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    The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic
    The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic
    The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic

    Written by Hazel Gaynor

    Narrated by Connor Kelly-Eiding and Alana Kerr

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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 that 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 secret she harbored for almost a lifetime about the Titanic, the revelation gives Grace new direction—and leads her and Maggie to unexpected reunions with those they thought lost long ago.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 1, 2014
    ISBN9780062344533
    The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic
    Author

    Hazel Gaynor

    Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author known for her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. A recipient of the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award, her work has since been shortlisted for multiple awards in the UK and Ireland. Her latest novel, The Last Lifeboat, was a Times of London historical novel of the month, shortlisted for the 2023 Irish Book Awards and recipient of the 2024 Audie Award for Best Fiction Narrator. Hazel’s work has been translated into twenty languages and is published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family.

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    Reviews for The Girl Who Came Home

    4.5/5

    113 ratings44 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Most often books relating to the Titanic and its survivors are about the upper classes, why? because it was the bulk of those who survived the horror. THIS books takes us from Ireland, to the ship, to the U.S. and fills in all the blanks. All the sad blanks filled with family, love, avoidance, true courage and above all humanity.Very much worth any cost and amount of time taken to read this and get a new perspective.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      I thought this book would be an interesting read, after all it covers the Titanic, a fascinating event in history. However, I was quickly turned off by the author's writing style. The book lacks polish and needs editing. The author switches points of view so much that it is hard to care about any of the characters. Overall, a bust.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This fact based fictional story is loosly based on a group of fourteen people from a small village in Co.Mayo who set sail on the Titanic for a better life in America,(only two of whom survived!) and also on information pieced together from other survivors after the tragedy.It tugs at the heart strings, giving us an insight to the feelings of dread, terror and guilt of the two girls from the village that were lucky enough to survive. The lives they hoped to live, and the ones that fate gave them. The loves they lost and the loves and families they found.I really enjoyed this book, even knowing what was to become of the ship. It was told in a heartwarming and sympathetic way, and I gave it 5 stars.
    • 3/5
      The book goes back and forth from and Irish girl's perspective in 1912 and an American girl's in the 80's. The Irish narrator was wonderful,the writing excellent. American chapters felt so cheesy...the 20-somethings using words like "needn't" and "lovely". Felt so unrealistic and cheesy. Stayed with the whole book for the Irish parts which were amazing. Overall, the beginning gets a 5 and the end chapters get a zero. Meh.
    • 5/5
      Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It brought the history of the Titanic to life after all these years!
    • 4/5
      The Titantic has always been an interesting topic to me and this novel introduced us to a character who survived the sinking of the Titantic and was an embellishment based on actual events and actual survivors - page turner. At the end of the book the author discusses which character each person was based on, some names in book were the same as actual people who persished. Good read.  
    • 4/5
      In the early years of the 20th century hopes of opportunity and prosperity lured many to immigrate to America. A group of fourteen from the Irish town of Ballysheen left their homeland on the maiden voyage of the luxury ship Titanic with a sense of adventure as well as the feeling of loss for what was left behind.What I liked about the book was the tale that Maggie recounted about the departure from Ireland in 1912 and the recounting of life aboard ship from the point of view of third class passengers who were well pleased with their steerage accommodations but had a wide-eyed awe of the ship as a whole. I thought the book dragged in the alternate narrative (in 1982) with Maggie and her great-granddaughter, Grace. I also had trouble trying to sort out the relationships between the many characters introduced in the first part of the book. After the passengers left their village and boarded the Titanic the book moved along with great pace. The story of this state of the art ship and its tragic encounter with an iceberg is well known, yet the author beautifully captured the suspense of the collision and its aftermath. The facts of the journey of the Titanic were woven well with a fictional set of characters in whom she portrayed a mix of adventure, optimism and worry. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will find this a nice summer read.
