The Lost Sister
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- Create Date：2021-06-02 22:32:06
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kathleen McGurl
- ISBN：B08WK5H329
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
T Rowley
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This is an absolutely fantastic book for any historical fiction fans。It is told from alternating timelines - Emma in the past and Harriet in the present day。 I was very quickly drawn into the lives of the characters， it has been beautifully written and cleverly crafted to weave seamlessly between the two stories which both have similar themes running through。 This is the second book I have read by Kathleen McGurl and she has certainly delivered top quality historical fiction again for me。 I thin This is an absolutely fantastic book for any historical fiction fans。It is told from alternating timelines - Emma in the past and Harriet in the present day。 I was very quickly drawn into the lives of the characters， it has been beautifully written and cleverly crafted to weave seamlessly between the two stories which both have similar themes running through。 This is the second book I have read by Kathleen McGurl and she has certainly delivered top quality historical fiction again for me。 I think this one is my favourite so far。 This is a great page turner with very likeable characters and an excellently woven plot/storyline which I rated a strong 5⭐️ and would highly recommend。 。。。more
Elaine C。
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Another incredible WINNER by Kathleen McGurl。 This story is about family connections 。。。 love， loss and heartbreak 。。。 Harriet and her brother Matthew 。。。 her daughters Sally and Davina 。。。 and the Higgins sisters - Emma， Ruby and Lily 。。。 the struggles they had to overcome， the sacrifices made， and the revelation that with friends and family， we can do anything！ I learned SO MUCH about the stewards and stewardesses working on the beautiful ocean liners of the White Star line - those early cruis Another incredible WINNER by Kathleen McGurl。 This story is about family connections 。。。 love， loss and heartbreak 。。。 Harriet and her brother Matthew 。。。 her daughters Sally and Davina 。。。 and the Higgins sisters - Emma， Ruby and Lily 。。。 the struggles they had to overcome， the sacrifices made， and the revelation that with friends and family， we can do anything！ I learned SO MUCH about the stewards and stewardesses working on the beautiful ocean liners of the White Star line - those early cruising days really pampered their passengers to the extreme。 I also learned a lot about the history of the Olympic and the Brittanica that I didn't know。 And reading about the Titanic， when you already know what's coming is truly bittersweet！ I'd recommend this book 。。。 and ANY written by Kathleen McGurl， especially if you are a fan of dual time line stories and a little bit of historical education！！ 。。。more
Sheila Summerhays
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Three SistersI have three daughters and the middle on is definitely the rebellious Ruby。 I am historical fiction junkie and this is well- done。 I enjoyed bouncing back and forth over the decades。
Anne Mackle
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This is a duel timeline book。 In present day after the death of her husband， Harriet has decided to downsize and buy a house a bit nearer to her daughter whose little boy is going through treatment for cancer。 Her other daughter Davinna left home years ago and is only in touch by phone now and again。 As Harriet looks through an old trunk belonging to her grandmother she finds her grandmother's uniform from when she worked on cruise ships。 There is also a photograph of her grandmother and her two This is a duel timeline book。 In present day after the death of her husband， Harriet has decided to downsize and buy a house a bit nearer to her daughter whose little boy is going through treatment for cancer。 Her other daughter Davinna left home years ago and is only in touch by phone now and again。 As Harriet looks through an old trunk belonging to her grandmother she finds her grandmother's uniform from when she worked on cruise ships。 There is also a photograph of her grandmother and her two sisters which is strange because her grandmother only spoke about one sister who died young。In 1911 we meet Emma， the oldest of three sisters， the other two being Ruby and Lily who was the youngest。 When Emma decides to work on a cruise ship， Ruby is angry at being left at home and expected to help her mum look after Lily who is often poorly。 She rebels by staying out late and telling lies to her family。Emma comes home on frequent visits and when her mum tells her about the rumours surrounding Ruby she asks her if she wants to have a job on the ship with her。 When they go to sign on the ship， Ruby decides not to do what Emma tells her。 She goes her own way and seals her fate。Both these stories are attention grabbing。 The story of the three sister ships and the three sisters who served on them。 Heartbreaking stories of survival and loss among the sisters and their friends on board。Just as heartbreaking is Harriet yearning for her estranged daughter Davina and trying to get through life while appeasing her daughter Sally who feels she has to take care of her mother。 Other stories crop up as Harriet researches her family online and finds out the story of her grandmother and her sisters。 This book was so interesting with the historical element of the cruise ships。 I can just imagine Emma's delight in the luxury that awaited her on the Olympic cruise liner and the adventure that lay ahead。 I felt so sorry for her that while she was enjoying life onboard she still felt she was responsible for her mother and two sisters。 The descriptions of the ships made me feel as if I was onboard myself。 I enjoy books where part of the story is set within an event in history。 I feel I learn something from them。 This is the first book I've read by Kathleen McGurl and looking at the rest of her books I have no idea how I managed to miss them as they are my kind of read。 This book is full of human emotions， decisions that change lives and decisions that make up for the wrong ones。 Such a good read and I cried a few times through the book。 A five star read。 。。。more
Alva
