#MMGM: Iceberg by Jennifer Nielsen
REVIEW
Blending historical details with a compelling story makes writing historical fiction a unique challenge. You need enough details to put the reader into the time and place so they can understand what's happening, but you don't want so much detail that readers get bogged down or lose interest. Jennifer Nielsen's newest historical fiction story takes on a well-known, popular topic and interweaves a fresh, intriguing story with it.
Hazel Rothbury stows away on the Titanic after discovering she doesn't have enough money to buy a ticket the way she planned. Full of questions, Hazel hopes to be a journalist one day, but as she is traveling to the US to work in a factory to support her family, her dream seems impossible. But with the help of a young porter, the guidance of a former governess, a new friend in first class, and her own determination it might just be possible. But many things stand in her way. A couple that Hazel overhears plotting to steal something valuable. A grumpy, suspicious governess. And a gut feeling that things are quite right on the Titanic. From the moment Hazel discovers the ship set sail with a fire raging down below, her instincts trigger a great deal of worry.
Even though most readers will know what happened to the Titanic the author creates a great deal of tension through Hazel's story as she wrestles with the circumstances she finds herself facing. It's also brilliant the way the details about the ship and the mistakes and decisions that led to her sinking blend with Hazel's story. Hazel's curiosity leads her to investigate different aspects of the ship and her situation (as a stowaway) gets her into areas of the ship that most passengers wouldn't go.
Every time I read a story about the Titanic, somehow I hope the story will end differently, but of course it doesn't, despite that knowledge, the story that Nielsen has created rings with hope and courage in the face of great difficulty. I thoroughly enjoyed this newest historical book from one of my favorite authors. She's written another fabulous book that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
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