboard on the grand ship, Ava Knight is asked by a Serbian solder to spy on the passengers in hopes of getting information that could potentially stop (or start) a world war. Those who know their history will remember that World War I started in 1914, two years after the Titanic sank, but the signs of political unrest are already starting to show on the ship.
One thing that Taylor and Ava have in common is that it’s hard for them to trust people, especially when someone breaks that trust. Both struggle with trusting their respective fathers because they seem to be hiding something. Taylor’s father acted strangely before his death and her worst fear is that he had an affair. Ava also suspects her father of having an affair with one or more of the passengers on the TItanic. Taylor has trouble trusting the dead Lady Maebeline Knight’s companions, since they were the only ones who were around when the Lady died. In turn, Lady Knight’s butler doesn’t trust Taylor since she is a stranger to him.
Subscribe to Our FREE Email & Get Weekly Catholic Books for as little as $1
There’s a stark contrast between Taylor’s story and Ava’s. Taylor interacts with just a few people: Lady Knight’s butler, a young boy who chauffers for Lady Knight, and a few people in her college program. Ava, on the other hand, gets to meet a colorful cast of characters aboard the Titanic such as the clairvoyant Galena Lakovic, Lieutenant Plavsic from the Serbian Army, Seaman Caleb Donahue, and even a Jesuit priest. There are also some characters from the actual history of Titanic such as Mrs. Margaret Brown who people might also know as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and Bruce Ismay, the chairman and managing director who is a self-proclaimed social Darwinist. The ironic thing about Ismay is that while he ends up surviving the sinking of the Titanic, his life afterwards was one of depression and solitude.
Much like the famous James Cameron movie, there’s a stark contrast between the upper class and the lower class and Ava finds herself somewhere between them. She and her father have upper class tickets, but Ava develops a romance with the lower-class sailor Donahue. Her photography hobby is another way that she interacts with the lower-class passengers, as there are scenes of her taking pictures of people on the deck or around the ship.
Subscribe to Our FREE Email & Get Weekly Catholic Books for as little as $1
I recommend this novel for fans of Gothic mysteries such as Northanger Abbey and Jane Eyre. The Catholic themes are a lot more subtle. The Jesuit priest character, while based on a real person, doesn’t stick around long, but he mentions Divine Providence and a greater narrative than what ordinary people can see. I think the major themes in this book are pride and trust. The upper-class characters (Plavsic and Ismay) state ideas of social upheaval and survival of the fittest, but their arrogant ideas are harshly reflected by the devastation at what was to come for them. In turn, Taylor and Ava both learn that while their suspicions can uncover harsh truths, putting trust in good people can help them cope.
Join Here for FREE to Never Miss a Deal
Find new favorites & Support Catholic Authors
Where to Begin with C.S. Lewis
When he was four years old, C. S. Lewis renamed himself Jack and refused to answer to Clive Staples. For the rest of his life, he was Jack to his friends.
Playing by Heart by Carmela Martino
In this historical drama, Emilia longs for a love as beautiful as her sonata, but the ambitions of her father put her and her sister in great danger. Winner of our 2018 Best of the Year Awards.
For Eden’s Sake by T.M. Gaouette
Life is precious whether it’s planned or not.
Celtic Crossing by Len Mattano
Relic lost, and faith found.
The Phantom Phoenix
A humble phoenix rises from the ashes to clean up corrupt, 1920s Chicago in this thrilling superhero comic
Unlikely Witnesses by Leslea Wahl
When four boys glimpse a crime in their Colorado town they end up in an interrogation cell of the FBI.
The Journal by C.E. Rivetto
An ancient journal. A family secret. A soul to save.
From the Shadows by Jacqueline Brown
In a broken world, Bria tries to unite a family even as she struggles to keep hope alive.
Summer at West Castle By Theresa Linden
Is God really leading Caitlyn to bad boy Jarret?
A Printer’s Choice by W.L. Patenaude
The first nation in space has sworn off religion, but now they need the help of Fr. McCellan to solve a murder and save them from religious terrorists.
Battle for his Soul by Theresa Linden
Bereft of a mother & betrayed by his twin, Jarret fights for a place to call home, unaware a supernatural war threatening to damn him to hell itself.
Idol Speculations by Karina Fabian
Can a dragon take on a monster ten times his size?
North Pacific: A Story of Life, Love, Suffering, and Grace by Michael Steffan
Joseph & Miku’s love was already illegal. Then WWII began. Now home, disabled, and questioning God’s love, he still searches for her.
The Light of Tara by John Desjarlais
As the power of Rome crumbles, a teenage St. Patrick must decide between his home and sacrificing himself for those who had enslaved him.
Everything Old: Love in Anadauk Book 1 by Amanda Hamm
Two youth group leaders rekindle their friendship and find love with each other along the way.
Hussar by Declan Finn (St. Tommy NYPD Book 8)
It’s been a few years since St. Tommy saved the world. Now his son Jeremy and ward Lena have joined the fight.
Doctors, Assassins, and Other Tyrants by Katherine Campbell
Kidnapped princes, delusional assassins, and a dim-witted unicorn. What could possibly go wrong?
Bonvida’s Awakening, by C.D. Smith
Can Atticus live up to the legacy of his birthright? An adventure fantasy novel for teens about good and evil, friendship, and identity.
Hell Spawn by Declan Finn
What does it look like when an every-man saint battles a demon?
The Glaston Secret by Donal Anthony Foley
Can three modern teens and a little black dog rescue a group of fleeing refugees in Nazi-occupied France?