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A complete gem！ This gorgeous story of Emma， Ruby and Lily， sisters in 1911 whose present-day descendants are Harriet， Sally and Davina。 Both sets of women are struggling， individually and collectively with family challenges and life challenges。Emma's story is a poignant one。 Desperate to save her family from poverty she leaves her mother and sisters behind to work on the RMS Olympic， an ocean liner sailing from Southampton to New York in 1911。 The journey changes her life and that of her sister A complete gem！ This gorgeous story of Emma， Ruby and Lily， sisters in 1911 whose present-day descendants are Harriet， Sally and Davina。 Both sets of women are struggling， individually and collectively with family challenges and life challenges。Emma's story is a poignant one。 Desperate to save her family from poverty she leaves her mother and sisters behind to work on the RMS Olympic， an ocean liner sailing from Southampton to New York in 1911。 The journey changes her life and that of her sisters forever。 The ensuing events torrent into catastrophe as Emma tries to stay ahead 0f the problems splitting her family apart。Present-day Harriet is moving house after the death of her husband， John。 Her daughter Sally faces her own challenges with her son's illness while Harriet's second daughter Davina has been estranged for years。 Can Harriet pull happiness from anywhere as she learns about her grandmother's life at sea？The value of friendship， having one close friend to pull us through devastating times， is the core of this story。 This is another corker from Kathleen McGurl。 。。。more
Christina
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This is a truly gripping and heart-wrenching story of sisterhood， love and forgiveness。 I was transported back to the age of the giant steamships criss-crossing the Atlantic， and to the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic。 The author has done an immense amount of research and really brings this event and era to life – I truly felt as though I was there in that moment with the heroine and I experienced her shock and grief as if it was my own。 In the story set in the present， there is also potential h This is a truly gripping and heart-wrenching story of sisterhood， love and forgiveness。 I was transported back to the age of the giant steamships criss-crossing the Atlantic， and to the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic。 The author has done an immense amount of research and really brings this event and era to life – I truly felt as though I was there in that moment with the heroine and I experienced her shock and grief as if it was my own。 In the story set in the present， there is also potential heartbreak， and my heart went out to a mother struggling with a seriously ill child， and a grandmother estranged from one daughter and denied access to some of her grandchildren。 The courage needed to keep hope alive and to carry on， no matter what， was remarkable， and I empathised with her every step of the way。 An emotional roller-coaster that will keep readers turning the pages – highly recommended！ 。。。more
Jéssica
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Historical is a genre I quite enjoy。 I love that it allows me to under society back then and it's a journey through time that we can never make except via a book。 Then I started reading dual timeline novels and it was the best of both worlds for me。 I get to experience the historical genre with the added bonus of following contemporary characters as well。In this book we follow a family during present times with Harriet and back in 1911 with three sisters， Emma， Lily and Ruby。 The story of the th Historical is a genre I quite enjoy。 I love that it allows me to under society back then and it's a journey through time that we can never make except via a book。 Then I started reading dual timeline novels and it was the best of both worlds for me。 I get to experience the historical genre with the added bonus of following contemporary characters as well。In this book we follow a family during present times with Harriet and back in 1911 with three sisters， Emma， Lily and Ruby。 The story of the three sister ships: Olympic， Titanic and Britannic; and the mystery of what happened to Harriet's grandmother's sisters。Although most of us know the history of the three sister ships， I loved the connection that the author made between the family and that event。 As we uncover the truth about the secrets of the family， and that made me very curious with each page I read。It was a moving story， emotional and quite a journey。 The characters were believable， and could connect with both Harriet and Emma easily。 They were amazingly well written and as I followed the two timelines， the details and the realism， I loved it and it was perfect for the entire feel the story had。Overall， I enjoyed the story and how the fiction connected well with the true history。 I also loved the family and the ties between them all， past and present。[I want to thank Rachel， at Rachel’s Random Resources， Kathleen McGurl and HQ for the eCopy of this book， via NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。] 。。。more
Patricia Moren
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This was a delightful and absorbing story， following a family backwards and forwards through four generations。 Very emotional in parts， with lots of actions and historical moments。 Great characters with normal family reactions leading to a rewarding conclusion。
Rachel Bustin
