I don’t know why I hesitated to read The Lifeboat when it was first released–perhaps because I thought it was in a time period that I wasn’t interested in, or maybe I just had an abundance of reading material at the time. When I began to read this book, I knew putting it off had been a mistake. I have always been a little in awe of the sinking of the Titanic, and this book deals with a situation quite similar.

Told from the point of view of one of the women rescued from a sinking ship, The Lifeboat tells a horrific tale of an attempt to survive and of inhumane conditions that no one would want to be placed in. At times the main character has flashbacks of her life before the boat accident. She is newly married and never in her wildest dreams would have imagined she and her husband would find themselves in a situation such as this.

If you like historical fiction narrated by a strong, feminine voice, you should give The Lifeboat a try. It’s an entertaining read, though at times you might find yourself worrying for the characters’ sanity.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  3 mild obscenities; 1 derogatory name.

Violence/Gore:  A character commits suicide, this is mentioned several times with blood and gore involved; a pregnant woman is shot to death in her belly, blood is mentioned; people in a boat are pushed over the side to “save” others on the boat; a character drowns.

Sex/Nudity:  A woman speaks of losing her virginity briefly; a woman recalls a situation with a man involving sex before marriage; adults kiss multiple times.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death, malice towards others.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Adults drink alcohol.