Book Review: Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh

Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh
Genre: Adult Fiction (Historical)
Date Published: January 9, 2024
Publisher: Harper Muse

The Titanic was only the beginning. What she survived has become legend. What she survived has become legend. Inspired by true stories of survival and resilience, Unsinkable entwines the lives of two women, one from World War 1 and another from World War 2, as they face adversity and take hold of the second chances given to them.

Violet Jessop is Miss Unsinkable.

After her mother becomes too ill to work, the responsibility to provide for the family falls to Violet as the oldest of nine. When the world enters the Great War, she serves as a nurse, helping men who could very well be her brothers. Working as a stewardess and wartime nurse, Violet not only survives a shipwreck but also two sinkings, one on the infamous Titanic. No one can understand why she would return to sea, but something keeps drawing Violet back to the tumultuous waters, where she struggles to put the tragedies of her past behind her and pursue a life and love all her own.

Daphne has survived calamity of her own.

Daphne Chaundanson grows up as an unwanted child after her mother died in a tragedy. She throws herself into education, collecting languages like candy in a desperate attempt to finally earn her father's approval. When the Special Operations Executive invites her to be an agent in France in World War II, her childhood of anonymity and her love of languages make her the perfect fit. She sees it as an opportunity to help the country she loves and live up to her father's expectations. But the dangers of war challenge Daphne in ways she never could have expected, and the secrets from her own past must be faced for her to truly have a future beyond the conflict--if she can survive it.

Inspired by true stories of Violet Jessop and the thirty-nine women of the Special Operations Executive. Two unsinkable women. Two stories of survival, family, and finding one's own happiness. One connection that reshapes both their lives forever.

Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh was tricky for me to rate because I found it hard to stay focused. I’m not sure what these two women have to do with one another. Why are their stories told in fluctuating timelines within the same book? I kept waiting for something to link them in a significant way. I think I know one thing that’s a link, but it’s never specified for certain and doesn’t play a big part in the long run. So, I'm just a little confused and never really felt hooked into their lives.

The characters are likable, and they scream girl power. I also love that their stories are being told. This is fiction. Don’t get me wrong, but their stories are based on real people. The author explains it better in the book. The real women these characters are based on must have had so much mental and emotional strength. I couldn’t imagine.

The ARC of Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh was kindly provided to me by the publisher through Net Galley for review. The opinions are my own.

Jenni L. Walsh is a USA Today bestselling author of over twelve books. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud member of the Tall Poppy writers, a graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets.

For adults, Jenni has written historical novels Becoming Bonnie, Side by Side, A Betting Woman, The Call of the Wrens, Unsinkable, and the forthcoming Ace, Marvel, Spy. She also writes books for children, including the nonfiction She Dared series and novels Hettie and the London Blitz, I Am Defiance, By the Light of Fireflies, Over and Out, Operation: Happy, and The Bug Bandits. 

To learn more about Jenni L. Walsh and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Goodreads, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

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