    • 5/5
      "Life is fragile, Grace-it is no more than a petal of cherry blossom: thriving and in full bloom one minute and blown to the ground by a sudden gust of wind the next."Oh the emotions that this book made me feel. I knew that this was going to be an emotional book, I mean it is about the Titanic of all things, but this was just such a beautiful book. This book was inspired by the Addergoole Fourteen who left Ireland on the Titanic, eleven of which perished in the disaster.This book mainly switches point-of-view between Maggie and her great-granddaughter Grace. It also does switch point-of-view between other characters that were on the Titanic and some of their relatives. I loved reading about Maggie and her voyage to America when she was only 17. It is absolutely heartbreaking to think that the things she experienced in this book many in real life experienced as well. To go from the only place she knows at home and to end up in a foreign land having just lost friends, family, and familiar faces was an unimaginable blow. Not only that but leaving the man that she loves behind.I wasn't really as interested in Grace's story as Maggie. After all that Maggie has gone through it kind of felt like Grace's experiences paled in comparison. I did really enjoy getting to see Grace and Maggie bond over Maggie's story.I loved reading from the point-of-view from others on the ship (especially Harry) and the other characters besides Grace and Maggie. It really enhanced the story to see these events from the other character's point-of-views.The ending just left me in chills and sobbing. It was just so beautiful and it was a twist that I have to say I didn't see coming. I felt stupid for not seeing it coming but I absolutely loved the twist and the ending.I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to read a great historical fiction book about the Titanic from the perspective of someone who was in the 3rd class on the ship.[I received this book from a Librarything Early Reviewers giveaway. The content of my review is in no way affected by that.]
    • 3/5
      Where I got the book: freebie on the Kindle.This is a weak 3-star read, in my opinion. I was tempted to 2-star it, but I'm not going to do that for two reasons: it's a debut novel and therefore by definition not representative of the author's future development, and in some ways I rather enjoyed the story. I saw the twist in the tale coming a mile off, but it might come as a pleasant surprise to a less observant reader.Things I liked: a) the cover. Great cover. b) the fact that it was about steerage passengers instead of banging on about the rich and famous all the time c) to some extent, the 1980s story that's woven in with it. d) The author handles dialogue well when there is dialogue. e) Maggie, the Titanic-era heroine, seems real and ordinary (after my last Titanic read I'm feeling allergic to super-talented heroines). (The 1980s heroine, on the other hand, was a super-talented writer. Sigh. I need to start keeping count of the number of heroines or major supporting characters in debut novels who are super-talented writers, and they write ONE THING and everyone falls on their faces and goes "we're not worthy, you're such a genius, have an important job in journalism" and so on.)But I digress. My issue with this book can be summed up thus: the author seemed to take every opportunity to pull the reader out of the story and drop her into the Limbo of Annoyance. My status updates give my blow-by-blow opinions, but if you're a diehard reader (or especially if you're a writer) you'll recognize the symptoms: chunks of exposition, flashbacks, POV-hopping, and worse, easily checkable inaccuracies/anachronisms such as mentioning the Heimlich maneuver in the 1912 story.The text could have done with a proofread - it wasn't too bad, but there were quite a few grocer's apostrophes, especially in family names, and some homonym errors. I'm not going to carp about the that/which issue, because having grown up in England I know that rule isn't generally respected over there, but I want to point it out. All in all, editing at the developmental and final stages could have done a great deal for this novel. The writing got better toward the end (another trend I often note in debut novels, and another reason to edit the heck out of your MS once you've written The End).Finally, I'd like to give the author props for taking on the Titanic. It's not easy writing a story about an event that is well known to so many. I still haven't found the perfect Titanic novel, but writing about the steerage passengers is a good start if you ask me.
    • 4/5
      I always love a good story with a bits of history and deep rooted romance. This one did not disappoint in that aspect. Maggie is a character that all readers will love and her romance with Séamus is understated, but beautiful. While it's not overly intimate, it's a classic love story about overcoming tragedy. I loved their journey, but I did have mixed feelings about Grace's story.

