The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic (P.S.)
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Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Maggie didn’t discuss Titanic with anyone. At 17, she was leaving the man she loved as one of a group of Irish immigrants setting out for America. But 70 years later, as her great-granddaughter, Grace, is mourning her father’s death, Maggie decides it’s finally time to share her story. Inspired by the true tale of an Irish community that suffered the largest proportional loss in the sinking, the novel hits on the standard elements of the Titanic story—the ship’s magnificence, the stark differences between first and third classes, the many elements that contributed to its downfall. What makes Gaynor’s novel fresh is the way she sets the tragedy in the context of her characters’ lives. Gaynor is a gentle storyteller who doesn’t challenge the reader, writing prettily but at times predictably. At the same time, even the most avid Titanic buff is sure to find something new in this well-researched, finely detailed story. Just as Maggie’s retelling makes the disaster real for her great-granddaughter, Gaynor brings immediacy to the oft-told story by shrinking it to a human scale. --Bridget Thoreson
Review
“A beautifully imagined novel rich in historic detail and with authentic, engaging characters - I loved this book. Hazel Gaynor is an exciting new voice in historical fiction.” (Kate Kerrigan, author of Ellis Island and City of Hope)
“Readers will enjoy this lovely, heartfelt story.” (RT Book Reviews (4 Stars))
“I’ve been a huge fan of the Titanic for quite some time and LOVE reading everything from fictional based novels to non fiction about the lives that were forever changed that night. [...] I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.” (Reviews from the Heart)
“A phenomenal book that is a must read!” (Examiner.com)
“The Girl Who Came Home follows on the centenary remembrance of the Titanic in 2012. Is the world ready for yet another account of this tragedy? With this novel, the answer is a resounding yes“ (New York Journal of Books)
“Readers will enjoy this lovely, heartfelt story.” (RT Book Reviews (4 Stars))
“I’ve been a huge fan of the Titanic for quite some time and LOVE reading everything from fictional based novels to non fiction about the lives that were forever changed that night. [...] I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.” (Reviews from the Heart)
“A phenomenal book that is a must read!” (Examiner.com)
“The Girl Who Came Home follows on the centenary remembrance of the Titanic in 2012. Is the world ready for yet another account of this tragedy? With this novel, the answer is a resounding yes“ (New York Journal of Books)
More About the Author
Hazel Gaynor is a novelist and freelance writer in Ireland and the UK. Her writing success has been featured in The Sunday Times Magazine and Irish Times and she has also appeared on TV and radio.
Hazel is a guest blogger and features writer for national Irish writing website writing.ie for which she has interviewed, among others, Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Jo Baker ('Longbourn'), Cheryl Strayed ('Wild') and Mary Beth Keane ('Fever'). Hazel was the recipient of the 2012 Cecil Day Lewis award for Emerging Writers.
Originally from North Yorkshire, England, Hazel now lives in Ireland with her husband, two young children and an accident-prone cat.
'The Girl Who Came Home - A Novel of the Titanic' is Hazel's first novel (William Morrow/HarperCollins). To keep up-to-date with Hazel's latest news, visit her website www.hazelgaynor.com or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/hazelgaynorbooks
Hazel is represented by Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management, New York.
@HazelGaynor
Hazel is a guest blogger and features writer for national Irish writing website writing.ie for which she has interviewed, among others, Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Jo Baker ('Longbourn'), Cheryl Strayed ('Wild') and Mary Beth Keane ('Fever'). Hazel was the recipient of the 2012 Cecil Day Lewis award for Emerging Writers.
Originally from North Yorkshire, England, Hazel now lives in Ireland with her husband, two young children and an accident-prone cat.
'The Girl Who Came Home - A Novel of the Titanic' is Hazel's first novel (William Morrow/HarperCollins). To keep up-to-date with Hazel's latest news, visit her website www.hazelgaynor.com or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/hazelgaynorbooks
Hazel is represented by Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management, New York.
@HazelGaynor
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
167 of 171 people found the following review helpful
By
Ms J. Travers
on March 21, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
2 Comments
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I've been drawn into the world of Titanic fascination by my Titanorak daughter who is ten. Because of her, I started reading a number of books about the history of the Titanic, all factual - until now. The Girl Who Came Home is the first historical fiction I've read on the subject, and I loved it.
Based on a true(ish) story of a group of people who emigrated from one Irish village, TGWCH brings the past to life in a vivid and absorbing way by introducing the reader to believable and engaging characters, both passengers and members of staff who were on board, and echoing the effects of that tragedy down to subsequent generations.
I highly recommend it to any reader who enjoys well-researched historical fiction, and who is caught up in Titanic centenary fever!
Based on a true(ish) story of a group of people who emigrated from one Irish village, TGWCH brings the past to life in a vivid and absorbing way by introducing the reader to believable and engaging characters, both passengers and members of staff who were on board, and echoing the effects of that tragedy down to subsequent generations.
I highly recommend it to any reader who enjoys well-researched historical fiction, and who is caught up in Titanic centenary fever!
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110 of 118 people found the following review helpful
By
Brian Byrne
on March 17, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
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When there's something that you always want to do, there comes a time to do it, writes Brian Byrne. And if you don't do it at that time, then you probably never will. The trick is to know when the time comes.
