I totally loved this new book! — Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

It tells the story of a ship that left Savannah, Georgia in 1838, and sunk due to an on board explosion.
It tells the stories of the people on the ship who died, and those who survived.

Such an interesting story! I learned about diving on sunken ships, and collecting the valuables and the clues they offer. I also learned about the ways people used to survive the sinking. (You never know, it could be very useful information if ever on a sinking boat.)

The survivors coped with their trauma very differently. In the end, all their lives were changed dramatically.
Patti Callahan has crafted a very good piece of historical fiction!

It is on a fresh subject, with a compelling drama — a sunken ship.

The following review was posted on my blog (www.blogginboutbooks.com) on 03.05.21:

Later nicknamed "The Southern Titanic," the luxury steamship Pulaski left Charleston, South Carolina, bound for Baltimore on June 14, 1838. Her passengers were wealthy, well-heeled, and wholly unaware of the tragedy they were about to be a part of. When a boiler explosion on board destroyed the ship that night, the vessel sunk in just 45 minutes, leaving about 128 people dead. The others were stranded on the water, forced to endure hunger, thirst, exposure, terror, and illness before being rescued. Only 59 people survived. In January 2018, 180 years after Pulaski sank, divers found the wreckage of the doomed ship.

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan (available March 9) brings the event to life in a dual-timeline novel that explores the sinking and its aftermath in an intriguing blend of fact and fiction. The story features Everly Winthrop, a modern-day history professor who is asked to help curate an exhibit of Pulaski artifacts for a Savannah museum. Still reeling from the death of her best friend a year ago, she finds purpose in studying the famous ship and her elite passengers. She's especially intrigued by the story of a large family of passengers—some members died in the tragedy, some survived, and others' fates remain unknown. Everly wants to change that. As she investigates in the present, the reader taken back to 1838 where they're introduced to Lilly Forsyth, an abused aristocratic wife who's forced to make impossible decisions when Pulaski sinks, giving her an unexpected chance at freedom. What does Lilly choose? And how does her life change because of it? What happens to her after the Pulaski sinks?

I had never heard of the Pulaski, so I learned a lot about the ship and its tragic end from Surviving Savannah. The dual-timeline format is one I always enjoy. As per usual, I found myself more invested in the past story than in the present one, although both had enough meat to keep me interested. Even though the historical characters didn't get enough development, I still found them to be a likable, sympathetic lot. Same goes for the present cast, although I didn't love Everly, who's just too victim-y for me. I'm all for a sympathy-inducing lead, but I get impatient with too much wallowing—a character has to be at least a little bit selfless for me to really care about them. Plot-wise, Surviving Savannah moves along at a steady pace, which kept me turning pages. As for its storytelling, Callahan's prose gets heavy-handed at times (Everly's dialogue, for instance, often feels too formal and flowery). Still, I enjoyed this novel for its colorful historical backdrop, its engrossing story, its intriguing characters, and its capable (if at times overblown) writing. If you like dual-timeline novels about little-known historical events, definitely check this one out.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of novels about Titanic and other maritime disasters)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), blood/gore, violence, and mild sexual content (including references to sexual abuse)

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Surviving Savannah from the generous folks at Penguin Random House via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This is the story dealing with the Steamship Pulaski as the historical part. The modern part involves Everly, set in modern times. The dual timeline involves present-day Everly Winthrop, historian, and her research into the little known steamship accident of the Pulaski in 1838. The modern half of the dual timeline seemed to drag a bit, and the historical timeline was much more gripping. We experience a deep sense of grief as the "Titanic of the South," the best steamship every built, comes to a sorry end. How does a family move on after an event such as this? What could or should the crew of the Savannah done differently? Or was it destined to be?

Trauma which is completely unexpected and its after-effects can and will touch us deeply. Is it possible to survive the pain and loss? Can a person move beyond this kind of loss and focus on the memories of previous good times?

Patti Callahan Henry has done an amazing amount of research to bring to life a little-known event.

