38. A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice. Rebecca Connolly. 2022. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Arthur Rostron exhaled slowly, enjoying the last quiet moments he would have on the bridge of the RMS Carpathia before they were underway.

Premise/plot: A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is historical fiction at its best. In alternating chapters, the story of a fateful night in April 1912 unfolds for readers. The narration is divided between Arthur Rostron, the captain of the RMS Carpathia, and Kate Connolly, a third class passenger on board the Titanic.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, LOVED this one. I would say though it's definitely marketed as being adult historical fiction, it truly could be for readers of all ages who happen to have an interest in the Titanic and enjoy history. 

I loved so many things about this one. I LOVED the chapters narrated by Arthur Rostron. I absolutely loved the behind the scenes glimpse of the crew of Carpathia heading into unknown dangers racing against time to save the passengers of the Titanic. I loved how all the chapters began with authentic quotes. I loved the writing. I also loved the faith-focus. For example, I loved this prayer from the captain, "Father God, let us get to them. Guide our hands and our feet, our ship and our hearts. Let it be enough."

I also loved the afterword. I was delighted to know that all the characters were real people. Fictionalized, to be sure, to one degree or another. But this is a well-researched novel.

Quotes:

We must be better sailors, better crew, and better men than we have ever been. 

The clarity of the night sky was breathtaking. It would have been something to marvel had the circumstances been different. Each star lit its portion of the sky with a brilliance he'd rarely seen. "A brilliant night of stars," Arthur murmured to himself as he gazed out at it. He swallowed once. "And ice."

© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews