I love reading books on the titanic, fiction and non-fiction.

This was a really interesting read, had me intrigued from page 1.

The perfect book for readers who enjoy historical fiction, and a love for the titanic.

NetGalley, georgi_lvs_books .

Review by Greg Swinden
Canberra, Australia

Overall, Julie Cook has done a pretty good job of providing an insight into working class Britain in the early twentieth century; through the lens of the effect the Titanic sinking had on Southampton and its working class families.

The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord has published Vol. XXX, No. 2, the Summer 2020

Full of interesting facts.

Professionally researched.

Highly recommended.

Roots Family History Service

As featured by

New Milton Advertiser, 8th May 2020

The sinking of the Titanic has produced a wealth of books, articles, films and TV documentaries, all of which have given very little thought to the dependents and friends of those who lost their lives in this ocean tragedy. A moving and involving story that corrects this neglect, told by a descendant of a Titanic widow – Most Highly Recommended

Read the full review here

Firetrench

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Remarkable book about the women and children who left behind when the Titanic sunk. A new perspective on the tragedy and reminder that every tragedy has waves and networks of people that bear the scars for a long time. A great read. Well-researched and well written.

NetGalley, Joan Levin

Article: 'What Became of the Titanic Widows’ as featured by

Sunday Life (Belfast), 10th May 2020 – words by John Breslin

‘A list of ten books set in our county – Hampshire’

Hampshire Chronicle, 30th April 2020

Article: 'Book tells the remarkable story of the Titanic widows who were sent to Worthing to recuperate’ as featured by

Shoreham Herald, 30th April 2020

The book is an interesting look at the tragedy of the Titanic, which unfortunately in many of the literary and cinematographic transpositions never took a complete look at all the participants in that sad journey . One of the merits of the beautiful TV series "Downton Abbey" (which starts in 1912 at the sinking of the Titanic and its meaning for the Crowley family) is to be able to weave the life of a noble mansion well by telling dreams, hopes , the life of nobles and servants. This was never done in a Titanic movie, but on a ship, the contribution of the "servants" and the Black Gang was even more necessary, without it the ship would never have moved on. Perhaps it would be time for someone to tell their story and that of the strong women who stayed home for years living with the pain of loss and keeping their lives going, as did, so beautifully in her book, Julie Cook.

Read the full Italian review here

On The Old Barbed Wire

On certain subjects there is a lot of interest through books, films and media and it’s kind of done to death. But I’m glad to say this book has been written with a difference, the author Julie Cook is a relative to one of the men that sailed on the boat, but he wasn’t one of the well to do passengers, he was a stoker whose job it was to feed coal to the engine down below. But in another twist this book looks at the women who survived these men and how they had to cope with life after being widowed after all having to deal with 5 children alone is no mean feat. The books follows the lives of these women and has a lot of accounts and commentary if you like about how these women got along, survived and coped without the main breadwinner of the family being present.

In a fascinating book written by Julie Cook, there is an extra meaning to this book as I think the personal connection with the author really helps convey meaning and emotion to the story. The book is excellent as there is a lot of reliability on fact, sources and evidence materials which really does compliment the book and makes it stand out from the others. Now the titanic isn’t something I’ve overly read before but to me the book is a high quality in fact and evidence to make it stand out. I should also say finally that I loved the table at the beginning of the book, that shows all the staff on board, how old they were and what their job on the ship was. So would happily recommend this book to others to read. This book doesn’t just concentrate on the sinking, but it concentrates on the aftermath of the disaster which gives it a whole new twist to the usual.

Read the full review here

UK Historian

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

It was a really fascinating and often sad look at an angle not considered very often; what happened to those left behind. Of the event itself so much is known, but the small stories that have so much meaning to the families are equally sad. It wasn't something I'd read before, and I was interested in the new information.

This book will appeal to any Titanic enthusiast, and definitely is a stand out in that it contains previously unknown information for me. Five stars.

NetGalley, Kirsti Farmer

Like most people the story of the Titanic is a fascination for me. And if I'm honest, I'm not sure why exactly, as there are other ships that have sank and then have been discovered beneath the waves but it's the Titanic that lives in my imagination. To discover a new book on the ill-fated ship, but rather, coming from a new perspective – that of the widows left behind in Southampton, was a great find. Not only did these strong women have to deal with the loss of their husbands and the father of their children, but they were also left in a financially insecure world with the Wall Street crash approaching. They lived in a time of social upheaval, there was the Coal Strike and the suffrage movement in swing.

These are sad stories of the already poor families that lined up at the docks of the White Star offices to check the list of survivors. It pulled at my heartstrings, the treatment they received at the hands of the White Star Line was shocking especially the successful widows who received help but were constantly monitored to make sure the relief was used befittingly.

I liked how the author included her own great-grandfather and his widow, it was a beautiful personal touch.

NetGalley, Zoe Pollock

When Titanic foundered in April 1912, the world’s focus was on the tragedy of those who lost their lives. Julie Cook’s great grandfather was a crew member who perished in the disaster, leaving a wife Emily and five children. This book focuses on Emily and the widows like her, many of whom lived in Southampton, who had to fight for survival through great hardship, whilst still grieving for the men they loved who’d died in the ship. Using original archive sources and with accounts from descendants of crew who also lost their lives, the author asks how did these women survive through abject poverty and grief – and why have their voices been silent for so long? A moving read.