I wanted to love this book, but it just did not hold my attention as I had hoped it would. It has dual storylines and to my dismay I could not connect with any of the characters. I had never heard of Savannah so that was interesting, but as hard as I tried I could not help flashing back to the movie Titanic.

When a novel leaves me with the urge to further research places and events written about in the story, I know it is one I will recommend to others. The author builds an intriguing tale around a steamship picture in the Winthrop family home, and takes us back to adventures both heartwarming and tragic. I’m ready for a road trip to Savannah and the Maritime Museum,!

Everly is curating a museum collection for "The Titanic of the South", steamship Pulaski. The marvelous steamship sank because a boiler exploded, and until the present day, it remained beneath the waves since that day in 1838. It's up to Everly to piece together the story of this ship, its crew, and its passengers, wherever it leads. She soon finds that of the passengers on board that day, two women from a large family faced monumental and unforgiving decisions as tragedy struck. One of them, Augusta Longstreet, survived. The other, her niece Lilly Forsyth, did not. What matters is how these women tried to survive the cataclysmic explosion, and what happened in the aftermath of the Pulaski's sinking.

I enjoyed this intriguing work of modern and historical fiction! Following Everly in the present day, and Augusta and Lilly in the past, the story wends the river of time following themes of cultural expectations, unexpected tragedy, and fighting for survival. Both Augusta and Lilly wanted to escape Savannah, Georgia for their own reasons, but an unlucky stroke of fate takes them from unfavorable circumstances at home into a maelstrom of terror. In the present, Everly pieces together Lilly's fight to stay alive, and what happened to Augusta after she did. By examining these lives long past, Everly is better able to deal with a tragedy from her own life.

I thought all of these characters were well-written, and I loved that these women were so strong in the face of adversity, even as we witness how fragile life can be. I liked the different points of view, and the aspects of historical culture that helped bring the city of Savannah and the waters of the Atlantic to life. If I could change one thing, I would have liked even more of the past storyline, with more detail about the lives of Augusta and Lilly. Surviving Savannah is a brilliant, heartfelt story about inescapable fate, living as a survivor, and perhaps some good that can happen after irrevocable tragedies. Highly recommended to those who have lost, or who may yet lose and wonder why they deserve to live.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Everly Winthrop, a history professor in Savannah, receives an offer to curate a museum collection with artifacts found amidst the newly discovered wreckage of the Pulaski, a luxury steamship that exploded and sank off the coast of North Carolina in 1838. This is a dream opportunity for Everly because she has been fascinated with stories about the Pulaski since she was a child. However, Everly is grieving from a loss of her own and is having difficulty moving on. As she delves further into her research, Everly dredges up more than just the tragic history of the shipwreck and ultimately learns what it means to “survive the surviving.”

I was much more invested in the storyline that detailed the events surrounding the fate of the Pulaski and its passengers. The portrayal of the horrific circumstances, the struggle to survive, and the emotions were so raw and real. I found the Everly chapters annoying and repetitive at times and wanted to get back to the stories of Lilly, Augusta, and the other passengers. That being said, my annoyance with certain parts of the present day timeline in no way detracted from my overall enjoyment of this book, and I think the dual timeline worked really well. I appreciated the ways in which the historical aspects of the story were tied in with the present day events to show how the past affects us all and what it means to carry on after experiencing loss and tragedy.

I had never heard of the “Titanic of the South” and greatly enjoyed learning about it. After reading this book, I researched the Pulaski to find out more information because it was a truly fascinating story. The Author’s Note and the Resources and Facts at the end of the book were also very interesting. I haven’t read any other books by Patti Callahan, but I certainly will after reading Surviving Savannah.

If you enjoy well-written, incredibly descriptive, and highly informative historical fiction novels that feature strong female characters, then you need to read Surviving Savannah! It releases on March 9!

