This novel gave me much of what I personally appreciate in books in my all-time favorite genre, historical fiction.

It gave me the opportunity to get engrossed in a story set in the past while keeping the language and sensual matters on a pretty "PG" level. And, yes, although the terrible tragedy stemming from the Titanic is, in a sense, emotionally violent, this isn't a violent read otherwise.

It's a story of personal discovery along with political and social issues that kept me turning the pages. I'm admittedly hesitant about picking up novels of this length these days, as they oftentimes drag too much for me. So it's something when a novel over 400 pages holds my interest from beginning to end.

Now, I think at some points I could see what the author was trying to do in the writing, but the execution wasn't always quite there. Also, the sudden shifts between characters' thoughts made it hard to tell whose perspectives certain scenes were supposed to be coming from, and sometimes the narrator seemed to be adding in unattributed commentary. Some of the phrasing, dialogue, and details in the writing are a little repetitive here or contradictory there in a way that probably isn't intentional. And I didn't feel any convincing chemistry on any sides of the love triangle.

The one thing I did like about the romance theme was Tess's decision at the end of it.

And again, I remained engrossed through the overall story. A solid read for this historical fiction lover. ( )

Having seen the Movie (Titanic), I was a bit iffy about reading a novel with this event front and centre as a theme for the characters' becoming acquainted. However, Alcott wrote an exemplary re-telling of this disaster and brought forward some of the factual background that was based on original transcripts of the sinking.

Tess Collins, the main character, and her hiring by the Designer (Lucile, based on Lucy Duff-Gordon) added the fashion dress-making, along with the two men who became acquainted on board with Tess. These passages were less engaging, appeared contrived, especially the continued employment of Tess in Lucile's fashion workshop. There was less fashion and sewing than I expected, but the story revolving around the investigation into the sinking more than made up for that. Ultimately the romance aspects seemed artificial and all too swiftly developed. The novel could have appealed more strongly had these relationships been couched in more realistic terms. ( )

Impressive and historically true story about Titanic survivors and how the sinking of the mighty ship shaped their lives and decisions. The account of the actual sinking is haunting and left an impression on me. The titular character is a strong young woman, and her self confidence is impressive. Great period piece with lots of details about New York in the early 1900's. ( )

A fairly enjoyable book, although I found the hiring and then keeping on of Tess a bit implausible ( )

I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest historical fiction fan. I often get caught up in wondering what is true and what has been dramatized for the book, especially with novels about big important events like the Titanic. I do think this book does a good job of examining the "why" only one boat went back to look for survivors, and it captures the complex feelings surrounding such a tragedy incredibly well. ( )