Book ~ "Ship of Dreams" (2025) Donna Jones Alward

From Goodreads ~ Aboard the Titanic, where opulence knows no bounds and the horizon seems limitless, two women fight for the futures they dream of, fraught with secrets that could change everything.

Hannah Martin is clinging to the hope that six days on this grand ship will heal the wounds in her marriage to Charles. Beneath her poised exterior lies a desperation to mend what was shattered and conceal a secret that could upend their lives forever.

Louisa Phillips, spirited and uncompromising, is escaping her family’s insistence on a passionless marriage. But this daring step could also sever the deepest bond in her life.

As the "unsinkable" ship strikes the iceberg, amidst the chaos and icy waters, lives are changed forever. In the face of impending doom, what dreams will Hannah and Lou decide are worth saving, and at what cost?

This is a historical novel set on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. The story follows two women traveling together. Hannah is hoping the trip will help fix her strained marriage to her husband, Charles, while she keeps a secret that could affect their future. Her friend, Louisa, joins the voyage to escape pressure from her family to marry someone she doesn’t love. Their friendship is tested as secrets and personal struggles come to the surface while they experience life aboard the ship. Near the end of the voyage, the Titanic hits an iceberg and begins to sink. The disaster forces the friends to face the reality of the situation and make decisions about survival and the people they care about.

I thought this book was okay. I found the story interesting. The sinking of the Titanic is a sad tale and this is told from a personal perspective. It's amazing how times have changed. The expectations for women were so different then. Hannah's goal was to marry well, which she did, and have a family. Louisa didn't want marriage and was more interested in pushing for women's rights. Her father had found a man he wanted her to marry and if she didn't, he would cut her off financially. She didn't want to marry him, hence the trip across the Atlantic with Hannah and Charles. Hannah and Louisa were in first class and everyone was so mannerly and proper ... so different from today. It's written in first person perspective alternating between Hannah and Louisa (the chapters/sections are marked). I found the writing a bit long and draggy at times and could have been tighter.

Book ~ "When the World Fell Silent" (2024) Donna Jones Alward

From Goodreads ~ A story of loss, hope and redemption against the most impossible odds. 1917. Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Nora Crowell wants more than her sister’s life as a wife and mother. As WWI rages across the Atlantic, she becomes a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corp. But trouble is looming and it won’t be long before the truth comes to light.

Having lost her beloved husband in the trenches and with no one else to turn to, Charlotte Campbell now lives with his haughty relations who treat her like the help. It is baby Aileen, the joy and light of her life, who spurs her to dream of a better life.

When tragedy strikes in Halifax Harbour, nothing for these two women will ever be the same again. Their paths will cross in the most unexpected way, trailing both heartbreak and joy its wake.

It's 1917 and Nora is a nurse with the Canadian Army Nursing Corp in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is living with her sister and her sister's family and while she loves them, that's not the life she wants. She loves being a nurse and is very good at it. Charlotte's husband was killed overseas and since she has no family, she and her baby are forced to lived with her in-laws who treat her like a servant.

As if Halifax didn't have enough going on as an important port during WWI, the Halifax Explosion happened ... two ships collided in the harbour and wiped out much of the north end of Halifax, killing and wounding many.

As a nurse, Nora is tending to the wounded while wondering whether her family survived the explosion since she knew they were heading to the waterfront. Charlotte wakes up in the hospital and doesn't know whether her baby or in-laws survived the explosion. What follows is how Nora and Charlotte react to the ramifications of the disaster.

I like history and since I'm originally from Nova Scotia and knew about the Halifax Explosion, I thought it would be interesting to see how it would incorporated into a novel. I think the author did a good job describing what was happening and what everyone must have been going through before, during and after the explosion. It is written in first person perspective in Nora and Charlotte's voices. They had tough decisions to make and did what they had to do given their circumstances.