So very good! A wonderful historical fiction story about the “Titanic of the South”. The steamship Pulaski went down off the coast of North Carolina in June, 1838. Patti Callahan weaves a wonderful fictional account of that night, and the aftermath, in a dual timeline story. Highly recommend! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

"Do we have a destiny? How do we survive the surviving? What happens to us after we live through tragedy both great and small? Is there such a thing as fate? Who do we become and why? Can we ignore our past if we are ashamed of it?"-Patti Callahan

This is why we read historical fiction. The past shapes who we are today and we ignore or deny it at our own peril. Using the perspectives of three women (Everly in the present day/Lilly and Augusta from the 19th century), Patti Callahan gives us the story behind the sinking of the Pulaski in June of 1838. If you have read accounts of the Titanic, Lusitania, or other shipwrecks you will see familiar themes. How people react in the immediate aftermath. Who gets in the lifeboats. The relentless thirst and sun exposure. The despair of watching others perish. The realization of what really matters in life. The joy of rescue. Having Everly herself dealing with trauma was a fascinating juxtaposition against the shipwreck and abuse we see in the lives of Augusta and Lilly. The Author's Note, Resources and Facts, and Acknowledgments are the pillars that support the narrative. What I found most compelling was the that while Callahan was working on the novel, the Pulaski wreckage was discovered. Some may call it coincidence. I call it Providence. This book is perfect for fans of Susan Meissner and Rachel Hauck.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a historical fiction lover and I rarely find a book that can live up to everything I expect but Patti Callahan Henry did it! This book was heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time. I found myself wondering if fate is truly something that exists or if it is simply something we say when things don’t go according to plan. I highly recommend my first 5 star read of 2021.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

What is your favorite type of historical fiction? I love when there is a bit of mystery thrown in there and this book had just the perfect amount of intrigue to keep me guessing up to the end.

It was called “The Titanic of the South.” The luxury steamship sank in 1838 with Savannah’s elite on board; through time, their fates were forgotten–until the wreck was found, and now their story is finally being told.

When Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection focusing on artifacts recovered from the steamship Pulaski, she’s shocked. The ship sank after a boiler explosion in 1838, and the wreckage was just discovered, 180 years later.

Everly’s research leads her to the astounding history of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together, and the extraordinary stories of two women from this family: a known survivor, Augusta Longstreet, and her niece, Lilly Forsyth, who was never found, along with her child. These aristocratic women were part of Savannah’s society, but when the ship exploded, each was faced with difficult and heartbreaking decisions.

I really enjoyed this story because of the different character perspectives and timelines. Jumping from past to present, seeing the strong resilience within each female character was astounding, especially since the Pulaski was a real ship that sunk on American shores just on the outskirts of the Carolinas.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this beautiful book in exchange for my honest review. Let me start by saying I LOVE DUEL TIME LINES! It is my favorite trope in historical fiction. Being called The Titanic of the South immediately caught my attention and Callahan delivered! One of my favorite books is The Glass Ocean by Williams, Willig, and White and this had a similar feel but was still all its own! I truly loved this book and the insight she gave me into this time period. Truly well done Patti! Congrats!

In 1838, the steamship Pulaski, dubbed "The Titanic of the South" sank, after the boiler exploded, off the coast of North Carolina one day into its journey from Savannah, Georgia to Baltimore, Maryland. The steamship carried many of Savannah's elite who were headed north for the summer. One such family was the Longstreet family, consisting of Lamar, his wife Melody and their children also his sister, Augusta and Lamar's niece, Lilly, her husband, Adam, their daughter, Madeline and nursemaid Priscilla.

Present day, Everly is asked to curate a museum exhibit for the artifacts of the recently recovered steamship Pulaski. Everly wants to add a more personal touch to the exhibit and is determined to learn more about Lilly and the Longstreet family. Everly not only learns about the days following the explosion, and what the survivors went through until their rescue, she also learns a few things about herself.

