Author: Charlotte Rogan
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
Summary: Grace Winter,
22, is both a newlywed and a widow. She is also on trial for her life.
In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner
carrying her and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious
explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a
lifeboat, which the survivors quickly realize is over capacity. For any to
live, some must die.
As the castaways battle the elements, and each
other, Grace recollects the unorthodox way she and Henry met, and the new life
of privilege she thought she'd found. Will she pay any price to keep it?
The
Lifeboat is a page-turning novel of hard choices and
survival, narrated by a woman as unforgettable and complex as the events she
describes.
Review: In The Lifeboat, author Charlotte Rogan
explores the actions of a group of people who are forced to survive on a small
lifeboat and the repercussions of this event. The premise seems simple enough,
but in the dexterous hands of Rogan, the story takes on a larger life that
invites readers to join in on this fascinating journey.
The year is 1914,
and newly wed Grace is traveling with her husband, Henry, across the Atlantic
Ocean aboard the luxurious ocean liner, The Empress Alexandra. After a sudden
explosion, the passengers frantically evacuate the sinking ship, doing whatever
it takes to secure a spot in a lifeboat. As Lifeboat 14 begins its descent into
the ocean, it stops just long enough for Henry to put Grace and seaman John
Hardie onto the boat. Hardie, who clearly has the most experience with all
things nautical, takes lead of the small boat, navigating through the debris,
and coldly passing other passengers who struggle to stay afloat in the sea.
Hardie is the only one aboard the lifeboat who understands that the small
vessel is already overcrowded and to take in even one more passenger would be
suicide.
As the days
pass, the passengers all follow the lead of Hardie, who has assigned tasks for
each of the evacuees. They all seem to believe that despite their misfortune,
help will arrive soon. After several days, the solitude of the sea begins to
take its toll on the passengers. Hunger and thirst muddy their minds, a looming
storm threatens to sink their boat, and different opinions threaten to tear
apart the unified effort of the passengers.
The novel is
told from the point of view of Grace who is writing a journal of her time on
the lifeboat. We learn, through many flashbacks, that Grace is currently on
trial for murder. As the novel progresses, we gain further insights into the
events that took place on the boat, and are forced to face the question of how
far a person should go to further their survival.
Being the debut
novel from Rogan, I was very impressed with the strength and clarity of her
story telling. The suspense of both the struggle to survive in the ocean and to
clear her name in a murder trial kept the pages turning and my attention fully
held. Rogan descriptions offer subtle glimpses into human nature and the desire
to live. Despite the fantastic build up, I felt a bit let down by the ending.
It seemed as if these philosophical ideas about survival were leading to some
kind of revelation. Instead we get a resolution to the plot with no emotional
punch. That being said, I think this novel is worth the read for that build up
alone. Perhaps the lack of a real answer to the questions that come up, in this
situation, perfectly captures the reality of the event. Either way, this novel
forced
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