Title: Echoes of the
Titanic
Author: Mindy Starns
Clark & John Campbell Clark
Pages: 400
Publisher: Harvest
House Publishers
Year: 2012
Note: A complimentary
copy was graciously by the author.
So much
happens in a day that to remember an event in the past, unless one is a student
of history or events, is hard to recall for most people. While I didn’t realize it, this year is the
100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. It was some time back when I was reading
about the Titanic that I realized there still was much I didn’t know. While this book is a work of fiction,
characters and all, the event really did occur.
Most forget the names of those who perished or their age. Most know that it struck an iceberg. Yet, here we are 100 years later and still
many are seeking to understand and know more about the Titanic.
Some
may be familiar with the writings of Mindy Starns Clark in the Amish fiction
genre and other books. For me, this was the
first time reading one of her books.
What a way to start! There is a
mystery written in this novel of seeking to find the true identity of a woman
who has been gone for some years. Her
fortune and legacy still live on, but there is an undercurrent coming from an
unknown source that seeks to cause it all to come to an abrupt halt. Kelsey is the name of the character who is a
descendant of Adele Tate, one of the survivors of the Titanic who comes to
America and helps others build their dreams.
Kelsey is said to have the same ability and touch as her great-grandmother
Adele. Involved in the family business
of finance, Kelsey soon becomes embroiled in more than finance.
Before
launching on the Titanic, Adele wants to make an investment with money she has
saved. Her choice, though called into
question by a man sent to escort her to America by her father, is made by her
uncle for her by investing in wireless technology. While on board the Titanic, Adele and her
uncle are shown what other passengers never saw----the wireless being used on
the Titanic! It is an immense piece of
equipment that takes up more room and uses more than one person to operate;
Adele though believes it is the future.
She purchases 10 bonds in the stock of the Wireless Company, and 100
years later they are due to expire. Where
they are kept no one knows!
On top
of this, the Tate Company is going through an outside hostile takeover while
trying to figure out who is working on the inside to bring the takeover to
reality. Not only that, many of the
characters in this work of fiction seem to know more than Kelsey herself. Unbeknownst to her, she is being used as pawn
by those whom she believes have her best interests at heart. With time running out there
is much speculation as to the location of the missing bonds.
The
novel takes many twists and turns to keep the reader not just reading, but on
edge until the conclusion of the mystery.
There is more than one mystery here, and doubts about who really is
Adele Tate. Mystery, intrigue,
relationships, murder, suspicions, and more abound in this novel that is
breathtaking. The novel is written with
flashbacks used to help the reader not only understand the story, but also to
perhaps figure out the truth. The reader
reads a journal entry written from long ago, and then is brought to the present
day. This is done throughout the novel.
Sometimes
novels have a way of igniting the reader’s imagination, and this one is tops
for accomplishing just that. You might
find that after reading this novel you too will become a Titanic buff just like
one of the authors. Echoes of the
Titanic gets a 5-star rating from me.
May you become as enthralled in the story as I was and am in the real
Titanic stories that abound today.
