Review of "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" by Tricia Goyer

Summary from Barbour Publishing: Remember the Titanic 100 years after its doomed voyage with Tricia Goyer’s fictional portrayal of one woman’s journey. To Amelia Gladstone, this ship means promise of seeing family again. To Quentin Walpole, the Titanic represents a new start in America…if he can get onboard. All seems lost until Amelia offers him a ticket, securing his passage—and bringing him face-to-face with his railroad tycoon father and older brother, Damian. As Amelia works to reconcile father and son, she finds herself the object of both brothers’ affection. Can she choose between two brothers? Or will she lose everything to the icy waters of the Atlantic?

Review: When the Titanic set sail 100 years ago no one knew that the grand ship's legacy would turn tragic.  The story has been repeated so often over the years that most of us know the facts by heart.  By the Light of the Silvery Moon by Tricia Goyer is the second fictionalized account of the Titanic that I have read in the last month.  I loved Goyer's descriptions of the ship from the finest rooms of first class to the staff quarters.  Amelia's association with characters of three different stations - the first class Damian Walpole, the second class Quentin Walpole, and a stewardess - take her to all levels of the ship during her four day voyage. Most of the plot is set in the first and second classes, and I could picture the grandeur and stateliness of what was an unparalleled vessel.  The cameo appearances of real-life passengers, John Jacob Astor and Margaret Brown added an extra layer of authenticity to the story.

The Titanic sinks near the end of the novel; and while I enjoyed the plot, characters, and historical details, there was the element of predictability. I initially expected the story to focus partially on the Titanic voyage and partially on life after the tragedy.  I felt a sense of foreboding knowing the inevitable event that was going to occur and wondering what the outcome would be for the characters that were introduced.  The back stories of Amelia and Quentin provided more depth and interest to the story.  Amelia finds herself in somewhat of a love triangle between her potential suitor in America, Quentin, and his brother Damian.  The question that lingers is who will capture her heart and who will survive the ship's sinking?  The answer is bittersweet with heartwarming tones of love and sacrifice.

Tricia Goyer pays homage to the Titanic in By the Light of the Silvery Moon and preserves a bit of its history.  There are so many real stories of Titanic passengers that we will never know, and reading a well-written and researched fictionalized account gives us insight into an event that should not be forgotten.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley, courtesy of Barbour Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Review of "Promise Me This" by Cathy Gohlke

Rating: 4 Stars

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Synopsis from Tyndale: Michael Dunnagan was never supposed to sail on the Titanic, nor would he have survived if not for the courage of Owen Allen. Determined to carry out his promise to care for Owen’s relatives in America and his younger sister, Annie, in England, Michael works hard to strengthen the family’s New Jersey garden and landscaping business.

Annie Allen doesn’t care what Michael promised Owen. She only knows that her brother is gone—like their mother and father—and the grief is enough to swallow her whole. As Annie struggles to navigate life without Owen, Michael reaches out to her through letters. In time, as Annie begins to lay aside her anger that Michael lived when Owen did not, a tentative friendship takes root and blossoms into something neither expected. Just as Michael saves enough money to bring Annie to America, WWI erupts in Europe. When Annie’s letters mysteriously stop, Michael risks everything to fulfill his promise—and find the woman he’s grown to love—before she’s lost forever.

Review: The Titanic has held fascination for me since I was in elementary school; so I was excited to discover Promise Me This. There is a degree of romanticism amid the tragedy of the Titanic, but Cathy Gohlke shows us the tale from a new vantage point: the sacrificial love of a third class passenger and the lives impacted by his loss.  Promise Me This is a love story on many different levels, which makes it a touching novel.  Owen Allen, Annie Allen, and Michael Dunnagan are the pivotal characters impacted by the sinking of the Titanic.  Although Owen was only physically alive for a portion of the novel, he remains a powerful  and inspiring character throughout the novel.  I was particularly  touched by Owen's strength of character and his devotion to his loved ones, as well as Michael's determination to carry out Owen's dreams. I formed a lasting connection to both characters as they traveled on the doomed Titanic.  Although I knew the final outcome of the first portion of the story, I was kept on edge as the Titanic and many of her passengers faced death.  Gohlke describes the event in realistic and heartbreaking detail.

Fortunately, Promise Me This is also a story of hope and survival. The sinking of theTitanic is only the beginning. Through the pages, we are taken from America to England as Michael and Annie forge their lives separately after the death of a beloved friend and brother.  Their pain and emotions are real and raw, but the love and healing they find through their correspondence is sweet and bright.  While Michael strives to carry out Owen's dream in America, Annie struggles to find happiness and a life free from her cruel Aunt's grasp. Her Aunt's hatred runs deep, and the depth is revealed as the novel progresses.  

Just when it seems Annie can finally escape to America, World War I erupts in Europe. Those readers who, like me, are watching the current season of Downton Abbey, will find some similarities in the references to World War I. The second half of the novel focuses on the war, and finds both Annie and Michael tending the injured. Once again, Annie is subjected to cruelties orchestrated by her Aunt, some of which I felt were unrealistic.  But, it did provide for a fast moving plot set on the front lines of a French battlefield. I felt less connected to Annie and Michael during the last half of the novel, perhaps because parts of the story were told from the perspective of other secondary characters, some of whom were introduced in the last 100 pages.  The last 50 pages moved slowly for me, but the conclusion was full of love and promises fulfilled.  A happy ending to a novel that focused on two painful events in our history.    

About the Author: 

Cathy Gohlke is the two-time Christy Award-winning author of William Henry Is a Fine Name and I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires.  She lives with her husband on the banks of the Laurel Run in Elkton, Maryland.

Visit Cathy Gohlke's Website: www.cathygohlke.com

Read more about Promise Me This at www.tyndale.com

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”