Emilia Cavendish is given a first class ticket on board Titanic and heads towards Ireland in order to start a new life with her godmother. She soon runs foul of Carl Latimer, a millionaire on board, who tries to buy her stateroom from her for the rest of the journey. Emilia refuses him, but Carl is not the kind of man to take 'no' for an answer.

Exploring the ship, Emilia becomes lost in the third class section and is threatened by an enemy of hers from Southampton who has followed her on board. Fleeing from him, she bumps into Carl and learns that she has missed her Irish port. She makes the most of her unavoidable voyage to New York, enjoying the amusements Titanic has to offer and meeting some of the famous passengers on board, whilst discovering an unwilling attraction for Carl. Then the ship hits the iceberg and, as Emilia finds herself once again in danger, it begins to sink . . .

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Click here for background to the writing of Titanic Affair.

Reviews

This is a well-crafted and fast moving story. Using the setting of the maiden voyage of the Titanic takes a degree of courage on the part of any author and in this case it paid off. I was delighted to find a fresh slant on the well-known events of the tragic voyage. What stands out is the excellent use of historical detail such as the Crown Derby china, the electric horse, the Oxford marmalade and the author's ability to blend in real passengers like Mr Bruce Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line, with her fictional characters in a seamless manner.

A last word in praise of the jacket illustration by David Young, which captures the tone of the novel and complements its content.

Myfanwy Cook, Historical Novel Society