I just finished reading Daughter of the Titanic and I am in bits! It's so poignant, beautiful, sad, hopeful, inspiring... It perfectly expresses how I feel about the losses and grief I carry. "Widows, daughters, mothers - we were symbols long before we were people. If we remarried, we were heartless. If we struggled, we were haunted. If we coped, we were miracles."

7 out of 5 ⭐️ One of the beautiful books I have ever read.

Gorgeously interesting historical fiction. This book is centered on Helen Smith, the daughter of Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic, and her life after the famous and tragic incident, dealing with the public view of her. It also has a later-in-the-timeline aspect with an academic interviewing her and getting her perspective, which give it an almost epistolary-type vibe.

The writing style was fantastic, and it centered a historical figure rarely talked about, utilizing Smith as a catalyst to trace the lives of the families of and the survivors of the Titanic and how the incident impacted them for a long time. Moving and interesting. 5 stars. Thanks to One More Chapter, an Imprint of HarperCollins UK, and NetGalley for this E-ARC.

I loved this book! I am a huge fan of anything and everything Titanic. This story touched me and was very emotional, everyone always talks about the people who passed and their families that grieved a loss but there was also a little girl who lost her father and had to grieve in silence because so many people blamed her father such a sad story. It was an accident and unfortunately lives were lost. Thank you for sharing your story and I am deeply saddened for your loss of a father ❤️

Daughter of the Titanic isn't just a novel about the Titanic. It is, but it goes into the aftermath and is about much more than just the ship.

I really enjoyed this one and was interested to find that the book offers a perspective that I haven't seen before.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

its not something we give much time to. those left behind. and especially in huge events like this one and the sinking of the Titanic. that must be especially hard when there are literally stories everywhere covering so much of what happened and from all sorts of angels. some fictional, some fact. but is there ever the "known". for the captains daughters it feels not. this man she knew as her dad is suddenly painted in all sorts of ways. often straying from the very one she was the only person we can rely on to "know" him. and yet how can she keep believing. when the world tries so hard to shift or morph her own solid memories of a man. you would doubt everything. and that must feel like a sudden unsteady ship of your own.
i really enjoyed getting to know Mel. and you could really feel her story. i suddenly felt so bad about this weight that must have been carried by her and her mother. everywhere they went this story would follow them. and so many different versions of it.
because at the end of the day this is still a young girl that lost her dad. he was just her dad to her. not this character the world then created. and she lost him.
we see her push possibly even harder to not let history write her story for her. or to push passed the story others wanted to hand over to her. she had to grieve and she also had to find herself.
i wanted to scoop our Mel up so many times. and yet was in awe of her grit so many times too.
this was a really moving book. one that lingered on my heart whilst reading. and even in moments of pause it made me think more. and then after id done it did indeed think of others who are left behind by someone history has me a huge deal of. all those other children, wives or loved ones.
to watch this young woman keep going and going even when she stumbles was just incredible. and its not always easy. you can feel those wobbles, those questions and how this life already handed out to her would cause a feeling of uncertainty. it would anyone. so what next? how much harder do you have to fight for your own voice, self, life.

A strong woman refuses to be defined by a famous tragedy. Captain Smith went down with the Titanic, as captains were expected to. Melville is his daughter. She is, to use a phrase from the book “A woman carved by tragedy…..not defined by it.” She is being interviewed in her old age by Catherine, who has her own back story, for an academic paper about how the tragedy impacted Melville’s life. This is Melville’s story, from marriage of convenience to woman aviator in the early days of flying and beyond. A fascinating tale, bringing out Melville’s strength of character.

This is a beautiful read about a woman whose life was shaped by a tragedy that we all know of. The name Captain Smith has been repeated through history as a saint and a villain in equal measure but I think we often forgot the pain of those left behind. When Captain Smith went down with his ship he left behind a wife and daughter living with their grief in different ways. As the cursed child of the Titanic Melville Smiths story is told. Was she cursed by the Titanic or was this a woman who lived life in full technicolour no matter what was thrown at her. This is a beautiful tale of a lady who could not be silenced and would not be defined by history. A beautiful if not heartbreaking read!

Helen Melville Smith, daughter of the Captain on the infamous Titanic has kept her thoughts, feelings and memories locked up for several decades. Only after persistent badgering from a university academic does she eventually relent and relay the events of her life post the sinking of the Titanic at which time she inherited the label of cursed by misfortune. We are then led skilfully through her memories; the trauma over her lifetime of attempting to escape the labels and assumptions made , and mechanisms needed to live through unmerited adversity in an effort to feel secure after a childhood personified by bereavement. The story skilfully takes a journey through the many stages of her life, using her narrative alongside the sympathetic understanding of the academics questioning whilst recording our protagonist’s answers. This forms the structure of a life lived with loss, courage, adventure and heartbreak recounted by an old lady coming to the end of her life. The assumptions of media and the general public during the 20 century play an intrinsic part in her drive to develop a life fulfilling place for herself in a world that has labelled and categorised her from childhood. To this end she pushes the boundaries to the extreme in every facet of her life. Exquisitely written with considerable depth , enhanced by a riveting story of one women’s courage to overcome adversity and assumptions throughout her life whilst refusing to become a victim of the Titanic by family association. Each stage of a long life exploring fortune and misfortune is relayed with such emotional intelligence and intensity that it is impossible not to share the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. A 5* read on every level that continues to linger long after the last page is turned exposing the brutal unfair luck or fate that has dogged her life.

As someone new to Caroline Cauchi's work, I was honored to read Daughter of the Titanic. In this bold and beautifully written story, our herioine is Helen Melville Smith- daughter of the infamous Captain Edward John Smith, Captain of the RMS Titanic. In an eye-opening way, we see how the narrative of how a tragedy shapes the family left in the wake. Survived by his wife, Sarah and beloved daughter, "Mel", who was 14 at the time of the ship sinking. Sarah and Mel are left to live out their years under the 'curse of the Titanic'- and the tabloid press that followed their lives. Its a story born of triumph over tragedy, of courage in the face of fire, and holding fast to your beliefs. There is no prank this April Fool's day, only a beautifully detailed and wonderfully written tale of love. The style of writing is just as lovely as the book itself and you'll find yourself falling headfirst into Mel's world with her. 5 stars- no notes.

I can't thank HarperCollinsUK enough for giving me the chance to read this ARC on NetGalley and provide an honest review.
#NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #CarolineCauchi #libraryninja📚

I absolutely adore anything Titanic
related and this beautiful novel perfectly fit the bill. It’s is a story filled with perseverance, sorrow, and a journey to out observe back together after a life altering event. Beautifully written