“If we’re honest with ourselves, I think we’d find that much of what we love has a lot to do with the memories we’ve attached to it.”—Jocelyn Green, Drawn by the Current.

Jocelyn Green’s Drawn by the Current takes you on a harrowing journey aboard the ill-fated SS Eastland, which capsizes while tied to a dock in 1915 Chicago. Olive Pierce, an insurance agent, takes her best friend on an excursion on the ship to celebrate her birthday when the unthinkable occurs.

With Claire missing amid the chaos, Olive’s escape is just the beginning. The wreckage is more than the twisted steel and the chilling waters of the lake—it’s the loss of hundreds of souls. Olive delves into the depths of the tragedy, not just to find answers, but to honor the memories of those lost.

As Olive pieces together the puzzle, she forms an unlikely alliance with Erik Magnussen, a newspaper photographer who loves amateur sleuthing as much as she does. Together, they unravel the mystery of the accident, despite being sabotaged at nearly every turn. Green's skillful narrative avoids the complexity of jumping timelines, offering a straightforward, yet richly layered tale that keeps you anchored to the story’s current.

The tragic capsizing of the Eastland is not merely a backdrop—it is as much a character in this story as Olive and Erik. That 844 lives were claimed on that fateful day in 1915 lingers on every page, a ghostly reminder of the past reaching into the present. While the meticulously researched historical elements add a profound depth, at times, the author’s details were over the top.

As the last installment of a series, Drawn by the Current works equally well as a standalone. Green doesn't just tell a story; she revives history, breathes life into it, and invites you to step aboard. Those who appreciate historical fiction with a strong female lead, and mysteries that pay homage to the past, will find themselves drawn to this book. I’m glad to have discovered this new-to-me author. I will certainly read more. 4.5 stars.

** Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for a comp of this title. The opinions are my own.

I have really enjoyed this series, and Drawn by the Current was a fantastic addition. I loved Olive’s story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Olive Pierce is a Metlife insurance agent, and the sinking of the SS Eastland floods her company with claims. But everything isn't adding up, can she find the answers before it's too late?

An engaging read from the beginning, with a daring and determined heroine who won me over immediately. I admired her loyalty to her friend, Clare, as well as her quick wit. The author does an amazing job bringing to life the time period, as well as the bustling innovation of Chicago.

There is a lot going in this book, with more than one mystery to be solved, as well as strong faith themes and a compelling romance. I loved how Erik is supportive of Olive and how he does the hard thing because it is right.

A page turning read from beginning to end, with wonderful characters and a plot that kept me fully engaged. Highly recommend!


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This has been a fascinating series! I have really enjoyed all three of these books. Drawn by the Current featured the Eastland disaster. The main character suffered a lot of trauma, and there was also a character dealing with domestic abuse. Much of this story was set in the family bookshop, and there are lots of book references throughout. There was some romance, some mystery, and some really great faith elements as well. Great ending to the series! Thank you Netgalley and Bethany house for the review copy. I also purchased a copy for myself.

This was a new author for me and she did not disappoint. Will definitely be looking out for future books of hers as I enjoyed this one immensely!

In Drawn by the Current, Jocelyn Green recalls the USS Eastland tragedy with smooth writing and intriguing historical details. This aptly named novel explores the trauma of nearly drowning and its aftereffects in the life of Olive Pierce. As circumstances force Olive into the entanglement of deceit, she finds herself unmoored from her ideals and drifting in a riptide of physical danger. The author handled Olive’s PTSD with authenticity and gentleness.

Compassionate and determined to serve her clients well, Olive is a strong female lead, but a particular incident caused me to like her less. Although my fondness for Olive never quite recovered, I still enjoyed her journey from finding worth by assisting others to the fulfillment of trusting God and stepping into a new time of life. I admired how the author intertwined statements of wisdom and the fruition of spiritual themes with Olive’s journey.

Drawn by the Current concludes The Windy City Saga by Jocelyn Green. I recommend reading the series in order as Meg, Sylvie, and their backstories integrate with Olive’s story. Since I loved Veiled in Smoke and Shadows of the White City, I already held affection for this family and felt immediate interest in Drawn by the Current. Four stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green – Mixed Reaction


Drawn by the Current is the first book I’ve read by Jocelyn Green. It’s the third book in The Windy City Saga series, but it works well as a standalone novel. I wanted to read this story because it tells the story about the capsizing of the SS Eastland while still docked onshore.

