At this late date from April 15, 1912 - the sinking of an entire community of souls - we've developed a set of stories we tell and retell about people we've come to know only through these retellings. The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Mr. Astor, the Brave Band. It is a rare thing when a fresh perspective comes through. . . and here we have one - thank you, Louella Bryant!

I so enjoyed the woven stories the author provided. First readers are introduced to Titanic's steward Andrew Cunningham who by serving so many on board was able to provide an insider's perspective of the goings on during that great catastrophe. He shares his inner thoughts about the follies of the rich, while accepting a livelihood therefrom. He notes all those who are below decks during all parts of the voyage, befriending them and having, at the end, to jump without saving them. His ultimate fate is learned and we have the opportunity to learn of his life before Titanic's sinking, and after. One of his friendships is with a couple on the ship - the Cummings, and it becomes a very important relationship for both of them for the rest of their lives.

A great read, especially if you, like me, are interested in all things Titanic!

Lastly - I'm grateful for the two other take-aways this read gave me. . .

Rainer Maria Rilke's poem Death (Florence Cumming's ponder in the life boat):

Before us great Death stands
Our fate held close within his quiet hands.
When with proud joy we lift Life's red wine up
To drink deep of the mystic shining cup
And ecstasy through all our being leaps --
Death bows his head and weeps.


Celtic Prayer (from which the author found her title, and Andrew drew strength from his family):

May God grant you always
A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A Sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you;
Laughter to cheer you,
Faithful friends near you,
and whenever you pray
Heaven to hear you.

*A sincere thank you to Louella Bryant, Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #ShelteringAngel #NetGalley

I liked the different perspectives in this book. From Andrew who is a stewart to the Cummings who are first class passengers. At least the first half of the book is given to the backstory of the main characters, which is good but not overly interesting. The Titanic isn’t even mentioned until much further in the book. The story is well written and moves along at a steady pace. Being based on real facts this book is well researched and the characters and the time frame are extremely detailed.

The Titanic has always been one of my special interests, so I was very excited to read this book! Ms. Bryant does a fabulous job bringing these people to life. I loved that it was filled with true facts and real people!

Here’s a Titanic book where one of the main characters is a steward on the ship. He doesn’t think highly of most of the “toffs” he serves, but Florence and Bradley Cumings are actually interested in him as a person. The characters are based on real people.
The story begins twenty-three years before the Titanic sailing, before the characters are married and have families. Interesting, but I would have preferred to spend more time on the Titanic.

This is a fictionalized account of the real life Titanic experiences of first class passenger Florence Cumings and steward Andrew Cunningham (among others), which gives an interesting perspective to this historical fiction novel.

The major qualm I have with this book is that the first 40% of it is almost entirely superfluous. It's just a truncated, fictionalized biography of Florence and Andrew's lives up to the point that they meet on the Oceanic, and while that would make sense in a nonfiction book, given that this book is explicitly a novel, I think almost all of the extensive backstory could have been omitted. It's not that it was poorly written or unenjoyable, but it had no bearing on the story being told whatsoever. Most of it could have been truncated into a few paragraphs or chapters, rather than taking up almost half of the novel. It feels a bit awkward to say that about an actual person's life, but from a storytelling perspective, I really do think that most of it could have been omitted.

That said, I liked the short chapters separated by the news headlines, which I assume are taken from actual historical newspapers. If that's the case, it's a very cool addition (I like it regardless, even if they are all fictionalized too. It's a fun formatting choice).

While it has a slow start, as I alluded to above, once the Titanic gets underway, the story really picks up steam (sorry) and runs quickly to the end. It does not pull punches but nor is it gratuitous with the horror of being shipwrecked in the North Atlantic, and the depiction of the kinds of trauma that Titanic survivors experienced is very frank and doesn't feel romanticized.

Personally, I found the spiritual, mystical parts of this extremely corny, but there are audiences that will love it.

Overall, this is a solid novel and I think readers who enjoy novels that focus on lives rather than stories and people who enjoy historical fiction will like it.

I received an electronic ARC from Black Rose Writing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this novel that is based on a true story of the Titanic. I appreciated that we got to know the people that were on the ship, not just as passengers, but as individuals with families, hopes, and dreams. The reader meets Florence and John Bradley Cumings, who become first class passengers on the ship, and Andrew Cunningham, who later works as a steward on the ship. I felt like I truly knew these people, like I could have guessed what they would and would not have done.

Make sure to read the afterword, and the note from the author at the end. I look forward to reading more from Louella Bryant.

#NetGalley #Sheltering Angel

A well researched retelling of the Titanic tragedy, containing the stories of real life passengers of the ship.

The author details the lives of main characters Florence and Andrew in the years leading up to the tragedy, and this helps the reader become invested in their outcomes.

I really enjoyed all of the little details the author put into the book, from how the stewards had to be constantly on call and the types of tasks they could be faced with, to the sounds of the ship sinking. Perhaps a tad slow moving at the start, but a worthy read nonetheless.

If you are interested in the Titanic I would suggest this book. It gives a deeper inside to workers on the ship. I really enjoyed this one. It was a very interesting read.

I couldn't get into this book, it had so much promise but just didn't deliver. It took too long to get to the point. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

«Every age is a tragic age. Wars kill youth, disasters maim the living, and storms sink great ships.»

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I was hooked. When I read that it was based on a true story, I had to request it.

I think everybody knows the story of Titanic, the ocean liner that sunk after hitting an iceberg during her maiden voyage. Other details of the tragedy are less known, and you can find them all in Sheltering Angel, a mix of research and testimony.

