Setting
Luck of the Titanic is set on the Titanic, the largest ship afloat at the time. The Floating Palace carried some of the wealthiest people of the world along with hundreds of emigrants. It housed every luxury possible- restaurants, swimming pools, gymnasiums etc. In April 1912, it began its maiden and ill-fated voyage. On 10th April, it started from Southhampton on its route to New York City. Four days later, disaster struck when it collided with an iceberg near Newfoundland. Titanic carried an insufficient number of lifeboats which made it impossible to save everyone. Furthermore, the crew untrained in the evacuation process launched half-full lifeboats that left most passengers to fend for themselves. Also, third-class passengers struggled to find space in lifeboats as preference was given to first-class passengers. More than 1500 passengers and crew perished when the Titanic sank.
The Chinese Exclusion Act, effective from 1882, was a United States federal law that prohibited the immigration of Chinese labourers. It was repealed in 1943.
Storyline
After being turned away from boarding the Titanic, Valora, a British-Chinese decides to sneak in and stay as a stowaway. That too in a first-class cabin! She had two objectives. One to reach America in search of a brighter future and the other to look for her twin and acrobatics partner, Jamie. She had a plan in place. All she needed was to convince Jamie to perform with her and to impress the fellow passenger and part-owner of Ringling Brothers Circus with their acrobatic tricks. Along with this are the side stories of April Hart-the next big thing in the designing world, Bo and Val's sweet love story and of Jamie's Chinese friends.
My Thoughts
The main reason why I picked this book up was because of its premise. I was always fascinated by the Titanic, so a book set on it was something I was longing for. Stacey Lee's evocative and authentic description of the Titanic brought it alive in front of me. I could feel the plush Persian rugs of the first-class cabins and the crowd and smells of the third-class. She has done justice to both the story and the premise.
It is not only a story about Titanic. But it is also a tale of sibling love, prevailing prejudices, finding one's identity and striving to realise one's dreams.
"Don't spend too long looking behind you, or you'll miss out on what's ahead."
All the characters are very relatable and realistic. The sibling dynamics between Val and Jamie is beautiful and the banter between them is enjoyable. Valora dared to dream a better future for herself and her brother in America. Despite her madcap ideas, what is appreciable was her resolve to achieve her dreams. I couldn't stop myself from rooting for her and Jamie when they performed the tricks in front of the owner of Ringling Brothers Circus. Val is the most positive character I have come across lately. Her verve and energy are infectious. She refuses to bow down to anything and absolutely nothing deters her.
"Life is a balancing act, and the better you get at juggling, the better you get at living."
Though I was aware of the ship's fate from the very beginning, I was still hoping against hope for a happy ending for Val and Jamie. The last few chapters are an exquisite piece of writing. The terrifying atmosphere of sinking cruise liner is well-captured.
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