Olive Pierce wants to celebrate her friend Claire’s birthday by going to the Western Electric’s picnic. Boarding the ship, they are anticipating a fun summer day, but soon disaster will strike and leave them and over 2,500 passengers fighting for their lives. At the end of the day, Claire is one of over 800 people who are missing and feared dead. As an employee of MetLife Insurance, Olive, will be handling insurance claims from this unimaginable disaster. There are many mysteries to uncover as Olive searches for the truth. As she is handling cases, she finds out that someone at the office is sabotaging her work. Who is responsible and why? While Olive is investigating several mysteries, she meets a freelance photographer and private investigator, Erik Magnussen. He will help her uncover the facts, expose the truth, and close cases.

What works with Drawn by the Current? My favorite character was Erik because he had an interesting background and seemed like an honest, strong, and brave man. I liked Olive’s family. Her mother Meg, aunt Sylvia, and uncle Kristof were a very caring, loving, and supportive. I loved their store, Corner Books & More. The author did a good job telling the story of SS Eastland disaster.

What didn’t work? I struggled with Olive. I didn’t care for her dishonesty and how she justified it. There were too many mysteries going on that took away from the main story. Olive took some risks and made decisions that weren’t logical. The biggest thing I struggled with in this story was the feminist-like agenda. Like the struggle Olive encountered trying to show that she was capable of doing more in her job, to her work being sabotaged, to her solving multiple cases, to the abuse her friend Claire endured, and the woman police detective helping to save the day. Women were portrayed as victims or heroes, and many men were seen in an unfavorable light. It seemed like the story was told through a feminist lens.

I would like to have seen the Christian faith better portrayed in the characters’ lives. Olive was full of remorse over her wrong actions, but it didn’t say she was repentant. She believed that God had forgiven her for what she had done, but doesn’t explain the basis of her forgiveness. She seemed prideful about her remorse over her wrongdoing. That her remorse was better than Blanche’s, who justified what she had done.

There were some things I really appreciated in Drawn by the Current. The story about the SS Eastland and what it would have been like handle such a great loss of life, as an individual, family, community, and business. I liked Olive’s family and Erik. They were likable and relatable characters. While I struggled with some aspects of this story, I would like to read other books by author Jocelyn Green. She had some interesting insight into the characters.

If you like historical fiction, you may want to read Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green.

I would like to thank Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Drawn by the Current is the third instalment in the Windy City Saga and our first introduction with Jocelyn Green. How did we miss this author and this series all this time? What a wonderful and thought provoking book this was. The fact that it was a brand new history lesson, is just an added bonus.

"Surviving trauma wasn't the end of the story, it was only the beginning"

The background for Drawn by the Current, is the tragic events that happened with the SS Eastland on 24 July 1915 in the Chicago River. The Eastland and four other Great Lakes passenger steamers – Theodore Roosevelt, Petoskey, Racine and Rochester – were chartered to take employees from Western Electric Company's Hawthorne Works in Cicero, Illinois to a picnic. This was a really big excursion and young and old were dressed in their Sunday Best.

Our main character in this book, Olive Pierce, is an investigator at an insurance company who underwritten a large number of the workers of Western Electric Company. She convinces her best friend Claire Sterling, to accompany her on the outing. The ship was packed to full capacity with 2572 passengers. It was a cool and damp morning and most passengers went below deck to stay warm before departure. When the ship suddenly lurched sharply to port and then rolled completely on her side, hundreds of people were trapped and crushed by heavy furniture. 844 passengers and 4 crew members died in the tragedy.

"Death wasn't supposed to come all at once for good people on a ship still tied to the dock in the Chicago River on a summer's day"

How is it possible that we've never heard of this event? Weaving the sad and tragic events of 24 July 1915 with the lives and deaths of many of the survivors (though mostly fictional) of the SS Eastland, made this a story never to forget. Many of the passengers on Eastland were Czech immigrants from Cicero; of the Czech passengers, 220 perished in the disaster. The fictional, but highly compassionate manner in which Jocelyn Green paid homage to all people affected by the SS Eastland, was highly enduring and I would love to believe there were really people like Olive who worked way beyond their job descriptions to help all those affected.