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Oh， I loved The Lost Sister。 A fabulous read， unputdownable！ I was obsessed with the sisters and their lives！Told in a dual timeline – the past and now the present， each with sisters in turmoil decades apart。 I preferred the story from the past of the 3 sisters， Emma， Ruby， and Lily。 Emma is the oldest and looks after her siblings， but when an opportunity arises to become a stewardess on the Olympic it’s one she can’t afford to turn down。 When Emma is away on the ship， Ruby gets into all sorts o Oh， I loved The Lost Sister。 A fabulous read， unputdownable！ I was obsessed with the sisters and their lives！Told in a dual timeline – the past and now the present， each with sisters in turmoil decades apart。 I preferred the story from the past of the 3 sisters， Emma， Ruby， and Lily。 Emma is the oldest and looks after her siblings， but when an opportunity arises to become a stewardess on the Olympic it’s one she can’t afford to turn down。 When Emma is away on the ship， Ruby gets into all sorts of trouble。 When she turns 18 she follows her sister to become a stewardess， to get away from it all。 But she signs onto the Titanic， leaving Emma distraught as she promised her mum she would look after her。 Therefore she quickly changes ship。 We all know this isn’t going to end well as the Titanic never reaches New York。In the present day， Harriet is downsizing after her husband passed away。 She discovers a trunk from her grandmother in the attic。 It was her travelling trunk from her ship days。 Inside is a picture of her with two other sisters。 Yet Harriet only remembers her talking about having one sister。 With the help of her friend Shelia， she discovers her family ancestry， which throws up lots of mystery and secrets！I wasn’t a fan of the story of Harriet’s two daughters who are estranged。 I guess the only relevance is that they are lost to each other just like the sisters back in 1911。 But that hasn’t deterred me from giving The Lost Sister top marks！Beautifully written， fantastic character development and of course it will leave you in tears。 A highly recommended read。⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more
Teresa
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Oh my！ This is the first book I've read by this author and I can't believe it's taken me so long to discover her。 I love dual time line stories。 Usually I read them for the past story as I love history but the present day story in this one was very good as well。There are truly unlikeable characters in both time lines and I never really took to Harriet。 She was a bit bland。 Iliked Emma in the past even though I could see where her sister Ruby was coming from when she complained about her bossines Oh my！ This is the first book I've read by this author and I can't believe it's taken me so long to discover her。 I love dual time line stories。 Usually I read them for the past story as I love history but the present day story in this one was very good as well。There are truly unlikeable characters in both time lines and I never really took to Harriet。 She was a bit bland。 Iliked Emma in the past even though I could see where her sister Ruby was coming from when she complained about her bossiness。 The parallels between the sisters in the past， the sisters in the present and the sister ships of Olympic， Titanic and Britannic was inspired。 The Titanic piece could have overwhelmed the story but was well written and didn't and I learned more about the Britannic that I hadn't heard before。The past story probably just shaded it for me but a wonderful read over all。Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the chance to read this book。 。。。more
Lisa
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I really enjoyed the start to this story。 It really intrigued me to find out why Harriet had never been told about the third sister and kept me glued to the pages！ I felt Emma’s excitement when she got the job on board the ship as she really wanted to better her and her families lives。 It was interesting to read the effect Ruby’s behaviour had on the family and other people’s perceptions of them at that time and my heart was beating hard when she got her job on the ship。 I wasn’t expecting that I really enjoyed the start to this story。 It really intrigued me to find out why Harriet had never been told about the third sister and kept me glued to the pages！ I felt Emma’s excitement when she got the job on board the ship as she really wanted to better her and her families lives。 It was interesting to read the effect Ruby’s behaviour had on the family and other people’s perceptions of them at that time and my heart was beating hard when she got her job on the ship。 I wasn’t expecting that at all。 I liked how the author worked with feelings and although it was always on the cards you were almost there shouting at the book telling her to listen to her Ma and sister！ It was interesting to read how similar Harriets life was to that of her grandmothers family all those years ago with siblings arguing in both families and someone always stuck in the middle trying to do their best。 I couldn’t put this book down， the story was written well that you could almost imagine being there aswell。 I found switching between past and present was a bit confusing at times and in a few places it would’ve flowed well to have two sections separate at times but I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and would love to read more by this Author。 This was the first I’ve read by her and I look forward to reading more！ I’d like to thank Kathleen McGurl， HQ Stories and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC copy to read and review。 。。。more
Linda S。
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The Lost Sister by Kathleen McGurl is a dual timeline historical fiction novel。 The older timeline （from 1911 to 1920） tells the story of the three Higgins sisters - the oldest， Emma， is the responsible one， the middle child is Ruby， who is a wild child， and the youngest is Lily， who was very sickly。 The second timeline is set in the current day and tells the story of Harriet， granddaughter of Lily， who has two children of her own， one of whom is estranged from the family。 No spoilers， but it is The Lost Sister by Kathleen McGurl is a dual timeline historical fiction novel。 The older timeline （from 1911 to 1920） tells the story of the three Higgins sisters - the oldest， Emma， is the responsible one， the middle child is Ruby， who is a wild child， and the youngest is Lily， who was very sickly。 The second timeline is set in the current day and tells the story of Harriet， granddaughter of Lily， who has two children of her own， one of whom is estranged from the family。 No spoilers， but it is a story of forgiveness as well as love， loss， and second chances。 I enjoyed it！ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Elaine