      While I loved the historical aspect and Maggie, I wasn't a huge fan of Grace. There were multiple times I wanted to close the book during her parts, but the journal entries always pulled me back in. I know Grace was an important role in the story, but I just lacked any connection to her. Where with Maggie I felt the romance and emotion pouring off the pages... Grace's character wasn't as well developed. It wasn't until the end that I truly felt the importance of her. Speaking of an ending.... It was AMAZING! I wanted it to be true, but until it was written in ink I wasn't sure what would happen. It really answered all the questions I had.

      Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The history sucked me in with it's rawness and the romance consumed my heart. I was pulling for a happily ever after and I feel satisfied with the way everything came together. I definitely recommend this book to all readers that have a love for history.

      The story of the Titanic is very important and I loved how a fiction tale captured the essence of reality.
    • 4/5
      Maggie Murphy was one of fourteen from the village of Ballysheen, Ireland aboard the Titanic. She was heading to America to live with an aunt after her mother's death, leaving behind the love of her life, Seamus Doyle in the village as he cared for his sick father. The story alternates between 1912 and 1982 when Maggie finally tells her story to her great-granddaughter, a journalist. One of the heroes of the book is a steward by the name of Harry Walsh who ensures that Maggie gets safely on board a lifeboat. The published story, of course, receives much attention by the press and brings with it some touching moments. I loved the historic story of the TItanic, but the parallel story of the present between Maggie's great-granddaughter Grace and Jimmy didn't have the punch that was probably intended. Fortunately, that is a minor part of the overall book, so the book was quite enjoyable. The book was received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program with the expectation that a review would be written.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful, breath taking masterpiece! A must read for any Titanic or historical fiction fan. Once again the author paints a vivid rich picture which sweeps the reader away to the past and makes them feel as if they are experiencing the events in the story along side the characters, whom have been made real in the reader’s mind. The story will draw you in and capture your heart- I was sorry to see it end. Her novels always masterfully weave together connections between characters of the past, with those in modern times, but this one gave me goosebumps - so many stories, details, and emotions so beautifully intertwined. I was especially grateful for the epilogue, as I wanted closure for the stories of the lives I had become so invested in. One you will not want to miss & must share with others.
    • 4/5
      This one is bound to please Titanic fanatics, romance readers, and historical fiction fans. It's was a bit tear-jerky for my taste, but it's well-written, gives us good insight into the main characters, and provides enough detail that the reader definitely can feel the disaster as it happens. I found the ending rather contrived, although I disappointed myself in that I hadn't seen it coming. It's still a book worth spending some time with. Not a barn burner, but a good comfortable read - either for these last weeks at the beach, or to settle down with as the autumn creeps in and days grow shorter.
    • 4/5
      What a wonderful story author, Hazel, has weaved in The Girl Who Came Home. Maggie was a great character. For me she is what really made this book special. I did not really care about what most of the other people in this book. Well except for Harry, Maggie's friend, Peggy, and Grace, which is pretty much the main group of characters in this book. Although, I was not so much into Grace in the beginning. But as the story progressed and I got to know Grace better, I warmed up to her. What a happy ending for all. There is nothing you can do to really improve on for such a well known subject matter as the Titanic. The only thing you can really do is bring the story to life with good characters. Which as I stated before, I thought the author did a nice job in this area. As I was reading this book, I felt like I was one of the passengers on the Titanic. I could picture the upper class deck that Maggie walked on, saw the dining room, pictured her room in the lower deck, felt the water spray on my face, and could feel the cold water and the screams of fear. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
    • 3/5
      It was a good story, pretty simply written
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book, having read it while on vacation in Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel, which houses a major Titanic exhibit. It is a well-researched work of historical fiction, with well-developed characters. I recommend it!
    • 3/5
      Just couldnt get into it. Well written but slightly boring
    • 3/5
      Let me begin by saying that I’ve read quite a lot of books and articles on Titanic. I’ve seen ‘the’ movie several times and watched various documentaries. I’m always on the lookout for something new or different. I liked that this book was presented from the perspective of a third-class steerage passenger.We meet seventeen year old Maggie Murphy who is about to embark on her journey to America on Titanic. She doesn’t want to leave Ballysheen (her home village) and her boyfriend Seamus. But when her mother passes and her Aunt Kathleen comes from America to collect her, Maggie has no say in the matter. She and her aunt, along with twelve other folk from Ballysheen, decide to travel together. Maggie’s friend, the outspoken Peggy Marden, is ready to leave. She dreams of marrying a rich American man and living in a fancy mansion.The story then switches us to Chicago in 1982 and we meet Grace Butler, a journalism student who sets aside her studies when her father passes so that she can stay home with her mother who is in a deep state of depression. After watching her great-granddaughter give so much of her self to her family, an 87 year-old Maggie decides to open up about that fateful voyage on Titanic. It is Maggie’s story that helps Grace get on with her own life, take up her studies once more and reunite with her own boyfriend whom she hasn’t seen in over two years.Maggie’s story is moving, especially since her emotions embody those of her fellow travelers. Her realization that she should have stayed in Ballysheen with Seamus are reinforced as Titanic moves further away from Ireland. With her great-granddaughter’s help she rediscovers her small travel case that contains two parting gifts from Seamus as well as her journal. Happily Grace writes the story of Maggie’s journey on Titanic and it is printed in a prestigious newspaper. It is that article that reunites Maggie with people and artifacts that she thought she had lost long ago.Although I liked this book overall there were too many similarities to the movie that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet: the narrator was an original Titanic survivor, an old woman; there were scenes that could have been lifted in their entirety from the movie, i.e., the lowering of the lifeboats; and I won’t give any spoilers but the ending of the story was quite similar to the end of the movie (other than the ship sinking). Because the story has become over-told I suppose that all of these scenes could overlap in the various re-tellings. I did like the detail behind the New Yorkers who waited for word of their loved ones and the hospital scenes with young Maggie.If you are fascinated by the Titanic story, you’ll like this book. Worth reading for the differing point of view and the story of the folk from Ballysheen which is based on the true story of the Irish folk who made the journey.
    • 4/5
      Maggie Murphy along with 13 friends and neighbours left their homes in Ballysheen, Ireland to start a new and hopefully better life in America. They were sailing on the Titanic. Everyone is familiar with the history of the ship (so no spoiler alert necessary), when the ship went down only two of the fourteen survived. Maggie Murphy was one of the survivors. After the initial interviews by newspapers and the White Star Line investigators in the first week after the tragedy, Maggie never spoke to anyone about her ordeal, not even family members. As Maggie approaches her 90th birthday she feels it’s time for her story to be told. Her granddaughter, Grace needs a story for her journalism class and, with Maggie’s blessings, uses her memories of Titanic.