Like I've said, we haven't read the first two books in the saga, but it was easy to follow the background stories of Olive's family and also where Claire fits into the picture. Claire's story is tragic in a completely different way than the large scale disaster, but combining it with the events of 24 July, worked wonderfully. New characters introduced in this instalment brings some romance, hope and even a bit of comic relief. Gosh, I would have fallen in love with Erik Magnussen myself!

The strong Christian undertones that surfaced throughout the novel, served as a reminder that our faith in God should be foremost to our faith in man or even ourselves. Actions have consequences, no matter how pure the attentions, but forgiveness and repentance are always worth the price to pay.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for providing us with a copy of Drawn by the Current.

Drawn by the Current is a great conclusion to this generational family saga! It reads as a standalone story, of course, and brings the characters into the 20th century era. Readers of the previous two books will enjoy glimpses of the Townsend siblings later in life and the familiarity of their book store as a setting.

I enjoyed learning quite a bit about the history surrounding the Chicago Eastland disaster through the story. (I love when I learn real history in fiction!) The tragedy of the disaster impacts Olive in numerous ways, and like Green often does with her stories, the emotional fallout Olive experiences is drawn out as a major part of the story. It connects to her grief for her father and in her striving for a place in life, both in her career and personal life, and ultimately serves as a catalyst for Olive to have some profound revelations about her own worth.

I liked getting to know Olive and seeing her journey through friendship, tough choices, and her romance play out. She is one tough and intelligent heroine! I was cheering for her new friendship with Erik to grow — theirs is a subtle romance that plays out with a steadiness and some surprises. The romance, of course, is secondary to the main themes of the book which deal with deep issues such as honesty, loyalty, and the strength it takes to survive life’s challenges — and ultimately recognizing the source of that strength is from God.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. This is my honest review.

The following review was published on my blog on 04.21.22:

As a treat for their employees—many of whom were immigrants with little money for frivolities—Chicago's Western Electric Company planned an elaborate lake excursion to take place on July 24, 1915. Four passenger steamers were chartered to carry people down the Chicago River from Cicero, Illinois, to Michigan City, Indiana, where the company would provide an afternoon of food and fun. Invitees were bubbling over with excitement about the prospect of enjoying a day off picknicking with their families. The festival-like atmosphere soon turned to horror, however, when the overpacked S.S. Eastland began listing to port. In less than 15 minutes, the vessel rolled, trapping hundreds of people inside the doomed ship. Although the boat was still attached to the dock, resting in shallow water, and was equipped with plenty of lifeboats, 848 passengers and crew members died in the disaster.

Drawn by the Current, the final novel in Jocelyn Green's Windy City Saga trilogy, revolves around this forgotten tragedy. Our (fictional) heroine is Olive Pierce, a 29-year-old insurance agent, who is excited when she unexpectedly receives two tickets to attend the outing. She and her best friend, Claire Sterling, board the S.S. Eastland looking forward to a lovely day. When the boat rolls, chaos ensues, and it's only belatedly that Olive realizes Claire is not among the survivors. To assuage the grief and horror resulting from her experience on the Eastland, the insurance agent throws herself into her work, battling red tape to help those affected by the disaster. When she encounters resistance to her efforts, Olive enlists the help of a handsome newspaper photographer. As the two work together, secrets are revealed that could put everything Olive's working for at risk. Can she find justice for those who deserve it most? Will she ever be able to put her own nightmares behind her?

I've enjoyed all the books in the Windy City Saga, but Drawn By the Current is my favorite. Why? For starters, the story revolves around a historical event I had never heard of, which made the story extra interesting for me. Green brings all the emotions that surrounded the S.S. Eastland disaster to vivid life, capturing the excitement of the boarding passengers as well as the horror, fear, and sorrow that soon followed. It's easy to FEEL it all thanks to Green's skilled storytelling. Then there are the warm, sympathetic characters. Olive, especially, is an admirable heroine. She's compassionate, determined, selfless, and ambitious. Rooting for her and her friends is a no-brainer. Plot-wise, Drawn By the Current offers a compelling story that offers a little bit of everything—mystery, romance, action, and suspense. It kept me thoroughly engrossed throughout. Also, although this is a Christian novel, it never gets preachy or heavy-handed. The book deals with several tough issues, but it remains hopeful and uplifting throughout. All of these elements combined beautifully for me, making Drawn By the Current a gripping, moving read. Bonus: it's clean, faith-promoting, and well-written. What more could I want?
(Readalikes: Reminds me a lot of Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan as well as the previous Windy City Saga books, Veiled in Smoke and Shadows of the White City)

Grade: B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for violence and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Drawn By the Current from the generous folks at Bethany House via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Drawn by the Current
by Jocelyn Green
Pub Date 01 Feb 2022 | Archive Date 04 May 2022
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers
Christian | Historical Fiction



I am reviewing a copy of Drawn by the Current through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:



In Drawn by the Current A birthday excursion turns deadly when the SS Eastland capsizes with Olive Pierce and her best friend on board. Hundreds perish when the Eastland Capsizes.