Read the full review here

Julian Stockwin

Amazing, poignant, emotional and powerful book about those women & children that were left behind by their men who died on board the Titanic. Also tells the story of those few Male crew members that survived and the stigma that stayed firmly attached to them until the day they died, despite being heroic and following orders to row life boats of passengers away from the sinking Titanic.

Read the full review here

GoodReads, Sandra "Jeanz"

As featured in

Daily Mail 15/4/20

Article: ‘New book tells the stories of Southampton's Titanic widows’ as featured by

Southern Daily Echo, 15th April 2020 - words by Lorelei Reddin

There have been a myriad of books written about the doomed ship Titanic, both histories and fiction. According to the author, no one has delved into the lives of the women and children left behind by the crew who perished in the tragedy. The author has a very personal reason for writing their tales as her great-great grandfather died in the sinking. He worked in the hot bowels of the ship keeping her going. While there is some question exactly where he was at the time as his shift was about to come in when she struck the iceberg, there has been a family legend of how he gave up his chance of survival to help an elderly man into a boat.
Whether the story is fact or fiction or a combination of both, it is understandable how the family and other families like theirs needed something to help them make sense of the loss of the breadwinner and loved one. The plight they suffered right afterwards was both brutal and devastating from not knowing who lived and who died to the even more abject poverty thrust upon them until the charities and fund raisers were able to compensate them, at least to some degree.
The story of her family is one of grit, strength and determination. They survived and thrived while others perished. It seems class made a huge difference in both life and death. If not for her great-great grandmother Emily, the outcome would have been vastly different. This is a story packed with emotion. It makes for an impactful read.

NetGalley, Susan Johnston

Well written, researched, it comes from the heart - there are parallels to what we're going through at the moment. This amazing feat of human enginerring and construction over which nature prevailed in the form of an iceberg. Once again a reminder that in the end natural forces will always be stronger.

Mark Dolan, Talk Radio presenter

I found this book interesting as it felt different from other Titanic books. I overall enjoyed this book and found it an interesting premise.

NetGalley, Kay McLeer

Julie Cook has provided a harrowing and emotional story of the Titanic’s impact on those left behind. A tragic history of the vulnerable but the brave, as well as a tribute to the enduring power of family. The story of the disaster’s widows uplifts and devastates in equal measure.

Gareth Russell, author of “The Ship of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era”

A really interesting read a look at the widows who were left behind after the tragedy of the Titanic.The widows who no longer had a wage earner supporting them a look at lute survivors who suffered whose lives would never be the same.

NetGalley, Abby Siverman

A look at her great-grandfather who was a worker that died and his widow along with the situations others would have went through back in England. Really nice look at the history and legacy of what happened.

NetGalley, Alexandra Roth

This non-fiction book talks about the widows that Titanic left behind. It's an interesting perspective and it's different from what we are used to when we talk about the Titanic. Usually we learn the stories of those who lived or those who died on the ship. The widows and children that were left behind were never mentioned enough. This book is about them and it's told in a part through the story of the author's great-grandmother.

The book also discusses the social and economic conditions back then and how they affected the already difficult lives of the widows.

NetGalley, Athina Semertzaki

I have always been aware of the Titanic disaster and in fact since a small child have been drip fed a tale of a lucky escape of a family member. It had never occurred to me that those families without closure will have suffered more than the loss of a loved one. It seems that widows of sea going lower and working class men and also those children who were dependent on fathers, brothers, sons or other male relatives suffered much more.
The detail and research is sound and informative. I am now looking to revisiting the SeaCity Museum of Southampton with different eyes.

NetGalley, Sue Harler

In light of human error the greatest of ships ever built has a place forever engraved in history.
Yet, it's precisely the incorrect history that forgets the 'classes' and the 'laborers' and those who were left widowed and or orphaned.
So many have focused on the powerful, wealthy, elite yet it's the other side that has not received much attention.
Those who shoveled coal into the bunkers with soot upon them were part of this group that were soon long forgotten. However, before we jump to conclusions we should seek to understand that perhaps it was more than an iceberg that took her down. Perhaps it was these bunkers that played a major role which wasn't mentioned here in this novel but has gained traction over the years of insightful journalism.
It's truly interesting to understand the times were quite sparse with many signing up for the voyage to make a few bucks.
Many left families deeply rooted in poverty with wives unable to secure employment and the funds available were very slim.
It's quite an eye opener that deserves our undivided attention but still many unanswered questions remain.

NetGalley, Donna Hines

As featured by

Bookseller 6/12/19

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been fascinated with the story of the Titanic and her passengers and workers over the years and read most of the books written on the subject however I will admit I have never sat down and thought about the effect it must have had on the people left behind in Southampton and so this book has been a revelation. The sad stories of these poor families left behind and the treatment they received from the White Star Line over the years. It’s so sad to see that even the women and children who managed to get help they were constantly monitored to ensure they lived a life befitting of the relief funds. This really is a very interesting and well researched read.

NetGalley, Lindsay Adams-Riley