Book Review: Orphans of the Storm, Celia Imrie

Title: Orphans of the Storm
Author: Celia Imrie
Published: 19th August 2021, Bloomsbury
Pages: 416
Source: Netgalley
Format: Kindle
Rating: 3/5
Nice, France, 1911. After three years of marriage, young seamstress Marcela Caretto has finally had enough. Her husband, Michael, an ambitious tailor, has become cruel and controlling and she determines to get a divorce. But while awaiting the judges' decisions on the custody of their two small boys, Michael receives news that changes everything.

Meanwhile fun-loving New York socialite Margaret Hays is touring Europe with some friends. Restless, she resolves to head home aboard the most celebrated steamer in the world - RMS Titanic.

As the ship sets sail for America, carrying two infants bearing false names, the paths of Marcela, Michael and Margaret cross - and nothing will ever be the same again. 

From the Sunday Times bestselling author, Celia Imrie, Orphans of the Storm dives into the waters of the past to unearth a sweeping, epic tale of the sinking of the Titanic that radiates with humanity and hums with life.

Orphans of the Storm was an enjoyable read based on the true story of two families affected by the Titanic disaster. I have such a soft spot for anything Titanic-related and love learning about it so this cover really drew my eyes when I was browsing Netgalley.

The book is set across Nice, England, New York, and the Titanic. As the story and the characters are based on real people. these locations fitted the characters well. It was also clear that there was a lot of research that went into the historical details. However, I was disappointed tha the Titanic didn't make an appearance until almost the halfway point of the book. And there weren't many chapters set on the ship at all. In fact, those chapters felt slightly rushed.

The characters, however, weren't very likable. Michael and Stefan were just horrendous and gave me the absolute creeps. I felt so mad reading about what they did. Margaret was so stuck-up and cared too much about what she was seen to be doing. However, I do think she grew throughout the story (who wouldn't after going through her ordeal) and I loved how she bonded with Michel (a different character to Michael) and Edmond. She really fought for them. 

Marcela also annoyed me as she was such a pushover when it came to Michael. I just wanted her to stand up for herself and her boys. However, at the same time, she was young and domestic abuse is terrifying so she would have felt isolated and helpless.

The story is told via the POV of Marcela, Michael and Margaret (so many M names!). It really helps you empathise with Marcela and Margaret and hate Michael more. Michael's thoughts about his own children are beyond belief. Being a Titanic story based on real people,  it is predictable. The story of the "Titanic Orphans" is a well-known one. But I found this interpretation interesting all the same.

The story is also split into three parts, before, during and after the Titanic. I found part one very slow and I almost DNF'ed. For me, it wasn't the part I was interested in. The pace definitely picked up over parts 2 and 3 and I couldn't help but keep reading. In fact, it took me almost a week to read part 1, whereas I read parts 2 and 3 across an evening and morning.

Overall, I did enjoy Orphans of the Storm, even if I was disappointed in the lack of Titanic and the dislikable characters. If I come across more Celia Imrie books I might pick them up, but I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction based on real people.

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