Review of 'The Lost Sister' by Kathleen McGurl.
Review of ‘The Lost Sister’ by UK’s dual timeline queen, Kathleen McGurl!
Release date: (HQ Stories: HarperCollins)
E-book: May 12th, 2021
Paperback: July 8th, 2021
⚓️REVIEW⚓️
Wow! I loved the The Lost Sister so much that when I finished reading it, I was at a loss for words to describe my reaction. This dual timeline novel is extremely powerful and brilliantly delivered on all sides. I believe it is Kathleen’s crowning glory. Her greatest literary triumph. This novel is a best seller on every level for it has everything: unforgettable characters, engaging action, internal and external conflict, nail biting suspense, character revealing dialogue, perfect dual time line plots, authentic settings and so on. We are fully immersed in this world—mind, body and spirit— soaking in the heart of every scene and lost in these believable characters’ lives: crying their tears, feeling their despair and rejoicing in their triumphs.
I have a soft spot for Titanic stories but I never considered the other two ships, Olympic and Britannic which were included in Kathleen’s novel. Not only do we live through the arrival, excitement, sinking and sadness of the Titanic but we also get an inside view of the other two White Star Line ships—along with the three sisters whose lives are entangled with them.
Meticulously researched, Kathleen uses her knowledge to render an amazing feast of sights, sounds and smells creating a realistic tale emanating with enhanced aura/atmosphere. She has done her job well filling in all the blanks of what happened and may have happened. Thus, delivering an incredible emotional journey of events through a wonderful cast of unforgettable characters.
If you were on a sinking ship and managed to get a lifeboat and could tuck one book in your back pocket to take with you, what would it be? I would recommend The Lost Sister for the days ahead when you were trying to muster courage and find hope in the aftermath, for many of these characters are an excellent example of how to manage and rise above the disasters in life. Emma, Lily, Harriett and Sally particularly deal with their fears in a positive way and ultimately draw upon faith and courage to help them shine light on their seemingly dark paths. They learn how to survive great loss with amazing bravery by never giving up. This story also shows that sometimes the cost or sacrifice in keeping a promise proves high.
As stated in my opening, in my opinion, this is Kathleen’s crowning glory novel—her very best yet. It not only shimmers with heart and soul but literally shines as a beacon of hope and healing—like a bright star in a very dark sky. Ship disasters and other life disasters can suck every ounce of life from a person and although we get a glimpse of this, the will to triumph is very much alive and real in Emma, Lily, Harriet and Sally.
Historical records tell us the Titanic and Britannic sank and many lives were lost. There were survivors, too. Kathleen includes some of the real people who were part of these events, but she also provides another dimension by inserting her own imagined characters, thus giving us many elements of surprise in her plot which keep us furiously turning the pages to see what happens to them. I don’t want to give away anything as I encourage everyone to get this book and read it but there are some surprising twists in the fictional plot line. I will say sister Davina, in the current timeline and sister Ruby from the past, each reflect a more colourful palette with their sometimes rebellious attitude and stubborn love. These two add many interesting variations to the novel’s light and shade, providing a unique and winsome depth to the plots. Why? Because our real world is filled with many kinds of personalities. And for fiction---one might say, the greater the friction, the greater the story where victory and/or defeat is played out before our eyes. The result is a more fascinating, challenging and rewarding narrative. And Kathleen has done this in spades. For we truly believe in every character and invest in them emotionally. The timeline may be dual (and it is!) but the characters are not two-dimensional. They are neither all good, nor all bad. There are flecks of different shades (with some leaning more one way than another at first) but there is growth. We learn what lies behind those negative reactions. For every reaction stems from an action. And Kathleen, being a master-storyteller, takes us effortlessly across all the bumps and effectively handles all the blockages in her characters’ journeys. By the end, every thread (of both storylines) is seamlessly woven together allowing us to understand and see clearly the big picture.
I must add that an offshoot from one of the family themes in this novel is the power of a mother’s love. It runs fierce and strong through the fabric of this story as seen in Harriet (current day) and Amelia (past). The mothers of these daughters play vital roles in both story lines and we see how their responses affect their children. The fathers, John (current) and George (past), play an important part, too, and we see the effects of their influences on their daughters’ lives.
If you have not figured out by now, I loved this novel! It is one story I will never forget and many other ships stories will be measured against it.
In closing, The Lost Sister, by Kathleen McGurl is a valiant emotional journey through the hearts of a wonderful cast of characters who deal with fear, heartbreak and loss but also find courage, healing and redemption. Beautifully written and powerfully positive. A must read novel. A HUGE 5 Star/Anchor rating from me.
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Many thanks to Kathleen McGurl and HQ Stories (Harper Collins) for the opportunity to read and review this exceptional book in advance. The cover design is gorgeous, too! E-book on sale May 12th, 2021 and paperback July 8th, 2021.
