Monday 27 May 2024

Review - The Lost Child by Kathleen McGurl

The Lost Child by Kathleen McGurl
Publisher: HQ
Release date: 30 January 2024
Back cover blurb: All she wanted was a child of her own… 1912. As the steamship Carpathia takes the survivors of the Titanic to New York, Lucy desperately searches the decks for her baby, thrust into the arms of another woman as a lifeboat left, and now nowhere to be found. Madeleine is helping her journalist husband to interview the survivors, and when she meets Lucy, she promises she will do anything she can to help her find her lost child. 2022. When archivist Jackie finds a notebook containing the stories of women saved by the Carpathia amongst an auction lot, she learns the story of the missing baby. Desperate to start a family of her own, she feels compelled to dig further. And her search will lead her to a century-old mystery… Inspired by true events, bestselling author Kathleen McGurl weaves history and fiction together in this captivating, deeply moving story.





1912. Ten week old twins, Frederick and Norah are separated with their parents when disaster strikes on the Titanic.

Frederick gets into a lifeboat with his Mother and Norah's life is saved by her Father handing her to a female crew member on the final lifeboat and sacrificing his own life as he realises there's no room for him, and no more lifeboats.

When Frederick and Lucy are later rescued by the Carpathia, Lucy is distraught to learn her husband hasn't made it, but is convinced that her daughter is still alive. 

2022. Post Pandemic. Tim and Jacqui want the same thing. One last adventure before they settle down in to adulthood. Marriage, babies etc.

When Jacqui finds out she is pregnant, it puts their final trip in jeopardy. Believing that Jacqui got pregnant on purpose Tim is resentful towards his partner, unable to feel any excitement for his future parenthood.

A tragic miscarriage drives the couple further apart, and Tim ultimately makes the decision to go on the planned trip without her.

Realising that they may want different things in life, Jacqui lets him, and suggests that they take a break from each other for a while. 

When tragedy strikes in the most unexpected way, Jacqui throws herself further in to her work to take her mind of things that she cannot control. As an archivist, she works for a man who has more than a passing interest in the titanic, and his latest purchase at auction may just be more than either of them bargained for.

Amongst the items is a notebook, containing first hand stories from the Carpathia of those rescued from the Titanic, and those lost. It is there that she comes across Lucy's name for the first time, and is determined to find out how that story ended.

This a beautiful story and love, loss and hope, and I hope to read more from this author.

The Lost Child is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

x Vicky-Leigh x


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