Just a few days and 110 years ago, on April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic sank on her maiden voyage from Southamptom to New York. As many as 1,635 passengers and crew lost their lives that night. Many books have been written about the tragedy, from firsthand accounts like the autobiography of stewardess Violet Jessup in Titanic Survivor to nonfiction about the ship itself like The Ship of Dreams. But there’s no shortage of fiction about the sinking of the Titanic, either. I’ve even read some time traveling science fiction novels that take a sojourn to the ship. And when it comes to historical fiction, for readers who really want to inhabit the past a la Rose and Jack, there’s some of that, too.
With the 110 anniversary of the sinking just past us, it seems like a good time to highlight some books that commemorate the stories of people who were–or might have been–on the Titanic that fateful night. With stories of tragedy and heroism, love and inaction, these five novels paint a picture of a terrible tragedy that could have so easily been prevented.
The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe
Madeline is only seventeen when she attracts the attention of Jack Astor of the New York Astors, falling head over heels in love with the recently divorced war hero despite their twenty-nine-year age difference. Their relationship is highly publicized, and soon Madeline becomes a favorite new target for the press. It’s only on their honeymoon to Egypt that she finally finds some peace with her new husband. But on their journey home aboard the state-of-the-art ocean liner, the Titanic, the unthinkable happens. And soon, Madeline finds herself a widow with a newborn son and difficult choices to make about the future she wants to make for herself as the new Mrs. Astor.
The Midnight Watch by David Dyer
On the night of the Titanic‘s sinking, one ship looked on. Onboard the deck of the SS Californian, Second Officer Herbert Stone watches eight distress rockets fired from the sinking ship. Despite raising the alert, Captain Stanley Lord does not come to the bridge. The Californian does not go to the Titanic‘s aid. The next morning, as the extent of the tragedy is laid clear, the two men do everything in their power to hide their role in what happened. But a determined journalist sets out to get the truth and expose the Californian‘s deliberate inaction, whatever the cost.
Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
The author of The Downstairs Girl brings us a novel about a plucky heroine determined to convince her twin brother to join her in America and give up his life on the sea, even as she hides her true identity from fellow first class passengers. Spending time with her brother below decks, Val sees the sharp disparity between the wealthy passengers and the lower classes and crew, particularly for those of Chinese descent like herself and her brother’s team. But when the unthinkable happens late one night, all of Val’s dreams of a life with her brother in America fade into one desperate aim: to survive.
A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly
Only one ship answered the distress call sent out by the Titanic on the night of April 15, 1912. And even she was still four hours away when Captain Arthur Rostron got word that the Titanic struck an iceberg. Pushed to untested speeds and the very limits of its capabilities, Captain Rostron sets the Carpathia on a course toward the Titanic. But with freezing temperatures and not nearly enough life boats, will there even be any survivors left by the time the Carpathia gets there? Told in alternating views between the captain of the Carpathia and a third class passenger aboard the Titanic, A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice takes a new perspective on a terrible tragedy and an incredible rescue.
A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar
You’ll have to wait a little longer to read this heist novel set on the Titanic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add it to your TBR in anticipation of its December release. A thief, an artist, an acrobat, and an actress team up to steal a jewel encrusted book that could be the key to solving all their problems. But when disaster strikes, they have a new objective in mind, maybe even more challenging than the first: survival
Release: December 13, 2022
The idea for this newsletter was partially inspired by YouTuber Max Miller’s recent series on the history of the food on the Titanic. If you’re not familiar with his channel Tasting History, you might want to rectify that. Fans of history that we are, I think many of you might enjoy his videos on the history of food and various dishes throughout the past. He carefully recreates dishes and recounts the history around them, and his passion and enthusiasm burst through the screen. He often talks about historical cook books, too, and other historical accounts, so that’s a double win for fans of books and history.
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
BOOK RIOT RECS:
- Young Adult Fiction About the Titanic
- Novel Predicted the Sinking of the Titanic
- What People on the Titanic Might Have Been Reading
That’s it for now, folx! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.
If you want to talk books (historical or otherwise), you can find me @rachelsbrittain on Instagram, Goodreads, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.
Right now I’m reading My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood and Siren Queen by Nghi Vo. What about you?