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It doesn’t happen often， but I have to confess that the ending of this story literally brought tears to my eyes！ It is another dual timeline family drama from the author I believe to be the uncrowned Queen of this genre and I can’t recommend it highly enough。Following the death of her much loved husband， Harriet has been encouraged by her eldest daughter to downsize to a smaller property。 In preparation for such a move， the two are sorting the contents of her attic when they discover her late gr It doesn’t happen often， but I have to confess that the ending of this story literally brought tears to my eyes！ It is another dual timeline family drama from the author I believe to be the uncrowned Queen of this genre and I can’t recommend it highly enough。Following the death of her much loved husband， Harriet has been encouraged by her eldest daughter to downsize to a smaller property。 In preparation for such a move， the two are sorting the contents of her attic when they discover her late grandmother’s travelling trunk which has a photograph of her grandmother with her two sisters in it。 Nothing strange about that， you may assume – but Harriet only ever heard about one sister。 This sets her off endeavouring to discover more about her ancestors， especially the three sisters。 It also rekindles her need to connect with both her brother and her youngest daughter。This is a story of two lost sisters – one the daughter of Harriet and the other her grandmother’s sister， who Harriet had never heard about。 It is a story of sisterhood – and an intriguing look at the three sister ships， the Olympic， Titanic and Britannic。 It is a story of broken relationships， interspersed with illness， tragedy， sacrifice and survival in an enthralling read。 It has great characters and gives a very different insight into the lives of crew on the iconic ocean liners。 There are plenty of twists and surprises in this dramatic， engaging read and I have already warned you to have the tissues handy just in case that emotive ending affects you， too。Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed。 。。。more
Verity Clinton
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Another fabulous dual time story from one of my favourite authors。 Thoroughly enjoyed learning some history about The Titanic along the way。 Would highly recommend。
Anne
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I thought it was rather brave of the author to take on the story of the White Star liners – everyone is so very familiar with the story of the ill-fated Titanic’s maiden voyage， and I wondered how she could play it into a story and make it fresh and new。 But she most certainly manages to do so， with a rather lovely dual time story focusing on two generations of women， tied together by the long hidden secrets of three sisters whose lives are changed by Emma’s decision to sign on as a stewardess o I thought it was rather brave of the author to take on the story of the White Star liners – everyone is so very familiar with the story of the ill-fated Titanic’s maiden voyage， and I wondered how she could play it into a story and make it fresh and new。 But she most certainly manages to do so， with a rather lovely dual time story focusing on two generations of women， tied together by the long hidden secrets of three sisters whose lives are changed by Emma’s decision to sign on as a stewardess on the Olympic。 What makes this book fresh and different is its focus on individuals – mothers and daughters， sibling relationships – and a story with a strong central mystery and a series of secrets and connections to be uncovered。I liked the sense of symmetry between the three sisters， three ships in the historical thread。 Emma lives with her mother and two sisters – Lily is the youngest and ailing one， difficult for her to leave behind when she signs on for her big adventure， Ruby the one who’s rather going off the rails having become involved in a rather ill-judged relationship。 Emma’s experiences in signing on as a stewardess in Second Class are quite fascinating – the whole signing on process， new friendships， a touch of romance， a very different “staff” perspective on the oceangoing experience， the many demands of the passengers she deals with， all feeling very real and well-researched。 But family responsibilities loom large， and her promise to look after the errant Ruby has particularly life-changing impacts。There is something of a saga feel to the historical story， which will delight many – I’ll admit it wasn’t entirely something I loved， but that’s really just a matter of personal taste and preference。 And while the Titanic story might have been a familiar one， I knew very little about the story of the third liner， the Britannic – that was particularly fascinating to discover， as well as providing a few dramatic， nail-biting and emotional moments。But I was entirely hooked by the contemporary thread – Harriet moving on after the loss of her husband， her decision to downsize， the support of her bossy daughter Sally （who also needs support through her own challenges）， the sadness of her estrangement from daughter Davina， the neglect of her relationship with her brother。 The clearing of the family home uncovers some surprises – the main one being that her grandmother was one of three sisters rather than the two she was aware of， discovered from a picture found in a forgotten travelling trunk in the attic。 Harriet takes a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 with her flamboyant and fun friend Sheila， a nice bit of mirroring of Emma’s earlier voyages: and Sheila also introduces her to the Ancestry website， enabling her to dig a little further into the hidden lives of the three sisters。The contemporary story isn’t stronger than the historical one， and maintaining the links and resonances between them is something the author manages particularly well， but there were times when I found it more engaging。 Harriet was particularly easy to identify with – I empathised with the way she’d neglected her relationship with her brother， really liked the tentative steps towards a reconciliation， and there were aspects to her difficult relationship with her daughter Davina that worked particularly well at an emotional level。 And there are quite a few surprises – connected with the story of her grandmother and her sisters， but also stemming from the twists and turns of the contemporary one。This might not have been my favourite of the author’s books， but I still very much enjoyed it – the family relationships in both timelines， the weaving of present day and sometimes familiar historical background， the moments of emotional impact， the clever use of mirroring。 And I read it in a single sitting – the author is always a superb storyteller， effortlessly balancing the contemporary and the historical， making you travel with and believe in her characters， her writing fluent and immensely engaging。 A very enjoyable read – and one I’d certainly recommend。 。。。more
