I know I am not the only reader who sees a book and thinks "I really want to read that" and then it gets lost in the mountain of other books. Orphans of the Storm was one of those books and I am so glad I finally got to read it. If you have this on your TBR then I suggest bumping it up and reading it.

When I first saw this I knew it was one that I would enjoy, historical fiction and one that also includes the Titanic. The book is set in 1911, Nice, France. Marcella is going through the motions of divorcing her husband Michael a tailor. The story then goes back and fills in how the couple met, their life together, their two children and how the Titanic is involved.

This story grabbed me from the first few chapters, more so just before the jump back in time! The first half of the book concerns itself more with Marcella and Michael and how things change for her when her children are born. Michael is not the person she thought she had married, and she lives a very fraught life. He is a tyrant and a manipulator to say the least and not a likeable person at all.

The second half of the book introduces Margaret, a woman who has done the "European Tour" and decides to get an early boat back to America. She boards the Titanic along with around 2,24 other people including the crew. We know from history what happens to this ship.

The author has woven such an amazingly heartbreaking story and I didn't realise how much resear4ch had gone into this until the end of the book. This is so interesting to read and it also gave me the chance to hop on the internet for more information.

The author is not one I have read before, but I was aware of her name as regards being an actor. I think in some ways it was her name that caught my eye first.

The story of Marcella, Michael and her children as well as her family and friends was a wonderful yet very sad story. It gave a glimpse into life for women as a wife, employee and mother. Michael is a person who has the charm and you soon see how she was won over.

The section of the story dealing with the going down of the Titanic and then the rescue of some of the 2,224 by the passing ship Carpathia was so well done. It gave an account of what was happening to the main people of the story as well as those around them. When the survivors embarked in America the media frenzy was shocking.

This was such a wonderful story to read, I quickly flew through the pages and was gripped. The historical notes and research information at the end of the book is brilliant and very informative.

If you are a lover of historical fiction that is well researched then you really should look at picking this book. I am so glad I finally got around to reading it and wished I had done so sooner. It is a book I would definitely recommend.

Hmmmmmmmmm...........................
This was an interesting true story not necessarily well told. The most interesting part of the book was the bit at the end detailing the extensive research they had done and how they uncovered the story.
The horror and trauma that must have been experienced by the survivors of the Titanic wasn't conveyed very well. It felt a bit matter of fact.
Worth a read to find out the details of the story but a bit underwhelming. It had so much potential.
With thanks to NetGalley and to Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for the arc in return for an honest review.

The book starts of quite slowly. The name of the fated ship doesn’t get mentioned until half way though. I feel some background is needed but I wonder if less of the first half of the book was required and more detail in the second half regarding Margarets involvement. The second half is the story felt slightly rushed. Despite this only critical observation it was a compelling story which was at times haunting. The fact it is based on true live makes it even more fascinating.

Thank you Netgalley

I really wanted to like this book, particularly when I discovered that it was based on a true story but unfortunately I found it very had to get into and too slow in places. I felt that it took half of the book to get to the really interesting part and then it was not long enough! II cannot say that I liked either of the main characters and the way they were portrayed. All in all, I finished the book but did not really enjoy it.

Married in haste, seamstress Marcella Navratil repents her choice. She loves her children but her husband has changed. Michael Navratil is on the verge of bankruptcy so decides to escape France and make a new life for himself in America. He takes the two children of the marriage and sets sail but the ship itself is about to play a huge role in the family's future.
It wasn't until I got the the end of the book that I discovered that this is based on a true story which was a surprise as the tale was far-fetched to say the least. However it is the telling of the tale rather than the narrative that seems at fault. Marcella comes across as a silly girl and, although a devoted mother, she lacks dimension. Michael is written as a pantomime villain. It's a great tale but overly embellished with emotive detail which spoils.

I was totally gripped with this story, it was right up my street. I love historical fiction. I didn't actually realise this was based on a true story until I got to the end. What an emotional read. Thank you.

Really enjoyed this, and only realised it was based on a true story at the end. Always had a fascination for Titanic stories, and what this lady went through for her children is incredible. Also very interesting detail about the
Paris fashion trade in the early 20th Century. Wonderfully rounded characters, and extremely well written. I have to be honest, I had no idea Celia Imrie wrote books, but would certainly like to read more

This was such a lovely read! It is inspired by true events and you can tell great research has been done. The first 60% of the book I would say is more a family drama, which I found enjoyable. Main character is Marcella who meets and falls quickly in love with Michael. After a few years of marriage and two little boys, things turn sour and Marcella wants to divorce Michael. Have to say I actually forgot this book was based on the Titanic because it doesn’t get introduced until the last third of the story. Overall a fantastic read, highly recommend.

This wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I felt indifferent about the characters and it would have been good to have more descriptions on the environment.

The plot took a while to get going (almost half of the book), but once it did, I was interested. I just wish there was more to love, the writing was easy to read and understand and the ending was sweet.

This is a true story and knowing that made the reading experience more pleasant. The last scene before the epilogue brought a few tears to my eyes.