      With so many stories written about the Titanic I was quite surprised at the freshness of this telling. Based (very loosely) on the lives (and deaths) of fourteen Irish immigrants traveling on the Titanic. Maggie’s story is told through reminiscences, a journal she kept and a long-lost bundle of letters. Although the ending contains a little twist I must admit I did see it coming. All in all this was a well told story set against the backdrop of the ocean disaster. Ms. Gaynor did a marvelous job when it came to describing the final hours of the sinking. Without being overly graphic, she had me holding my breath while I was reading, feeling every emotion Maggie experienced. That certainly bumped the rating up one star for me.

      Not belonging to a book group I don’t always read the “Reading Group Discussion Questions” sometimes provided at the end of books, but in this case I did and the last two questions posed struck me as being very insightful.

      Question 15 asked “There have been many other shipping tragedies since Titanic. Cunard’s passenger liner RMS Lusitania (traveling from New York to Liverpool) sank off the coast of Ireland in 1915 when the liner was truck by a torpedo fired from a German submarine. There were 1,198 civilian fatalities in the event. In the light of many tragedies with great loss of life since 1912, why do you think people continue to be so fascinated by Titanic a hundred years later?

      Question 16 asked “Australian businessman Clive Palmer is starting construction on a replica of Titanic – Titanic II – which is scheduled to re-create Titanic’s maiden voyage in 2016. There have been very mixed reactions to this project among relatives and descendants of Titanic’s passengers and Titanic enthusiasts. What are your thoughts on it?