Lynn
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I really enjoyed this book。
Jane Hunt
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The reader experiences a myriad of emotions reading this dual timeline story。 Anger， frustration， heartbreak， and humour all colour the lives of Emma in 1911 and Harriet in 2019。 The family relationship dynamics and the diverse personality of the sisters are convincingly written。 The historical aspect is well-researched and comes to life through vibrant characters and vivid use of sensory imagery。 This is an absorbing story full of emotion。 The two timelines are cleverly interwoven and equally c The reader experiences a myriad of emotions reading this dual timeline story。 Anger， frustration， heartbreak， and humour all colour the lives of Emma in 1911 and Harriet in 2019。 The family relationship dynamics and the diverse personality of the sisters are convincingly written。 The historical aspect is well-researched and comes to life through vibrant characters and vivid use of sensory imagery。 This is an absorbing story full of emotion。 The two timelines are cleverly interwoven and equally compelling。I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Debbie Rozier
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About the Book:2019- Harriet is a widow and is going through her attic with the help of her older daughter， Sally， as she prepares to sell her house and downsize。 They finds Harriet’s Grandmother’s trunk and upon opening it sees a picture of her Gran and Gran’s two sisters。 Funny， Harriet thought Gran had only one sister who died tragically。1911- Emma is getting ready to set sale on the transatlantic voyage of the Olympic as a stewardess for the 2nd class。 She is leaving behind her mom and siste About the Book:2019- Harriet is a widow and is going through her attic with the help of her older daughter， Sally， as she prepares to sell her house and downsize。 They finds Harriet’s Grandmother’s trunk and upon opening it sees a picture of her Gran and Gran’s two sisters。 Funny， Harriet thought Gran had only one sister who died tragically。1911- Emma is getting ready to set sale on the transatlantic voyage of the Olympic as a stewardess for the 2nd class。 She is leaving behind her mom and sisters Ruby and Lily。 As the years go on， both Ruby and Lily become tied to White Star Line ships which change the course of their lives。In the past and present there are ships， struggles， secrets， and sisters woven together that make this a well researched and engaging read。My ThoughtsThis book is way more than just a book about the Titanic， which is what first drew me to this read。 It was a part of the story， but two other ships from the White Star Line as well as the themes of independence， communication， and family play an important role in the plot！ This book also connected the present （2019） with the past （1911-1920） as it’s told beautifully in a dual timeline。 It’s a wonderful read that deals with sibling connections and mother/daughter relationships。 Even though this is a women’s fiction/historical fiction book， I don’t want to give too many details away。 There are places in the book that reveal some surprises in both the present and the past which made this a one sitting read for me。I received an ecopy of this book for the chance to read and share my honest opinions 。。。more
Gail Atkins
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An interesting story of the three RMS sisters and three sisters whose lives were based around these ships。The story cleverly flits from the 1911 /1912 to the present day。Families， secrets and family breakups is the crux of this book。 I enjoyed the main characters and the history elements that flowed through the book。A great easy read。
Jessica Belmont
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The Lost Sister is another compelling read from author Kathleen McGurl。 This is a dual-timeline novel that is so expertly written。 I think this author knows how to explore the dynamics of family through many years。The Lost Sister alternates between 1911 and 3019。 I really enjoy the fact that the characters are dealing with similar issues in both timelines。 This story explores the struggles of finding purpose and experiencing love， and I love how the two characters connected。The Lost Sister is po The Lost Sister is another compelling read from author Kathleen McGurl。 This is a dual-timeline novel that is so expertly written。 I think this author knows how to explore the dynamics of family through many years。The Lost Sister alternates between 1911 and 3019。 I really enjoy the fact that the characters are dealing with similar issues in both timelines。 This story explores the struggles of finding purpose and experiencing love， and I love how the two characters connected。The Lost Sister is powerful。 The writing was captivating and the characters were realistic。 I enjoyed this so much。 I really enjoy Kathleen McGurl’s writing and I look forward to the next novel she writes！Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources For allowing me to join this blog tour。 I recieved a free copy of this book to review honestly。 All opinions are my own and unbiased。 。。。more
Georgi_Lvs_Books
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The Lost Sister has just recently been released and if you love historical fiction and of course the titanic then this is one I would recommend！ I love what Kathleen has done here with the story being about three sisters， Emma， Ruby， and Lily and there sister ships - The Olympic， The Titanic， and The Britannic。 I was actually quite good at guessing a lot of the story however， the main plot of the story I did not and was pleasantly surprised。 I got emotional a few times when reading this story。 T The Lost Sister has just recently been released and if you love historical fiction and of course the titanic then this is one I would recommend！ I love what Kathleen has done here with the story being about three sisters， Emma， Ruby， and Lily and there sister ships - The Olympic， The Titanic， and The Britannic。 I was actually quite good at guessing a lot of the story however， the main plot of the story I did not and was pleasantly surprised。 I got emotional a few times when reading this story。 The popular Violet Jessop was apart of this story and is a reminder that I must read her book！ I have it on my shelf and I think that will be my next titanic read。 。。。more
