The Girl Who Came Home

I listened to the audio version of this book and it was excellent. It gave me a deeper understanding of what happened on that terrible day when the Titanic sank.

Gaynor offers a fresh perspective by focusing on the rural community of Addergoole, Ireland, which sent fourteen people on the ship, of whom only three survived. She weaves a captivating love story while vividly depicting the passengers' experiences.

What impressed me most was the lack of sensationalism. The scenes of the crew lowering lifeboats are mesmerizing. The fear and apprehension among passengers searching for loved ones feel palpable. From beginning to end, this book held my interest, striking a balance between historical fiction and romance. It won the 2015 Romantic Novelists' Association award and would make a great book club selection.

William Morrow Paperbacks - Historical Fiction - 362 pages

Inspired by true events, The Girl Who Came Home follows a group of Irish emigrants aboard RMS Titanic.

Ireland, 1912. Seventeen year old Maggie Murphy leaves her sweetheart Seamus behind when she boards Titanic with fellow villagers. Disaster strikes and Maggie is one of the few steerage passengers to survive.

Chicago, 1982. Grace Butler struggles after her father's death. When her great grandmother Maggie reveals the secret she has hidden since Titanic, Grace gains new direction and the chance to reconnect with the past.

There is a wealth of information about the Titanic, but this story adds a personal and immediate lens. What the characters experience onboard feels vivid and discussion worthy. The aftermath of surviving such a tragedy raises questions about memory, guilt, and resilience that book clubs will want to explore.

1. We know Titanic's fate. How does this knowledge shape your feelings as the Ballysheen group boards the ship?

2. Discuss Kathleen Dolan's influence on Maggie and the other emigrants.

3. Grace sacrifices her education to help her mother. How does this compare to Maggie's sacrifices in 1912?

4. As the events of April 14 unfold, who are you most invested in and why?

5. How do superstition and myth color the story of Titanic?

6. Did this book change how you think about the ordeal after leaving the ship?

7. Discuss relationships such as Grace and Maggie; Maggie and Seamus; Maggie and Aunt Kathleen.

8. Emigration split many Irish families. How would you weigh such a decision today?

9. Why does Titanic still fascinate more than a century later?

10. What are your thoughts on recreating Titanic's maiden voyage in modern times?