I loved the book! I I found Shana Abe to be a wonderful storyteller .. the story just flowed, the language was beautiful and I was totally engrossed. The details of the time period were so descriptive. I knew nothing about the Lusitania disaster before reading the book so that also interested me.
I really enjoyed the book. As with most historical fiction, I learned a lot. I enjoyed the writing and was engaged with the book from the start.
First, apologies to those of you who loved the book it was not a bad book at all, but I just couldnāt finish it. The few books I canāt read are due to my own limitations, and do not reflect on the bookās worth.
I had looked forward to the account of the Lusitania. While the descriptiveness of the environment was vivid, the book just didnāt hold my attention.
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I am putting this book down for now. I am having a very hard time getting into this book. I thought I was going to be reading about the Lusitania. I have read 117 pages of this book, and I have not heard one word about it. I donāt hate the book; it is just not what I thought I was going to be reading about. Maybe, itās the marketing of the book that led me astray. I seldom do not finish a book, so maybe at another time I will pick it up again.
I had a very difficult time getting into the story but felt that the last quarter of the book flew by. I did enjoy the career path of Rita but would have loved to know more about Inezās career path.
Overall, I found the book to be an interesting, very well written story. I knew the basic story of the Lusitania, but had never heard of the Jolivet sisters. I enjoyed the details of life on board the ship, the differences between upper and lower class accommodations, and especially the details regarding the lives of women.
I liked this book and I enjoyed learning about the characters (I did not realize that most of them were real). But I did not love it as much as some of the rest of you. Just didnāt pull me in until about 2/3 way through. So I thought it was good but not great.
A Crown of Stars was a marvelous read from start to finish. The Jolivet family, with international connections and a vibrant life in the arts, were also spectators to events in the World War I era. This catastrophic conflict- before, during and after it- provided the backdrop for an amazing tale of resilience, perseverance, unbearable sadness and ultimately triumph. One of the best historical fiction works I have read in a long time. Well-written and thoroughly researched, Shana Abe is a talented author. I read The Second Mrs. Astor, also examining how women navigate social constraints to live a fulfilling life. Heartily recommend.
The author brought this story to life. People, places and events were well developed/described and made for a solid historical fiction read.
I really enjoyed this novel!! The writing quickly pulled me into the lives of the Jolivet sisters and I really came to care about what happened to them. It was an emotional read - I confess that I didnāt know a lot about this tragic event in history. I would definitely recommend this book to others and look forward to reading more books by this author!
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It did take me a little while to get into the book but once I got into it, I couldnāt put it down. I did not know until the end that Rita and Inez were real people. Which then led me to research their lives more. I definitely would recommend this book .
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the story leading to the Lusitania fascinating, the writing excellent, so much so I really couldnāt put it down. Sounded like a real adventure. The girlsā lives were a tad over privileged which would get on your nerves, though it was Downton abbyish in hearing about their lives. I gave it five stars. Read in only a few days.
I enjoyed the book more than I expected to! The author pulled me into the sistersā lives and made me care about them with her vivid descriptions of settings and their journeys. Her writing has a distinctly cinematic quality that made each character come alive & whisked me away to the various locales. I devoured the book quickly.
I loved the book. The writing was beautiful, the story depicted a strong women, which I enjoy in a novel and it had history and reality. I passed the book to a French Canadian friend who raved about it.