"Not everyone who survives trauma becomes a better person. The idea that surviving brings everyone to a new and better place is a lie told by people who need the world to make sense." Pg 232

I've said it recently in another review, but my favorite thing about historical fiction is that I learn something new about a unique period in history. In this story, I feel like the past and present were woven seamlessly together for an intense, page-turning adventure. Be sure to read the author's note detailing the facts vs fiction of this story.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really, really wanted to love this book. The premise sounds exactly like the sort of books I adore: antebellum fiction, shipwreck, underwater archaeology, dual-period timeline. So I am really disappointed that this whole book fell flat for me.

What did I like: the characters in the novel felt like real people. I found myself rooting for them. I felt their suffering through the narrative. I could see myself meeting these people in real life. The whole context of learning about the tragedy of the steamship Pulaski while curating a museum display about the passengers on board provided a great framework for this novel. I was so intrigued by the way the author wove historical fact and characters throughout the novel. And the fact that this is based on a little-known historical fact makes it all the most interesting.

What I didn't like: the book was just too long. There were several bits of the story that seem to have been added with no real purpose. Though I really love underwater archaeology, this whole story line could have been cut without losing anything from the novel. I realize that the actual Pulaski shipwreck was found off the coast of North Carolina while the author was writing the book, but it really does seem to just be shoved in there around all the other parts of the story. In addition, the historical narrative similarly dragged. The sinking of the ship happens right at the beginning of the novel and then the rest of the timeline is people waiting to be rescued. There was very little to keep me engaged during these portions of the story. Finally, I understand that the author uses Everly's personal tragedy to link her to Lily and Augusta's experience, but this also felt unnecessary to the story. Everly's interest in the story of the Pulaski made just as much sense without having to link it to the loss she recently experienced.

Overall, I found this book a little lacklustre. All the pieces of an excellent historical novel are there, they just get lost amongst all the extraneous scenes and details. I liked the characters and I loved learning about a tragic voyage about which I previously knew little but, ultimately, my enjoyment was overshadowed by the slow pacing of the book.

This book was a letdown after I enjoyed Becoming Mrs Lewis so much.

I liked the Augusta timeline better, but I must say that I found it to be a little predictable. The research and details were there, but seemed to be executed in a dry way. This book seemed to be unnecessarily long. I'm not sure I cared very much for Everly.

I liked this book overall, it raises some interesting thoughts. And it was a piece of history that I didn't know anything about. If you're interested in diving and shipwrecks and artifacts you may enjoy this book more than I did.

This novel was superb, haunting, and a must read! You won't be able to put it down! The characters were so well written, you could feel their emotions. The scenes in the story were so real and rich, you felt you were there. My words cannot do this story justice. It's a new favorite and I look forward to reading it again.

In 1838, the steamship Pulaski which set sail from Savannah with many of the city’s prominent citizens on board, sank after a boiler exploded. Nearly everyone in town was affected by the tragedy but as time passed, details of the event faded from memory. In this well-researched and dramatic historical novel, Patti Callahan documents the harrowing events experienced by the passengers.

Everly Winthrop grew up with her grandfather spinning tales about the Pulaski, a steamship memorialized in a painting hanging in the family home. He always mentioned Lily Forsyth, lost at sea, whose statue commemorated all those lost when the boat sank.

Now a history professor at Savannah’s famed SCAD, Everly is in grieving and has pulled back from all her friends. When Oliver Samford approaches her to guest curate a show at his museum, he tempts her with the news that the remains of the Pulaski have been found. Although Everly had resolved to stay away from Oliver, her curiosity was too strong to say no to the chance to find out what really happened to Lily.

Everly’s investigation revealed that Lily was only one of Eleven members of her family on the boat’s fateful voyage. Her aunt and best friend, a known survivor, Augusta Longstreet, was also on board.

Surviving Savannah unfurls with dual timelines from three perspectives—Everly’s, Lily’s, and Augusta’s. I particularly liked the past timelines. Callahan was meticulous recreating the ship’s milieux, and her description of the sinking and it’s aftermath were vivid and compelling—with some images absolutely haunting! I can’t think of a better depiction of shipwreck.

