“The enchanting saga of two Irish sisters…This new chapter of Titanic lore is worth plunging into.” —Publishers Weekly

From the acclaimed author of The Girls of Ennismore comes a captivating and extraordinary tale of perseverance and bravery. This touching saga of sisterhood follows two young Irish women yearning for independence and adventure, as they set sail on RMS Titanic—the “ship of dreams”—only to be faced with the tragedy of that fabled maiden voyage…

Delia Sweeney has always been unlike her older sister–fair and delicate compared to tall, statuesque Nora, whose hair is as dark as Donegal turf. In other ways too, the sisters are leagues apart. Nora is her mother’s darling, favored at every turn, and expected to marry into wealth. Delia, constantly slighted, finds a measure of happiness helping her da on the farm. The rest of the time, she reads about far-off places that seem sure to remain a fantasy. Until the day a letter arrives from America . . .

A distant relative has provided the means for Delia and Nora to go to New York. Delia will be a lowly maid in a modest household, while Nora will be governess for a well-to-do family. In Queenstown, Cork, they board the Titanic, a majestic new ocean liner making its maiden voyage. Any hope Delia carried that she and her sister might become closer during the trip soon vanishes. For there are far greater perils to contend with as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic . . .

In the wake of that fateful journey, Delia makes an impulsive choice–and takes Nora’s place as governess. Her decision sparks an adventure that leads her from Fifth Avenue to Texas, where oilfields bring unimagined riches to some, despair to others. Delia grows close to her vulnerable young charge, and to the girl’s father. But her deception will have repercussions impossible to foresee, even as it brings happiness within reach for the first time . . .

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Titanic Sisters 

“Falvey (The Girls of Ennismore) delivers the enchanting saga of two Irish sisters who board the Titanic with dreams of new lives in New York City…Falvey does a good job capturing the girls’ excitement at leaving Ireland for New York, and of showing Nora’s gradual recovery of her memories. This new chapter of Titanic lore is worth plunging into.”
Publishers Weekly
 

Falvey’s engrossing historical novel charts the paths of two sisters as they journey from Ireland to early 1900’s America. Elder Nora, outgoing and beautiful, is doted on by her mother, while timid Delia considers herself an outsider, preferring the companionship of books to people…. The two embark on the Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage. In the aftermath of the disaster, Nora is presumed dead and Delia takes on her sister’s identity and post as governess…. With sharply drawn characters and shifting landscapes, Falvey’s drama deftly explores the sisters’ life-altering transformations and relationships as they come into their own. — Leah Strauss, Booklist

“Falvey (The Girls of Ennismore) delivers the enchanting saga of two Irish sisters who board the Titanic with dreams of new lives in New York City…Falvey does a good job capturing the girls’ excitement at leaving Ireland for New York, and of showing Nora’s gradual recovery of her memories. This new chapter of Titanic lore is worth plunging into.”– Publishers Weekly

4.3 stars from Amazon readers

4.0 stars from Goodreads