For local writer Hazel Gaynor, the time came, and she noticed it. The result is her first novel, 'The Girl who Came Home'. It's a Titanic novel, in the sense that it is located on that ship of terrible tragedy, and in the places where some of the Irish passengers came from and where some survivors might have gone to.
Hazel has been fascinated by the story of the Titanic since she was a small child. Not for any particular reason, just that the enormity of the story grabbed her imagination when she first heard about it. She always gathered information about the tragic event, and any time she came across a related article she assimilated every word.
The fictional characters and the fictional Irish village in 'The Girl who Came Home' are all based on a real set of people, and a real village near Killala in Co Mayo. The 'Addergoole Fourteen' were a group of men and women from there who sailed on the Titanic. Only three survived. Today there is a strong Titanic heritage in Addergoole, concerned with properly preserving the memory of what was a massive loss to a small community.
Hazel's main character is Maggie Murphy, and it doesn't spoil the storyline to say that she survived the encounter with the iceberg. Another protagonist is Maggie's great-grand-daughter Grace, starting out on a career in journalism in the US. There are other people in the story, some close to Maggie, others who came in peripherally but in some cases became very important.Read more ›
For local writer Hazel Gaynor, the time came, and she noticed it. The result is her first novel, 'The Girl who Came Home'. It's a Titanic novel, in the sense that it is located on that ship of terrible tragedy, and in the places where some of the Irish passengers came from and where some survivors might have gone to.
Hazel has been fascinated by the story of the Titanic since she was a small child. Not for any particular reason, just that the enormity of the story grabbed her imagination when she first heard about it. She always gathered information about the tragic event, and any time she came across a related article she assimilated every word.
The fictional characters and the fictional Irish village in 'The Girl who Came Home' are all based on a real set of people, and a real village near Killala in Co Mayo. The 'Addergoole Fourteen' were a group of men and women from there who sailed on the Titanic. Only three survived. Today there is a strong Titanic heritage in Addergoole, concerned with properly preserving the memory of what was a massive loss to a small community.
Hazel's main character is Maggie Murphy, and it doesn't spoil the storyline to say that she survived the encounter with the iceberg. Another protagonist is Maggie's great-grand-daughter Grace, starting out on a career in journalism in the US. There are other people in the story, some close to Maggie, others who came in peripherally but in some cases became very important.Read more ›
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68 of 71 people found the following review helpful
By
SD135
on March 14, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
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Just read "The Girl Who Came Home", thoroughly enjoyed it. It brought the Titanic story alive for me. Beautifully written, nice twist and it really captures the human side of the story. Would recommend for all those who want to understand what it was really like to have been affected by the Titanic tragedy.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By
Maria
on March 28, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
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With the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic almost upon us, it's only right that we're reminded of one of the most awful maritime disasters in history. Hazel Gaynor's beautiful novel, The Girl Who Came Home, is not only a reminder of the actual disaster, but it's an exploration of human emotions - a gut-wrenching before and after look at lives that were forever changed on that momentous day. Hazel has based this novel on a true story of the Addergoole Fourteen, a group of men and women who left their small village in County Mayo inIreland to board the Titanic for its maiden voyage.
In Chicago in 1982, Grace Butler is looking for a story to write in order to revive her journalism career. She needs something big - something that will tap into the readers' emotions and get her noticed. But never in a million years was she expecting her great grandmother, Maggie Murphy, to be the one to provide her with what she's looking for. Maggie has kept a secret for seventy years and decides that now is the time to open up and share it with her great granddaughter.
And so the story takes us back to that rural Irish village in April 1912 when seventeen year old Maggie Murphy is preparing to sail on the Titanic, along with her aunt Kathleen and two of her best friends, Peggy and Katie. In all, fourteen men and women from the village are packing up their lives in hope of a better one over in America.
Maggie is excited about her impending voyage, but devastated to be leaving behind her beloved Seamus. She hopes he'll be able to join her soon in America but in the meantime, he's written a selection of love letters to keep her company on the journey ahead.Read more ›
In Chicago in 1982, Grace Butler is looking for a story to write in order to revive her journalism career. She needs something big - something that will tap into the readers' emotions and get her noticed. But never in a million years was she expecting her great grandmother, Maggie Murphy, to be the one to provide her with what she's looking for. Maggie has kept a secret for seventy years and decides that now is the time to open up and share it with her great granddaughter.
And so the story takes us back to that rural Irish village in April 1912 when seventeen year old Maggie Murphy is preparing to sail on the Titanic, along with her aunt Kathleen and two of her best friends, Peggy and Katie. In all, fourteen men and women from the village are packing up their lives in hope of a better one over in America.
Maggie is excited about her impending voyage, but devastated to be leaving behind her beloved Seamus. She hopes he'll be able to join her soon in America but in the meantime, he's written a selection of love letters to keep her company on the journey ahead.Read more ›
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76 of 94 people found the following review helpful
By
Morrigan
on March 30, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
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5 Comments
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A mildly interesting book, free on Kindle. However it obviously wasn't researched or edited for historical accuracy. At one point Harry, the Steward, comments that he used the Heimlich maneuver on a passenger. He claimed he was taught it in his safety training for working on the Titanic. Very inaccurate since the Titanic sank in 1912 and Dr. Heimlich was born years later in 1920. This was a detail that could easily be checked. That it wasn't makes me question the accuracy of any of the historical details. Other than that the story line isn't very interesting, and no new details about the tragedy are given. I don't recommend wasting your time on it, even if it's free.
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