Sian
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My review of The Lost Sister is on my blog。https://quirkybookreads。wordpress。com。。。 My review of The Lost Sister is on my blog。https://quirkybookreads。wordpress。com。。。 。。。more
Laura
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What a story！ Wow！ Highly recommended for the dual-timeline aspect， not to mention the "reality" of interpersonal relationships and just how hard they are and how much time they can sometimes take to repair。 Without giving away too much of the story， this is a must-read for anyone who has had strained relationships and longs to see them repaired。 The representation of the three ships （Olympic， Titanic， Britannic） alongside the three sisters was moving， heartbreaking， and redeeming all at once。 I What a story！ Wow！ Highly recommended for the dual-timeline aspect， not to mention the "reality" of interpersonal relationships and just how hard they are and how much time they can sometimes take to repair。 Without giving away too much of the story， this is a must-read for anyone who has had strained relationships and longs to see them repaired。 The representation of the three ships （Olympic， Titanic， Britannic） alongside the three sisters was moving， heartbreaking， and redeeming all at once。 I loved this story - and I went through a number of tissues while reading it。 Very well-written and relatable。Thank you to HQ Digital for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of the story。 。。。more
Stina
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★★★★★ 4。5 stars （rounded up）I'm excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for Kathleen McGurl's heartbreaking tale THE LOST SISTER。 Three sisters。 Three sister ships。 One heartbreaking story。Oh my word！ THE LOST SISTER is a compelling dual timeline tale with one family at its heart tragically torn apart both in the past and present。 Spanning more than 100 years， family dynamics are explored between sisters and the yearning for independence fraying the bonds that hold them all together。 Tensi ★★★★★ 4。5 stars （rounded up）I'm excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for Kathleen McGurl's heartbreaking tale THE LOST SISTER。 Three sisters。 Three sister ships。 One heartbreaking story。Oh my word！ THE LOST SISTER is a compelling dual timeline tale with one family at its heart tragically torn apart both in the past and present。 Spanning more than 100 years， family dynamics are explored between sisters and the yearning for independence fraying the bonds that hold them all together。 Tension is rife within each household plagued by children leaving home， those left behind， duty， obligations， a wealth of misunderstandings， health issues and decidedly strong personalities。 And despite the passage of time， while some things change some things remain the same。Southampton 1911: Ever since she was 4 years old and experienced the ferry crossing to the Isle of Wight， Emma Higgins has had a love for the sea。 So when the White Star Line introduces its new liner Olympic and is looking for new staff， Emma leaves her mundane job at a local hotel and signs up as a second class stewardess for the liner's maiden voyage。 Excited at the prospect of taking to the sea， she cannot wait to share her news with her mother and two sisters。 As the oldest， Emma has always felt responsible for helping support her family since their father died when she was 14 and they ultimately had to leave the Isle of Wight and return to Southampton。 Ma was a seamstress who took in laundry and sewing jobs to keep them going but as her eyesight began to fail， Emma's wages were needed more and more。 The middle sister Ruby also worked at the same hotel and when Emma shared her news， instead of being happy for her， she became resentful that she was to be left behind to do Emma's chores as well as her own while her sister lived it up on the high seas。 One of the chores was to help their mother with her younger sickly sister Lily who， after a bout of tuberculosis as a young child， has never fully recovered taking ill at oftentimes。 Ma and Lily are， of course， thrilled at Emma's new adventure wishing her well and looking forward to her return and all the stories she'll be able to tell。 Ruby instead rebelled， staying out most of the night and even taking up with local married man Harry Paine giving her a reputation。。。as well as her family by association。 She refused to be held back by the mundane existence she was living， looking for excitement wherever she could find it。Emma thoroughly enjoys the maiden voyage to New York on Olympic， making new friends Violet and Mary as well as a potential love interest in Martin。 The work was hard but rewarding as she took in the sights and enjoyed the feeling of freedom on the seas。 Upon returning home， she was full of stories of her experiences sharing them with her family， although Ruby remained consistent in her absence。 Quickly signing on for the next voyage with her new friends， Emma enjoyed life as a stewardess on Olympic。 There was even news that two more sister ships were to follow - Titanic and Britannic。 Each voyage was about three weeks in duration afterwhich she would be home for another week or two before sailing again。The following year 1912， Ruby turned 18。 So when her relationship with Harry had fallen apart， she was understandably devastated， but decided to follow in her older sister's footsteps and sign on to become a stewardess。 Emma made a promise to her Ma that she would look out for her sister so when they went to sign on they were to do so on Olympic。 But then Emma spied Martin and while her back was turned， Ruby went and signed on to Titanic。 Inevitably， Emma had to change her sign on to Titanic in an attempt to keep her word， much to Ruby's annoyance who was fiercely independent and wanted to go alone。 But as history goes， Titanic never made it to New York。。。