I knew absolutely nothing about it before I read this book. I think the author did a phenomenal job depicting this awful tragedy. Until recently, I had no interest in historical fiction. But after reading this book and a couple of others I have much more of an interest in it.
I did know about the sinking of the Lusitania, but Abe’s portrayal of the actual occurrence brought it all to life for me. I could actually feel the coldness of the water and sense the fear of the people holding on to the lifeboat. This event helped Congress make the decision to enter the war.
I have read several books about the Lusitania, non-fiction mostly and focusing on Americans. I liked the author’s skill in presenting this tragedy to the reader- a relatively small part of the story while having a huge impact on all the characters in the aftermath.
I also read Eric Larson’s book “Dead Wake”. I prefer it to this version. Felt it contained more information about the actual voyage.
I felt that “A Crown of Stars”;focused too much on the career of the characters.
I enjoyed the book but like more historical information when I read books of this genre.
I knew little about the sinking of the Lusitania but now I want to dive deeper into this history. That’s what makes me love books like this… learning more about historical events that I would not really research on my own. Shana Abe did a great job writing about this event.
I had read the historical novel that dealt with the sinking. I found, as I always do with fiction, the personal descriptions of the sinking realistic and heartfelt. Being there through fictional accounts always helps put me in the event emotionally as well as historically. The author did a good job with both the sinking and the aftermath on shore.
I knew very little about it because, bluntly, it has been many years since I took a history class. And I don’t recall the event being discussed in great detail in those courses. Yes, it was part of our study of World War I, but it was not the focus. I appreciated hearing more details about why the Germans targeted the Lusitania, as well as how quickly the ship went down.
I did some research on the sinking of the Lusitania after reading the story and found her account very accurate.
Thank you for the recommendation. I’ve appreciated other books from Erik Larson and would enjoy reading more about the Lusy.