The Girl Who Came Home

ByHazel Gaynor

Release Date: 2014-04-01
Genre: Historical Fiction

Score: 4

From 455 Ratings

Description

Inspired by true events, the New York Times bestselling novel The Girl Who Came Home is the poignant story of a group of Irish emigrants aboard RMS Titanic—a seamless blend of fact and fiction. This moving historical novel explores the tragedy's impact and its lasting repercussions on survivors and their descendants.

Ireland, 1912. Fourteen members of a small village set sail on RMS Titanic, hoping to find a better life in America. For seventeen-year-old Maggie Murphy, the journey is bittersweet. Though her future lies in an unknown new place, her heart remains in Ireland with Séamus, the sweetheart she left behind. When disaster strikes, Maggie is one of the lucky few passengers in steerage who survives. Waking up alone in a New York hospital, she vows never to speak of the terror and panic of that terrible night ever again.

Chicago, 1982. Adrift after the death of her father, Grace Butler struggles to decide what comes next. When her Great Nana Maggie shares the painful family secret she harbored for almost a lifetime about the Titanic, the revelation gives Grace new direction—and, in this dual timeline story, leads her and Maggie to unexpected reunions with those they thought lost long ago.

Reviews

Amazing book
5
By Janbones
Such a great book. Loved every minute of it
What a great read!
5
By Lainie Amethyst
If you ever wondered what it would be like to be a passenger on the Titanic, this is the book for you! It is so well written and I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommended! I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Pleasantly Surprised
5
By Cloughyclough
Great book! Somewhat predictable, but a good read nevertheless.
Couldn't put it down!
5
By Summer reading
Even though there has so much written and shown about the Titanic, this book gives you a different perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the characters' stories and seeing how they intertwine with each other.
Interesting
2
By Sisters story
I haven't read it yet, but I will just out of curiosity. I work at the titanic museum and I actually play Catherine Murphy (margret murphys sister) on the ship. Even though this is just fiction, I wish that the facts were correct. Catherine was 18 and margret was 22, there are many more facts I've seen just in the description you read before you purchase that were very incorrect. I'm just a history nerd and very protective of my Murphy girls.
Loved every minute of this book.
5
By Sydgie
There are many accounts and books written about the Titanic. This book however took a small group of 14 people from Ireland and told their stories. That's what made it different from other books already written. It kept the reader fully engrossed. Hard to put down.
Good book....but
3
By MygiftsA&L
I have always been fascinated by stories about the Titanic, especially since the blockbuster movie, so I was excited to read a book about it that has a bit of truth as well as fiction...
The storyline was believable as were the characters, but the story was really slow in several parts that I had to kind of skim through it. Read the book if the Titanic intrigues you as it does me, I guess it was worth the effort to stick through the slow parts!
C+
3
By Mac_Chick
Nice story about a young woman who survives the Titanic tragedy and retells the story to her grand daughter told in alternating voices. Much of this book repeats many of the well-known facts about Titanic and it’s demise. I didn’t think there was much new or fresh from this perspective. Maggie’s story is sweet and there are some interesting twists and turns that I enjoyed, which really is the books saving Grace (pun intended). Grace’s modern day story is not very interesting and somewhat predictable and I did not get a sense of warmth and connection between Grace and Maggie (grand daughter and great grandmother). I did not feel like Grace really gave it her all to solve the “mystery” in the story and felt more like this had been an opportunity that just dropped in her lap. It’s a good story but the bottom line is that it really fell short in comparison to other Titanic stories. Overall, a good read but not a great read.
Loved It
5
By Robjond
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this historical fiction novel. Not only was I captivated by the Titanic story line, I was also entirely intrigued by the characters.

I couldn't put this book down until I was finished with it. Then, I was sad that I was done reading it.

Great read!