The book follows the story of two survivors: the Scottish steward Andrew and the American woman Florance. Their lives will start years apart, but they will cross paths in the most devastating and tender way.

Both the protagonists of the book are real life people. The author is personally related to Florance, being the grandmother of her mother-in-law. Louella Bryant felt compelled to write this story not only for the relation, but also because of her interest in societal rules and traditions that isolate classes from each other.

That is one of the symbols the Titanic carries, and what adds to her tragedy – the liner (as others of the epoch), represents a micro-cosmo fluctuating on the ocean. At the deepest levels of the ship, we have third class passengers, on a higher level, the second class ones, and on the highest and most privileged one, the first class.

This is a beautiful and dreadful representation of society, in which second and third classes were not allowed to mix with the most privileged one. On the ship it was a matter of sanitation, and at night they even closed the gates to prevent the spreading of diseases. One of the obvious parallels is how high society regarded the ones below them for economic and societal status, how hostile they were towards the other classes, and how suspicious they were towards people trying to climb the social ladder.

You can expect to find a profound reflection on society in the book, while it also touches on the themes of love, loss, hope, and humanity.

I loved how the characters were slowly introduced, and how the tragedy strikes them only in the second half of the book. In this way, you get to know them intimately and genuinely care about them, a feat that not every author achieves.

The stories of Andrew and Florence were beautifully written: when they finally converged, I also loved their relationship – deep and moving. I was cheering for them until the very last word.

I was hungry for historical and technical details, and I wasn’t disappointed. Louella Bryant shows a deep knowledge of the tragedy, debunking some myths, and adding the most recent discoveries. They were also introduced without being overwhelming, and without interrupting the narrative flow of the book, a big plus!

I honestly don’t have any negative words for Sheltering Angel. I loved it from start to finish and in every detail. I wouldn’t feel like recommending it only to fans of Titanic, but because of the variety of the thematics that can appeal to a vast audience, I encourage anyone to pick this book up.

Sheltering Angel by Louella Bryant is a remarkable and emotionally resonant novel that delves into the tragic events of the Titanic. Based on a true story, Bryant's storytelling captivates readers from beginning to end, providing a fresh perspective on a maritime tragedy that still reverberates in the twenty-first century. Through sensory details and immersive descriptions, the author transports readers onto the ship, allowing them to experience the opulence, the chilling waters, and the will to survive. Bryant's dedication to historical accuracy shines through, as she highlights the lives of lesser-known individuals impacted by the disaster, infusing the narrative with authenticity and passion.

One of the book's strengths lies in its well-developed characters. Bryant crafts a diverse cast that feels genuine and true to the time period, drawing readers into their lives and making them emotionally invested. The characters' struggles and triumphs, whether they are stewards or first-class passengers, illuminate the stark inequalities present on the Titanic, amplifying the tragedy's impact. Additionally, Bryant's meticulous research and attention to detail add depth and authenticity, making the story feel both realistic and immersive.

What a great job the author does to put faces of people who were on this fateful ship, and it became a page tuner read for me.
These are real people that we get to meet and become part of their lives before they start their voyage on the Titanic, from the Stewards, to the passengers, both first class and steerage, and how they were not equal on that fateful night in 1912.
Filled with true facts, and real people, from Andrew Cunningham, a steward to Florence Cumings, one of the wealthy travelers. With theses two we meet their families, and become invested in their lives!
Yes, the facts of this voyage are out there, but you will feel like your on this ship, from the opulence to putting on your life jacket. I could almost feel that water, so cold with ice chunks, and then the will to survive.
I'll be look for future reads by Louella Bryant!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Black Rose Writing, and was not required to give a positive review.

I read this book amidst the news that the OceanGate submersible was lost on their Titanic expedition. I have always loved stories of the ill-fated ship and this book was no exception. An engaging read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for they ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sheltering Angel by Louella Bryant. If you are interested in stories about the Titanic you need to read Sheltering Angel. At the end of the book it tells you what was used in the story was actually factual. When reading historical fiction I always really like this feature because it tells you how well the book was researched.

I think out of all of the Titanic stories that I have read this one is my favorite.
This book feels more real than the others because I've felt like I've gotten to know the passengers a little bit more and what they must have felt after Titanic.
I'm thinking how awful it must be to have to live with that the rest of your life. Why this person was chosen and not the other. So very sad.
For the few short days that Titanic had I felt like I had really gotten to know her too. It hurt me to watch her die all over again.
In my opinion everyone talks about the people dying but what about her death? If she were a real person what she went through was terrible.
I saw and felt her death throws along with the passengers on that terrible night. Their screams were unimaginable! I'd never be the same either after a tragedy like that.
The cold ugh very cold!
I do wonder if some of them ever felt warm again afterwards.
I read this in one sitting. It hard to put down. It was hard reading it because even though I knew what the outcome would be it still made me cry especially towards the end. I wanted to save everyone including the ship but I believe it would alter history some.
If only the passengers knew what was going to happen I'm sure they wouldn't be joking or talking about the afterlife. Mr. Stead was the worst about that. For some reason I didn't like him much.
I would have liked more insight on the aftermath. I felt like this book was a cliff hangar.
Overall; very well done and for giving life to the passengers on Titanic once again
I liked how the author made their feelings come alive and jump out at me from the pages of this story.
Andrew was my favorite character. My heart went out to him. He is forever etched in my memory even though he is a real character, it's his bravery and being helpful to others right up until the end. I won't give anymore away.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend! My thanks for a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I live absolutely everything to do with the titanic both fiction and non fiction as does our readers. I find still after all these years how interested people still are. Will be sharing my full thoughts soon