In the aftermath of the tragedy Olive returns to her work at a Chicago insurance agency and is immersed in the countless investigations related to the accident. But with so many missing, there are not many open-and-shut cases, and she tries to balance her grief with the hard work of finding the truth.



After someone sabotages her progress Olive accepts the help of newspaper photographer Erik Magnussen. As they unravel secrets, the truths they discover impact those closest to Olive. But how long the disaster haunt her and how can she help the others find the peace they deserve?




I give Drawn by the Current five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This was a very enjoyable book to read. It is the 3rd book in a series. Since I haven't read the other two I can attest it reads very nicely as a standalone. The cover drew me in and the story kept me interested. It had good pacing, engaging characters and is based on the real life tragedy of the Eastland disaster on the Chicago river.

"Drawn by the Current was an intense depiction of the historic capsizing of the SS Eastwood and the ensuing investigations. Author Jocelyn Green, in her typical fashion, filled the pages with intrigue and insight into the way things might have occurred.

As a woman in the early 1900s, Olive struggled to gain the respect the men she worked with received. Mr. Roth, her boss, would have been anathematized had he lived in our world today. Some of the things that came out of his mouth!!

I admired Olive's courage, determination, and loyalty. I can't imagine having to make the decisions she had to and appreciated her choices.

The investigation was fun to follow. And I loved Erik! The sweet ""coffee"" date attempt made me smile, despite how it ended.

Be warned, though. The chapter describing Olive's escape from the capsized ship was a little gruesome! While I am sure this was very realistic, I found it difficult to read.

Readers who enjoy historical romance filled with intrigue will want to read Drawn by the Current.


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own."

“Your value comes from a much deeper place than who your employer is. You were made in the image of God, and who you are is bigger than what you do.”

Jocelyn Green is an amazing author who accurately relates historical events while conveying solid truth in an unforgettable novel. Drawn by the Current is the third and final book of The Windy City Saga which tells the story of one Chicago family from the Chicago fire through the sinking of the SS Eastland.

While Green gives enough background for Drawn by the Current to stand alone, the book is so much richer with the memories of the previous novels. I enjoyed seeing old friends Sylvie, Kristof, and Meg again. The personalities of those three have matured and wrap the reader in the comfort of older, wise, and loved confidantes.

Olive fights many of the battles of a modern woman, yet fits within her era. She is a nurturer at heart, finding meaning in life as she helps others. She works at a life insurance company and wishes to advance, but her boss feels women cannot use their brains. Olive deals with domestic abuse, PTSD, and loyalty. She desperately searches for the truth while concealing secrets of her own. I wholly identified with Olive when she, at last, learns a great lesson about herself and how God sees her.

Erik is charming through and through. I loved how he takes so much time out of his life to help Olive with her searches. He is so brave to protect Olive. Yet, he doesn’t protect her heart.

A historical novel of great depth, plumbing what it means to survive physically, emotionally, and spiritually. For the keeper shelf.

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Wow, what an incredible, nail-biting story this author intertwines with a huge tragedy. Olive Pierce works at MetLife Insurance she is hoping to get a promotion to investigator, she would be a trailblazer as this is a male only position. Her boss sees Olive as someone who does paperwork, answers the phone and gets him coffee. Nothing more.

Olive Pierce invites a friend to a birthday excursion on the SS Eastland, in Chicago. What was supposed to be an amazing, beautiful day for Olive Pierce and her friend, Claire, turns out to be deadly. While Olive tries to track down the living amongst the dead, she runs into Erik Magnussen. He is a private investigator and has pictures of that horrific day that Olive would like to see. Olive is trying to track down family members that might still be alive. She looks at this as an opportunity to show her boss she can be so much more than someone who gets his coffee and answers the phone.

Readers get more than learning about the SS Eastland tragedy, there is an intricate web the author weaves, with Olive in the middle of a mystery that could turn deadly for her and her family.

