…to upper-class bride?
When barmaid Bridget McGowen boarded the Titanic, she never could have imagined the crossing ahead of her. The resilient Irishwoman saves four-year-old Elsie, the niece of New York banker Karl Wingard. Swept into Karl's world, Bridget feels like a fish out of water, except for the quiet moments she shares with him. As her connection to Karl and Elsie grows, can she break free from the shackles of society so they can be a family?
Terrific book. I love that the author wrote another book that takes place in the early years of the twentieth century. It is a period not often covered in romances, and Ms. Robinson does it very well. The icing on the cake is the Titanic backdrop, an unusual subject for a romance.
The story opens as Bridget prepares to leave Ireland for a new life in America. Her father recently died, and she promised to fulfill her promise to open a boardinghouse in Chicago, where her aunt lives. As she boards the Titanic, Bridget rescues a little girl's doll and searches the first-class deck until she finds the doll's owner. Little Elsie's parents are very grateful and invite Bridget, a third-class passenger, to spend time with them. Bridget also offers to watch Elsie in the evenings so that Benjamin and Annette can attend some functions, which is how Bridget comes to be with Elsie the night the ship hit the infamous iceberg.
The author's description of the fear and confusion that night was so vivid that I felt as though I was there. Bridget's determination to keep Elsie safe until she could be reunited with her parents brought out an unexpected strength in her. Upon learning of Benjamin and Annette's deaths, Bridget promised Elsie she wouldn't let her go until she put Elsie into her Uncle Karl's arms. The reunion of Karl and Elsie was sweet and showed how much Karl cared for his little niece.
The meeting between Karl and Bridget isn't quite so pleasant. He's grateful for Bridget's care of Elsie but doesn't think much about what she's been through. He's focused on the inquiry into the wreck and expects Bridget to stay on and care for Elsie. The sparks fly when she refuses to cave in to his demands. However, she does eventually give in to the need to make sure Elsie is properly cared for and agrees (with conditions) to stay for a while.
Other than his care for Elsie, Karl doesn't make a very good first impression. He is arrogant and demanding and appears to think a little too well of himself. As a third-generation bank owner, he is wealthy and very class conscious. Much of this can be laid at the feet of his grandfather and father. Karl also has a very poor opinion of women, thanks to his mother's abandonment when he was a child.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Karl and Bridget. Sparks fly over Bridget's opinions of how Elsie should be treated, but Karl learns to enjoy the time spent with his niece. Though Bridget is aware of the divide between them, she doesn't let it stop her from pointing out where she thinks he is wrong. The descriptions of the aftermath of the wreck fascinated me. The treatment of the shipping company toward the various classes of passengers emphasized the attitudes of the time. I liked how Bridget's influence opened Karl's eyes to the inequalities. I loved watching the two of them grow closer, both because of their love of Elsie and their work together to help the Titanic victims. There are some sweet scenes as Karl's attitude undergoes some significant changes.
As they grew closer and their feelings for each other deepened, both tried to resist it. Bridget has her plans for Chicago, believing her promises are more important than her feelings for Karl. There were times I wanted to shake her for thinking that her dreams are not as important. I loved the ending, as Karl's realizations about his father and grandfather opened his eyes to what he wants for his life. I loved his big moment as he worked to convince Bridget that they belonged together.
I loved how the author used Bridget and her friends to illustrate how the White Star Line treated its passengers in the aftermath of the disaster. While the story didn't dwell on the horrors of that night, there was enough detail to get the point across. It was a terrific way to learn about an important historical event.
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