and as fate would have it， neither would Ruby it seemed。 Emma was devastated with the downing of Titanic and the loss of so many people。 An image that would remain with her forever。 She vowed then never to take to the seas again。2019: Seventy year old Harriet Wilson is clearing out her attic when she comes across an old sea trunk that had been her grandmother's when she worked as a stewardess on Olympic。 Believing it to be locked， she is surprised when her daughter Sally unlatches and opens it， revealing a hundred year old memories buried deep within。 In the trunk amidst the moth-eaten uniform and her grandparents' wedding photo was another photo she had never seen before。 One of three young girls on the cusp of womanhood。 Harriet recognises a younger version of her grandmother but the remaining two are strangers。 And yet they all look so alike there could be no denying that they are sisters。 But her grandmother spoke of only one sister - surely she didn't have another？Despite the fact that she should be clearing out boxes so she could downsize， Harriet couldn't help but investigate further。 With the help of her friend Sheila， the two women check the 1911 census records to establish whether or not there were indeed three sisters。 This in turn leads her to sign up to Ancestry。com and begin researching and building her family tree。 And when Sheila informs her of an exhibition in Southampton on Titanic， the two women attend and are shocked to discover names they now recognise on both the survivors and the deceased lists。 Who'd have thought that Harriet's family was linked to Titanic？In the midst of Harriet's new interest in genealogy， is her grandson's battle with leukemia and her fifteen year estrangement with younger daughter Davina。 Harriet wishes nothing more than to be reunited with her independent wayward daughter and her two granddaughters whom she has never met。 But Davina only contacts Harriet on her terms， blocking her number and never revealing where they are。 Desperate for just a bit of her daughter， Harriet is resigned to just accepting the snippets that Davina offers。 It is all incredibly one-sided and unfair to keep the blame going on for fifteen years。。。with Harriet's husband going to his grave without ever seeing their youngest daughter again or meeting his two granddaughters。And then， Sally's son Jerome takes a turn for the worse when the chemotherapy he'd been on didn't work and all that's left now is a bone marrow transplant。 So in the midst of all this， Harriet must juggle Sally， Jerome， Davina's sporadic calls， packing up her house， moving to a new one and continuing the journey of her family's past。 But will she find all that she is looking for？ And can the sins of the past repair those of the present？An engrossing story from beginning to end， THE LOST SISTER sweeps you away to another time and into the history of Titanic and her two lesser known sisters， Olympic and Britannic。 Kathleen McGurl has meticulously researched the history of these liners interspersing them with a fictional tale of three other sisters around the same time。 The journey she takes us on is as emotional as it is heartbreaking through her wonderful cast of characters。 Her depiction of Titanic's demise was breathtaking as well as poignant as one of the most famous events in history is interwoven with this book's own tragic tale。In addition， a character featured in this story Violet Jessop was actually a real person who， as a stewardess and later a nurse， did in fact survive the disastrous Titanic and Britannic sinkings， her memoirs posthumously published and influencing McGurl in that which was to become THE LOST SISTER。 It brings an essence of reality to the story that some of which that took place within these pages really did happen。Of the alternating timelines， it is Emma's story I was more captivated with rather than Harriet's although that indeed became interesting the deeper she delved into the past。 I found the similarities between Ruby and Davina as frustrating as each other。 Both women were strong-willed and fiercely independent refusing to be held back by duty or obligation。 I found Ruby's view of Emma to be similar to that of Davina's of Sally - bossy， being the main aspect。 Is it because Emma and Sally were the eldest and therefore felt more responsible while Ruby and Davina were the second children and rebelled against conforming to anyone's idea of how they should behave？Whilst THE LOST SISTER is a powerful tale of tragedy， loss and regrets it also one of reconciliation， hope and forgiveness。 Ensure you have a box of tissues handy when reading this because you will need them。 And while I did guess a couple of the hidden surprises in this story it didn't alter my opinion of it。 My ratings and opinions are based on my overall enjoyment and those that tug at my heartstrings generally win favour without a doubt。THE LOST SISTER is a beautiful tale that is an enjoyable and easy read with dual timelines that parallel nicely。 It is one of those stories that will remain with you long after you have turned the last page。Recommended for those who love dual timelines。 For fans of Lorna Cook， Fiona Valpy， Suzanne Kelman and Suzanne Goldring。I would like to thank #KathleenMcGurl and #RachelsRandomResources and #HQStories for an ARC of #TheLostSister in exchange for an honest review。This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic。blogspot。com/。 。。。more
Alayne Emmett
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I loved this book it was so interesting and very readable。 It was set just around the time of the Titanic tragedy and after through to the First World War。 As I was reading it I could see Rose and Jack from the film Titanic high made it so enjoyable。 I was glad it had a happy ending but at times as you can imagine it was sad。 My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review。
Lin
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Great premise This was a great premise for a story but didn't read well for me。 The story cuts between two different generations of one family。 I found Sally unlikeable and one dimensional， and Harriet predictable and uninteresting。 I skipped through the middle part of the book picking it up a few chapters from the end， and felt I had missed nothing。 I wanted so much more from the idea of the story Great premise This was a great premise for a story but didn't read well for me。 The story cuts between two different generations of one family。 I found Sally unlikeable and one dimensional， and Harriet predictable and uninteresting。 I skipped through the middle part of the book picking it up a few chapters from the end， and felt I had missed nothing。 I wanted so much more from the idea of the story 。。。more
