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Sisters of Fortune: A Novel of the Titanic by Anna Lee Huber: A Book Review

Sisters of Fortune: A Novel of the Titanic

Author: Anna Lee Huber

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Kensington Books

Book Release Date: 2024

Pages: 418

Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: April,1912: It’s the perfect finale to a Grand Tour of Europe—sailing home on the largest, most luxurious ocean liner ever built. For the Fortune sisters, the voyage offers a chance to reflect on the treasures of the past they’ve seen—magnificent castles and museums in Italy and France, the ruins of Greece and the Middle East—and contemplate the futures that await them.


      For Alice, there’s foreboding mixed with her excitement. A fortune teller in Egypt gave her a dire warning about traveling at sea. And the freedom she has enjoyed on her travels contrasts with her fiancé’s plans for her return—a cossetted existence she’s no longer sure she wants.


      Flora is also returning to a fiancé, a well-to-do banker of whom her parents heartily approve, as befits their most dutiful daughter. Yet the closer the wedding looms, the less sure Flora feels. Another man—charming, exasperating, completely unsuitable—occupies her thoughts, daring her to follow her own desires rather than settling for the wishes of others.


     Youngest sister Mabel knows her parents arranged this Grand Tour to separate her from a jazz musician. But the secret truth is that Mabel has little interest in marrying at all, preferring to explore ideas of suffrage and reform—even if it forces a rift with her family.


       Each sister grapples with the choices before her as the grand vessel glides through the Atlantic waters. Until, on an infamous night, fate intervenes, forever altering their lives . . .


      My Review: The Titanic is the most famous shipwreck in history. Sisters of Fortune tells the story of three Titanic survivors—Alice, Flora, and Mabel Fortune. Alice, Flora, and Mabel are going back home to America after vacationing in Egypt. During the journey on the Titanic, the sisters ponder their romance. They also ponder their future once they arrive back home from vacation. When the ship hits an iceberg, the sisters must fight for their lives. Little did they know that the shipwreck would change them forever.


       At first I had a hard time distinguishing the differences between the characters of Alice, Flora, and Mabel. For the first third of the book, they seemed like the same character but with different names. Afterwards, they formed their own personalities, wants, and characteristics. After reading the novel, I came away feeling like I knew them. Alice is the eldest. She is engaged. However, she is no longer sure if she wants to be engaged. Alice also likes gambling and wants to be independent. Flora is also engaged to a man she has no interest with. Over the course of the novel, she falls in love with a wealthy tennis player and forms a romance. Mabel wants to go to college and study. She is also into the women’s suffrage movement. Therefore, I liked the characters, and I wanted to know how their story would end.


       Overall, this book is about choices, family, and survival. I found all of the characters to be very likable and well-developed. I did think that the novel took a while to draw me in. Once the book reached the part where the Titanic hit the iceberg, it became a very gripping and emotional read. There were some parts of the book that was truly heartbreaking. I also thought that this novel was very meticulously researched, and I liked how it portrayed the real historical figures of the Titanic. I also thought that this novel was very well-written, and it seemed as if I was right next to the Fortune sisters on the Titanic. Sisters of Fortune was a very poignant read! This book is perfect for fans of the Titanic! I recommend this for fans of The It Girls, The Second Mrs. Astor, and Women and Children First!


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


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