Callahan also addresses issues of race and gender roles and shows the privileged status of white men, at least before trauma becomes somewhat of an equalizer.

Everly’s sections provided necessary context for the events of the past, and her own traumatic event was used to link her to the historical women. Both Augusta and Everly suffered survivor’s guilt and wrestled with the idea of fate and why they were chosen to live. This is a rich and important theme, but presented too heavy-handedly and repetitively for my taste.

In a way, the timelines coalesce in Everly’s triumphant exhibit which is organized in a compelling and intense manner. The author’s note provides interesting information about her process and should not be skipped!

Historical fiction lovers should give this title a look! It’ll be of special interest to those who like reading about pre-Civil War southern culture.

Everly Winthrop has had a fascination with the steamship Pulaski since childhood when her grandfather told her stories about those who survived the tragedy of the ship sinking on its inaugural voyage and those who didn't. Although excited about an invitation to curate a museum exhibit of the Pulaski after the wreckage was found, she is reluctant to commit to the project since the museum is directed by her deceased best friend's fiancé.

Told in alternate storylines between Everly and two of the ship's survivors, Augusta and Lilly, themes of "surviving the survival" and moving forward with life after a traumatic accident are explored. The Pulaski accident was based on a real event, although the characters are for the most part fictionalized; some loosely based on real passengers, others a "combined" character based on research about the real people on the ship.

As a historical fiction fan, I enjoyed this story and the incredible amount of research Callahan shared in the back of the book. The main theme of moving past survivor's guilt was explored well, and I think anyone who has been in a traumatic accident and survived while a loved one was lost will easily identify with the truths of all three main characters. I also liked how Callahan dealt with the issue of slavery in the South. The city of Savannah, a prominent southern city, made its wealth and status by slave trade and using slaves to further business interests. It was a worthwhile effort to share the perspective that while slavery may have been prevalent, there were citizens in the town who realized the horrors of this practice. Everly, the present day character, ensured the museum exhibit showed the two side of Savannah and showed that a person can choose a path of retaliating with anger and hurt and rage after trauma, or can use the education of the past to change the present.

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan was an intriguing historical fiction read based on the real-life Pulaski shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina.

This story is told with two timelines - present timeline that centers around Everly, a professor who is curating an exhibit about the wreck after the remains are found in the ocean. The timeline occurs at the time of the shipwreck and follows Lilly Forsyth and Augusta Longstreet as the board the ship, experience the wreck and the aftermath that follows.

Of the two timelines, I enjoyed the historical one more. It seemed to move at a quicker pace and it was interesting to read about how all of the action unfolded. I appreciated all the details of the author included to help the reader truly visualize what was happening and imagine what it may have been like to have actually been there.

I also liked the Savannah setting. This was a very important piece of this book as many of those who were aboard the ship were from Savannah and therefore the museum exhibit is also being curated in Savannah.

As for characters, I really liked all of the narrators - Everly, Lilly and Augusta. They were all strong women who endured tragedy, overcame challenges and ultimately survived the surviving with grace.

Overall, this was a very interesting read about a historical event that I was not very familiar with. After reading this book, I would be interested in learning more about the Pulaski.

This is the story of Everly Winthrop, no stranger to tragedy, who is tasked with curating an exhibit for the sunken steamship Pulaski, the Titanic of the South. This is also the story of Augusta and Lilly who boarded the Pulaski with their families on June 13th 1838. It's a story of loss, of survival and of "how to survive the surviving."

Surviving Savannah is a historical fiction novel told in dual timelines. I had a hard time relating to Everly's character and felt she made a very questionable decision. I was much more invested in the 1838 storyline. The author did a great job describing the sinking and the passengers fight for survival. I stayed up late reading and had hard time falling asleep- it was so real! The overarching theme of both storylines is how to survive loss.

I appreciated reading a historical fiction book about a topic I hadn't heard of before. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction or who have an interest in the Titanic. Thank you to the publisher for an advanced ecopy of this book.