There’s a lot to like in Celia Imrie’s historical novel, Orphans of the Storm. I wanted to read it because part of it is set on RMS Titanic, but I found that its set of contrasts gave it a wider appeal. This is a book that will surprise you - its handling of the Titanic tragedy is perhaps more subtle than many other popular portrayals. There’s plenty to lose yourself in.
Marcella is a young woman living in Nice, her head full of nothing but a daydream of being a famous singer. She seems to know only one song, La Petite Tonkinoise, but it is quoted regularly, and we can draw our own conclusions about that age’s access to new music. Marcella learns how to run a tailor’s shop but is sweet-talked into an early marriage by her college tutor, Michael, who is in some ways exactly the man you think he is and in other ways nothing like the man we think he is (he has a false identity). Much of the first third of the book is taken up by his appalling behaviour and that of his sidekick, Stefan. But the problem with Michael is that he is too much of a caricature. He has no positive quality and Imrie lays on his vices perhaps a bit too thick.
But then I guess the story isn’t really about Michael (even though, page for page, he possibly gets the most ink). It’s about Marcella, and how she grows up and defines herself, and about another young woman, Margaret, and about how she grows up and defines herself too.
Margaret is a wealthy young WASP who goes to Europe to enjoy herself, to consume and to indulge, and finds herself unmoored by her mid-Atlantic ordeal. She returns to the States with a kind of PTSD, which her family don’t understand and which she can’t explain, and a sort of new fervour or at least a purpose.
We the reader get to compare and contrast the circumstances in which the young women find themselves. For what it’s worth, the poverty of Nice is presented in such a dreamy, romantic, sepia-tinted way that feels more appealing than the sterile society of West End Avenue.
All this is based on a true story and Imrie and her historical researcher Fidelis Morgan have done a fine job piecing everything together. But the real-life nature of it all means that I’m unwilling to look too deeply into whether there are morals buried deep within the tale. Two women find themselves through their involvement in a tragedy: that’s enough. This was a book that was far enough outside my usual area as to be intriguing and different. The chapters involving Michael were frustrating, but the point needed to be made, I guess. I do kind of want to go to Nice now, which is a hitherto unknown spot on the historic Titanic trail, and this reflects the coincidence and happenstance that a novel like this portrays.

A fabulous read. I was really hooked on this story from the first page it tell the story of a young girl who marries and had two sons ,but when her relationship ends and she starts divorce proceedings her husband disappears taking the children. It follows them on their journey on the titanic which is both moving and traumatic. Finding out it was based on a true story made it very emotional. I loved everything about this novel and couldn't wait to find out what happened and I highly recommend it

Marcella wanted to be a singer but her family decided being a seamstress was a much better idea & in 1911 she didn't have a lot of choice! When handsome tailor Michael swept her off her feet she was an easy conquest and as her parents objected to her marrying so young (she was seventeen!) Michael whisked her away to London where they were married. Once married Michael began to belittle her whenever he could & once she had had two sons he seemed to be jealous of the attention he paid them. Eventually she started divorce proceedings. Knowing how much her children meant to her he abducted them & set off to America on - no prizes for guessing-the Titanic. This was a story based on fact. I did find myself wondering if Michael could really be as awful as he was portrayed! He was truly odious!

It was an interesting read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

A really engaging read! I did not know it was a true story until the end of the book! I then digressed off wanting to know more about them. An insight into controlling relationships for women in this time. Loved the way it was written from various perspectives. Also really glad everything was tied up at the end of the book. So emotional with the boys’ journey. Well worth a read

This was a great story - made even more compelling by the inspiration of the true story behind the book. Really engrossing characters and a story to sweep you away.

Absolutely loved this book. I like historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. It was well written and a real page tuner, I got lost amongst the pages

Interesting story which took a little while to get going. Characters developed throughout the book making for a gripping finale.

This was my first time reading a book written by this author, I was certainly not disappointed . So well written.
An absolute gem.

I've read a LOT of books about and set on the Titanic over the years. A LOT.

Yet this one had something different about it. The Titanic was almost an extra, a walk-on character. Yes, the sinking was a key event in the narrative, but in contrast with other books, the focus here was on the people. The ship could almost have been any ship.

And this was a good thing.

The fact that this story is based on real events and real people gives it an authenticity, and the detailed research done to create it builds a convincing and compelling world around the events of April 1912. The story doesn't start and end with the ship. In fact, if it wasn't for the cover and blurb, you might not see the sailing and subsequent disaster coming at all, so engrossing is the story being shared.

I was a little disappointed that the story finished when it did, as I would have like a little more about the characters following the immediate aftermath of events at sea and in New York (trying to avoid spoilers here) but as with any real life narrative, there has to be a cut off point!

I loved it.

This was a historical novel based on true characters. I loved it.
For me it was set in my favourite period, the early 20th century. The details of the book suggest to me there was a lot of research that went into it, not every author can do this and still produce such a masterpiece.

I like the way there was a slow start and that really set the scene. I was wondering where the story was going, that is something I appreciated, you gradually get a picture of things and get immersed. The book was thrilling. The main character had a strong personality, this coupled with the fact the characters are based on true lives and then the amount of detail/research gave the book great its credibility and for me the real desire to read on to the end.

I am glad I have read this book and I will remember it for a long time.

What a brilliant well-crafted story woven around strong characters. You feel for Marcella fr the very beginning, a naive young girl trapped in a to difficult marriage to Michael. Set in the early 1900s you realise just how little power women had to control their own lives. An excellent book which I can highly recommend