Sian Evans

At almost 400 pages, Maiden Voyages by Sian Evans provides a lot of details, some of which, for me, was not needed for the impact of the book. It is nevertheless an interesting and unique look into history. At the end of the day, I respond to the story of strong women rising to the challenges facing them, overcoming obstacles, and breaking barriers. Finding inspiration is that is my takeaway from this book.

Read my complete review at rel="nofollow" target="_top">http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/12/maiden-voyages.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.… (mehr)

This book provides reader insights into the lives of women who served and traveled on luxury ocean liners. The introduction lays the groundwork for readers, detailing the history of the role of stewardess and why women took the jobs. Narratives of individual women travelers make up the rest of the book.

This is an area of history that might be new to some readers, as it was for me. The book gives a glimpse into shipboard life of both passengers and those who worked on the ocean liners. It was interesting to me to compare the life aboard the ships to life aboard modern day cruise ships. I especially liked the narratives of the individual women, as they added perspective to the role of women on the ships and made the book more interesting.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.… (mehr)

Maiden Voyages by Sian Evans is an account of the women aboard ocean liners at the turn of the twentieth century and beyond. Up until that point, women aboard ship were considered back luck by the all-male sailors. The ocean liners enjoyed a great deal of popularity and facilitated the crossing of the Atlantic with comfort and speed. The women sailed as tourists, employees of the cruise line and there were also women looking to better their lives on a new continent. They could be found on all three levels of the liners. There were women whose fame came from wealth, the theatre and such who enjoyed the comfort and luxury of ocean travel. There were also women who worked on board, some of them spending their entire working life on the seas: they were especially needed to look after the female passengers and their children. There were also women who travelled in steerage with their children, having scraped together all of their money to pay for passage in order to find a better life. Maiden Voyages is a fascinating look at an important part of maritime history. It’s evident that Sian Evans has thoroughly researched this subject. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)