Julie Morris
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This is a dual timeline novel， telling the story of different generations of the same family in 1911 and the present day。 Harriet has just lost her husband and， as she clears out her home in preparation for downsizing， she comes across a trunk that used to belong to her grandmother who worked on cruise ships at the turn of the century。 As she goes through the trunk， Harriet finds a photo of her grandmother and her sisters， which leads her to start investigating her family history and uncovering This is a dual timeline novel， telling the story of different generations of the same family in 1911 and the present day。 Harriet has just lost her husband and， as she clears out her home in preparation for downsizing， she comes across a trunk that used to belong to her grandmother who worked on cruise ships at the turn of the century。 As she goes through the trunk， Harriet finds a photo of her grandmother and her sisters， which leads her to start investigating her family history and uncovering some long buried secrets。At the same time as looking at her family tree， Harriet is compelled to revaluate her current family relationships。 Things are strained with her younger daughter after a terrible mistake years before， and she has lost touch with her brother。 There are also concerns with her elder daughter and grandson。 As we go through the story， it is clear to see parallels between the story of the three sisters at the turn of the century， and Harriet’s fractured family in the present and Harriet’s growing understanding of her family’s past can help heal wounds going forward。This is a really beautiful and moving book to read。 The author has created some sympathetic and engaging characters in both timelines and I was completely drawn into their lives and fates from the beginning of the book。 The narrative switches from chapter to chapter between Harriet in the present day and Emma back in 1911， and it is done effortlessly and seamlessly， whilst still giving each of the women a very clear and distinct voice。It is clear that Kathleen has done a lot of research for this book。 She managed to bring life in 1911 to life and include a lot of small， authentic detail that made me feel like I was really living through those experiences along with Emma。 I am a tiny bit obsessed with the story of the Titanic， so I loved reading about it here and Kathleen has done an amazing job of bringing the horror of its sinking to the fore from the perspective of someone who was there。 I felt that she had captured what Emma would have been feeling brilliantly， it was really upsetting to read， which is wholly appropriate for the story。 It immersed me completely in the era， which is exactly what I am looking for in a historical novel。Similarly， in the modern day， what Harriet is going through is totally believable and made me very emotional。 I shed a few tears as I was going through the book， all too able to relate to her feelings。 This is a really great story of love， family and the ties that bind us together in life。 It will make you want to gather round everyone you love and give them a massive hug （not until Monday， mind you！） and tell them exactly how you feel because life is short and precarious and family means everything。A fantastic dual timeline novel with real heart， I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Julie
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One of my favourite novels by Kath Mcgurl。 Lovely attention to detail and the perfect symetry of the three sisters and the three sister ships。 The quest to find out what happened to the mysterious third sister is cleverly done and kept me turning the pages。 All in all a delightful story full of mystery and intrigue。 Can thoroughly recommend。
Ashley
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Another great submission in the dual time genre from Kathleen McGurl。 I have enjoyed her books for years and this one was no exception。 The novel is a dual time novel with an interesting premise， Emma a young lady in 1911 who takes a job on the Olympic， then the Titanic （not a stellar trip） and the Britannic during WWI。 She has two sisters， Ruby a bit of a rebel and problem child， and Lily a sickly sweet girl whom Emma and her Mum baby and worry over。 In the present time we have Harriet who whil Another great submission in the dual time genre from Kathleen McGurl。 I have enjoyed her books for years and this one was no exception。 The novel is a dual time novel with an interesting premise， Emma a young lady in 1911 who takes a job on the Olympic， then the Titanic （not a stellar trip） and the Britannic during WWI。 She has two sisters， Ruby a bit of a rebel and problem child， and Lily a sickly sweet girl whom Emma and her Mum baby and worry over。 In the present time we have Harriet who while downsizing her house comes across her grandmother’s trunk。 In the trunk is a picture of her grandmother with two other girls， her sisters， but wait her grandmother only ever spoke of one sister， who is the other girl in the photograph and what happened to her？ I have always been fascinated with the Titanic since I was young and I remember reading about a stewardess who served on all three sister ships。 I really enjoyed the dual timelines and the alternating chapters between the past and present。 It was fun to follow Harriet in her research to solve the mystery of the “lost sister” even while dealing with the heartbreak of her own family life。 Emma’s story， not surprisingly was the more interesting， just because of the times she lived and the work she didIf you are a fan of dual time books， and have not given Kathleen Mcgurl a try。。。 why wait？ This is a great book to start your journey。 Thanks to Netgalley， HQ Digital and Kathleen McGurl for the chance to read and review this book。 。。。more
Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Rampling
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