What did you know about the sinking of the Lusitania before reading A Crown of Stars? What did you think of Shana Abé’s depiction of the event?
I found the section on the Lusitania very well done. I liked the fact that it was just a small section of the novel, yet it had huge impact on the lives of all the characters. I was especially moved by the description of the survivors and how the people of Queenstown, Ireland came together to aid in the care for both the survivors and the deceased.
I knew very little about the Lusitania beyond its sinking during the war. This telling of the lives of the Joliet sisters was so personal and showed me how tragic the losses were.
I felt relatively knowledgeable about the sinking of the Lusitania since I read Erik Larson’s Dead Wake when it came out. If you’re looking for a good book on the topic, I highly recommend it. It’s nonfiction, but reads like a novel.
I knew nothing about the Lusitania but reading the book the inspired to look further into the tragedy. How the author intertwined the lives of the characters in the book especially the sisters made the story even more engaging.
I knew about the political and historical aspects, but nothing about the personal aspects: the passengers, warnings, delays, or survivors. The author’s depiction was so realistic I felt like I was aboard the ship.
I know very little about the sinking, it definitely has made me want to learn more about it. So how accurate it is to the actual sinking, I have no idea. She did a great job of making me see and feel what was happening, the chaos of what the character was going through, as well as what was happening around her. I usually don’t see pictures when I read, but I could see this happening.
This was my third novel on the Lusitania I really enjoyed this story as it included non Americans and the follow up with the survivors in Ireland. I was shocked by the lack of ability by the shipping company to cope and the heartless way the survivors were ignored.
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Which others did you read, @Joy_B?
Dead Wake by Eric Larson
Sisters of Fortune by Ann Lee Huber
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Years ago I read a non fiction book about this ship. Before that I knew nothing. I enjoyed this book because I had read the other book. So I was familiar about the tragedy.
I was shocked by the event. Shana Abe wrote a wonderful description of the sinking. Shana sparked an interest in wanting to read more about the event.
I really didn’t know anything about the sinking of the Lusitania. It was very interesting to read and I think the author did a great job giving details. I like to read nonfiction that reads like a novel, so I may check out the Erik Larson book. Thank you for the recommendation.
I had only some distant knowledge about the Lusitania and knew nothing at all about the Jolivet sisters, so this was my favorite kind of historical fiction. I will check out Dead Wake to learn more. The author did a great job of depicting the sinking. I was right there with the passengers.
I am a huge Erik Larson, and Dead Wake was great. Second vote for reading it. And for those that are not non-fiction readers, don’t worry, Larson knows how to keep your attention and yet give lots of information.
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Surprisingly, I really wasn’t familiar with this event. I thought Shan Abe did a great job of bringing out the characters and how the Lusitania affected them. Their lives before brought them to this place that they were privileged enough to go on this voyage and it also showed that tragedy can happen to anyone, no matter their stature in liife.
I knew quite a bit about it in the context of American History, rather than as a single event. What was most surprising to me is how slim a section was devoted to that event, and yet, her skillful writing created an incredible tension, particularly the section on the day of the sinking. I don’t have my book at hand but there is a particular section where she describes the reflection in the china or glassware, while she is enjoying her last meal, that entire scene almost stopped my heart in the moment, it was brilliantly written.
I only knew that it helped spark our entering world war 1. I think the writing was very well done. So much that I had to skip pages as I felt I was going down with the ship.
I didn’t know much about the sinking of the Lusitania. I found it fascinating and so sad.
The book “A Novel of the Lusitania” was deceiving. It was a story of Rita and Inez and their successes. The sinking was secondary.