      That gave me something to think about!
    • 3/5
      I had pretty high hopes for this book. The Titanic is one of the most morbidly fascinating disasters in the twentieth century so of course I was jacked to read another book about it. It was.... not exactly what I was gunning for. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't my cup of tea either. The story has several story-lines, some of which I thought were unnecessary. The focus however, is on a young Irish lass named Maggie Murphey. Her story is told through memories, journals, and first person narrative. Other narrators include; Harry - a young steward, Frances - an anxiously awaiting older sister in New York, Seamus - a heartsick Irish lad who pines for Maggie after she's left, and Grace - Maggie's great granddaughter who learns of her great grandmother's history in the 1980's. The story is a mish mash of past and present, as Maggie unfolds her tale for her granddaughter. Maggie recounts how quickly the opulence of The Titanic made way for the horrors of trying to escape. There's romance and history but that's about it. I thought the ending was predictable (and no, I'm not referring to the fact that I knew the Titanic was going to sink) and the multiple narrators a bit much. After reading this all I wanted to do was watch Leonardo Dicaprio in the Titanic. And who knows, maybe I will.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book; the author did a great job of mixing the Titanic story with the present day story.I found it fascinating to read about this group of 14 people from one little town of Ballysheen Ireland it was a fictional town (but there was a real town Addergoole that had 14 people on the Titanic and lost 11 people) which made me want to do even more research on them. Also I loved the pictures of the real cables and telegrams from the titanic and the Carpathia interspersed in the book.Maggie was a great character she was strong willed and a survivor, this book really made you feel how terrifying it was and how lucky it was that anyone at all from 3rd class survived that awful night. I found it interesting that Maggie had never spoken to her family of her time on the Titanic and it made me wonder how many other survivors never spoke of it again. We all know the story of the titanic and I have read many books on the subject myself but when Maggie is talking to Grace and says she never talked about it because even this many years later she can still hear the screams of the people in the water and as the ship went down, how awful to live with that the rest of your life.I also enjoyed the love story of Maggie & Seamus, if you follow my reviews you know I’m not much into romance but this love story was so sweet and the way Maggie told the story just made me want them to make it.Maggie’s granddaughter Grace was so different than Maggie I felt she was weaker because look at what Maggie had been through, when all but herself and one other that were traveling on the titanic were lost to the sea but she went on with her life but Grace loses her father and completely falls apart and gives up everything she loves to take care of her mother but really I felt it was more about Grace herself than taking care of her mother, it was her way to hide.All the characters on the boat were well written and I really felt the author did a great job of putting you in their shoes, even though you as a reader know what will happen it was still edge of your seat hoping your favorite characters make it to the life boats.Make sure you read the acknowledgments and the PS to learn more about the real town and where the author got the ideas for this book I found that interesting.I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any historical fiction fans out there.4 StarsI received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program for a fair and honest review.
    • 3/5
      All in all a decent read with excellent narration - Alana Kerr (collins) is by far one of my favorite narrators. American narrator is decent.
      The story isn’t anything out of the ordinary but it’s interesting and well written. The love story ‘mystery’ is the only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of.
    • 3/5
      Maggie Murphy, a recently orphaned Irish teen, is leaving her small village to emigrate to America with her spinster aunt. She will travel aboard the Titanic on its doomed maiden voyage. Seventy years later, her great-granddaughter, Grace Butler, struggles to find her way forward in life after the death of her beloved father. The stories of these two women (and a few more minor characters) are woven together in Hazel Gaynor's fiction debut, The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic.Originally self-published before being picked up by William Morrow, the story is highly readable and fairly light. It should appeal to readers of Victoria Hislop and Rosie Thomas, and would be a nice vacation book.I found parts of the tale to be overly contrived and the language a bit "cheesy" at times, generally leaning more towards chick lit than literary fiction. While I would have preferred more in the way of plot and character development, I did find the reading of this novel a pleasant way to pass a rainy day indoors.
    • 4/5
      I'll give this a 4.5. The story and characters were great.... the vocal performance was fantastic... it was just kind of slow at times. I felt the ending could have wrapped up sooner, but then I as I listened further I realized the author had more of the story to tell.
    • 3/5
      This sweet book about love and overcoming grief was centered around the sinking of the Titanic. I liked Maggie, and I liked the part she played in her great granddaughter's life. I appreciated the way this book showed not only those who were sailing on Titanic but also those who were left at home and those who were waiting in America. I also thought it was cool to see the ship through the point of view of those in steerage but for them also to get a peek at first class for comparison.
    • 5/5
      I loved the ending; it was very unexpected but happy!! I could see the characters so clearly as the narrator was reading.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading this book. I wasn't expecting any new information, but I was provided with a different perspective from other Titanic stories I've read. Unlike other reviewers, I did understand the purpose of introducing the granddaughter, Grace. She provided a way for bits and pieces of the story to come together like how the letters were retrieved. The wouldn't have turned up if she hadn't written the article. I also was so glad to know that Maggie married Seamus after all. I was hoping it was true, but I didn't connect "James" and "Seamus" until the author revealed it.
    • 4/5
      Anything "Titanic" is interesting to me. This novel, based on real events - 14 people traveling to America from a village in Ireland - covering before, during and after Titanic sinks was an easy read. Knowing what was coming, it kept me turning the pages- wtih a few surprises along the way. I did have a hard time NOT seeing Leo and Rose, but they were probably in there somewhere.
      All in all... I enjoyed it- and now will spend some time on the website mentioned at the end of the book.
    • 5/5
      With “The Girl Who Came Home,” Hazel Gaynor takes readers on an incredible journey through time, exploring how the effects of one tragic event reverberates for generations. As a seventeen-year-old girl, Maggie Murphy leaves her home of Ballysheen, Ireland with thirteen others from her village to travel to America onboard the Titanic. Harry Walsh, a young steward assigned to the steerage deck, likewise departs from his own hometown of Southampton, England and does his best to take care of the third-class passengers—Maggie and her companions among them. As the catastrophic events of April 14 and 15, 1912 unfold, the lives of each passenger are irrevocably changed, and Maggie vows never to speak of the ill-fated ship afterward. Until, that is, her great-granddaughter’s twenty-first birthday—seventy years to the day that the Titanic sank into the ocean depths. Telling her story at long last sets into motion a chain of events that will again change lives, perhaps this time for the better.Gaynor crafts a poignant and engaging tale sure to delight and mesmerize fans of historical fiction and light romance. The novel, based on true historical persons and told partly in epistolary format, develops through a series of flashbacks and alternates between the years 1912 and 1982, interweaving the lives of the various characters in an unforgettable saga. Appended to the story is a section entitled “P.S.”, which includes a short author bio, the story behind the novel, a glossary of Irish terms with pronunciations, and sixteen Reading Group Discussion Questions to be pondered after reading the novel in its entirety.
    • 4/5
      I loved it.