Book Review: Unsinkable by Jenni L. Wash

"His comment is like a weight, both anchoring me yet making me feel heavy."

--Unsinkable, Jenni L. Wash

Drawing inspiration from real-life accounts of Violet Jessop and the thirty-nine women who worked with the Special Operations Executive. Two invincible ladies. Two tales about family, surviving, and achieving personal fulfillment. One relationship that permanently alters both of their lives.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The Titanic was only the beginning. What she survived has become legend. What she survived has become legend. Inspired by true stories of survival and resilience, Unsinkable entwines the lives of two women, one from World War 1 and another from World War 2, as they face adversity and take hold of the second chances given to them.

Violet Jessop is Miss Unsinkable.

After her mother becomes too ill to work, the responsibility to provide for the family falls to Violet as the oldest of nine. When the world enters the Great War, she serves as a nurse, helping men who could very well be her brothers. Working as a stewardess and wartime nurse, Violet not only survives a shipwreck but also two sinkings, one on the infamous Titanic. No one can understand why she would return to sea, but something keeps drawing Violet back to the tumultuous waters, where she struggles to put the tragedies of her past behind her and pursue a life and love all her own.

Daphne has survived calamity of her own.

Daphne Chaundanson grows up as an unwanted child after her mother died in a tragedy. She throws herself into education, collecting languages like candy in a desperate attempt to finally earn her father's approval. When the Special Operations Executive invites her to be an agent in France in World War II, her childhood of anonymity and her love of languages make her the perfect fit. She sees it as an opportunity to help the country she loves and live up to her father's expectations. But the dangers of war challenge Daphne in ways she never could have expected, and the secrets from her own past must be faced for her to truly have a future beyond the conflict--if she can survive it.

My reaction to this novel...

When I initially saw this book, I was absolutely thrilled since the Titanic ship on the cover piqued my interest. Since I'm particularly interested in finding out about other people's experiences on the Titanic and because the author claims that this is based on a true account, I was thrilled to start reading the book without first reading the synopsis.

As soon as I started reading this novel, I could see how skillfully the author wrote since even readers who are unfamiliar with historical fiction could readily understand the way she used words and put phrases and paragraphs together. In contrast to other historical fiction that uses highly complex vocabulary that confuses readers even after reading the first phrase, I can assure readers that the author will keep them interested and excited as they read every word the author choose to write. Therefore, the author's writing style has genuinely satisfied me in this instance.

In addition to her writing style, the author also manages to immerse the reader in the events she narrates in the narrative. I became anxious and felt the anxiety and terror of the passengers and crew at that moment because I thought I was inside the Titanic while it was sinking. Despite the fact that I've seen the Titanic movie several times, the narrative in this book resonates with me in a fresh way, so that's a huge positive factor for me. Also, I would like to point out that the main character's experience on the Titanic is a significantly more engaging narrative than the other primary character in one of the book's stories.

In regard to what I've said about the two main characters, I must admit that I was initially really confused because I didn't take the date written into consideration. However, after reading the story again and realizing my error, I was able to laugh at myself and enjoy the story more. It's only that I'd prefer if the novel concentrated more on the main character's experiences aboard the Titanic. Even while some readers could perceive my comments as being more prejudiced toward the main character's tale, the truth is that I read this book mostly because I find such kinds of stories to be more interesting. I was a little let down since I had expected there to be more discussion on the Titanic, but in the end, the author used the Titanic's tale to introduce another one.

Please understand that both of the stories are excellent; it's simply that my expectations weren't met by what I actually read. Actually, I can't describe my concerns, or where and what section of the book I'm upset with, because I'm still smiling and nervous while reading the novel. It's just that, I'm still searching for something that the book ought to have. I'm not sure what was lacking, but I felt like something was missing.

Regardless, the manner the author has written this book makes me want to recommend it highly. Even if I don't know the author, I'm glad this book has allowed me to do so. You may easily go through this book to the times of war, the Titanic's sinking, and other experiences that the major characters went through.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨(3.5/5)