Rita decided to take the Lusitania despite the warnings. Was she too trusting that the ship was too fast to be torpedoed? Or was she justified in feeling that her need to reach her brother outweighed the risk? Would you have boarded the ship?

Book Clubs A Crown of Stars
21

Like Rita, I am basically an optimist. I would probably have trusted that the ship was safe because of her speed and the promises of naval support. I would want to believe it was safe to get to my brother before he left for the front.

22

I think she thought that England would escort and protect the ship. We all make decisions to do things that are somewhat dangerous, thinking “Everything will be all right” and “It won’t happen to me.” She was willing to take a chance because of her desire to see her brother. I would have done the same thing.

23

I believe she was a little too trusting of the ship’s company to provide a safe passage. Once onboard I think she became a little more skeptical when speaking with George and also learning that not all engines were in use but at that point it was too late. She could have taken the American steamer, but she may have missed her brother and getting to her family was too important to her. Hard to say if I would have boarded the ship. I probably would have trusted the ship’s company to ensure a safe passage

24

In my opinion, the world was a much different place then and Rita’s decision has to be analyzed from that vantage point. In a world where we hear news instantaneously and have access to unlimited sources of information, it’s hard to wrap our heads around how little people knew about what was happening in the world back then. Rita, Charles, et al. had not yet survived a World War and they were naive – not only with regard to the protection that could be provided the ship by other vessels, but also regarding the ship’s speed. The Titanic is briefly referenced in the book. But the reasons it sank were very different. It wasn’t attacked – it was a technical failure related to the ripping open of the airtight compartments by the iceberg. And the ship’s failure wasn’t related to the speed at which it could travel. More importantly, no one believed, apparently, that the Germans would attack a ship carrying so many Americans because the U.S. was, at that point, still neutral. There was a lack of understanding about how cunning, ruthless, and downright evil war makes people. She wanted so much to see her brother before he went off to war that she was willing to accept the risks, as she was able to weigh them with the information available to her. Would I have boarded the ship? Perhaps, but again I can only respond by attempting to place myself in the same position with the same knowledge that Rita possessed.

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