This is a page turner that will keep you up at night trying to figure out how things will work out. I like how the author included a few characters from previous books that worked at the bookstore.

This is a book you don’t want to miss. It’s one that would work great for your next book club pick. There is so much to talk about. The author helps by including notes to readers uncovering historical facts and myths. This book could be read as a standalone, but you’ll have a richer read by reading the other two books in this series. I’ll learn so much.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

I was awaiting so long for this story! This is the conclusion to the Epic Windy City Saga Trilogy and what a magnificent ending!
Jocelyn Green is a master of Historical Fiction, with such accurate and deeply researched details that she creates such wonderful, vivid and realistic stories! I felt transported to Chicago in the early 1900s!
This is Olive Pierce’s story, and I loved that she’s Meg’s youngest daughter (Meg is one of the main characters in the first book, Veiled in Smoke), and we get to see what has transpired throughout the years in Meg and Sylvie’s lives and their families.
It’s 1915 and Olive has been working at MetLife Insurance Company for seven years and think it’s time for a promotion, but her condescending boss still thinks women capacities are lesser than men. While she determines to prove her worth, she discovers her best friend Claire is having a hard time, and her marriage may not be all the bliss she thought it was. When they both embark for a Birthday excursion on the SS Eastland steamboat, neither expect it to be a day that will change their lives forever. The boat capsizes and a tragedy ensues. Many people, more than 800, will perish in the accident. Worse enough, her friend Claire never appears among the survivors. Dealing with the loss, she returns to work at her insurance company and gets involved in investigations regarding the accident. She starts uncovering many wrong and suspicious things. Taking after her father, who was a journalist always in search for the truth, she ends in the Chicago Tribune Building, looking for some answers, where she meets Erik Magnussen, who offers to help her clear and uncover all the deadly secrets. But someone opposes for the truth to come out and sabotages their work. Will the uncovering of secrets be worth the risk over their lives? How will she overcome the trauma the tragic accident has brought into her life? How can she help others move on and embrace life in spite of all the loss and hurt?
This is an amazing trilogy, and I think this book is without doubt the best one of all! I love that all the books are based on historical events (the great Chicago Fire, the Chicago International Fair, and now the disaster of the SS Eastland in the Chicago River in June 1915) and it amazes me how the author brings these historical events to life through amazing characters with engaging and unique plots. There’s always intrigue, and in this case, there was lots of it. The case of the accident, the abusing marriage relationship of Olive’s best friend, the lack of work ethic at the insurance company, etc. The themes that we experience with this book are hard and relatable to today’s problems in our society: dealing with loss and grief, standing up to what is right, defending the vulnerable, abusive relationships, family ties, defending the value of every single person, working in a lacking of ethic professional ambient, etc. I like how the book shows that, in spite of that we have to always search for the truth, there might be emotional and undermining circumstances that may justify the need to conceal some of those truths from people with evil intents. Still, it’s clear that God is the Light and the Truth, and that evil ends up failing (mostly) in their dark schemes. I loved Olive’s character: her determination to do what is right, her desire to prove her worth (although she’ll have to discover if her job position defines her of the way God sees her), her compassionate heart and her willing to sacrifice. There is a lot for her to learn through the story, and I loved the way Erik helps her see some things in a better light.
There’s everything I love in a book here: historical detail, wonderful and deep characters, a genuine plot based on historical events, a sweet romance, intrigue, and an inspiring message. This is a book that I will not soon forget! It kept me engaged from page one, it's an historical page turner!
I definitely recommend it to Historical Fiction Lovers! A book, and a trilogy, that touched me and gripped my heart, worth reading and treasuring!
I received a complimentary early copy by the Publisher via NetGalley, but I also purchased later a physical copy of the book. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Drawn by the Current is another amazing book in the Windy City Saga by Jocelyn Green.
The reason I love this author's book so much is that though historical fiction they are based on true events. We find a wonderful mixture of fact and fiction effortlessly mixed into this book with plenty of research into details to back up her writing.
Another one taking place in Chicago she reawakens the tragedy of the SS Eastland, a passenger ship used for touring, capsizing on 24 July 1915. Many lives were unfortunately lost. close to 1,ooo. The author's writing honors these passengers and crew members lives.
I was captivated while reading this page-turner , may we never forget the victims of this tragedy.
This is one of my absolute favorite authors. This story is worth staying up late for.


Pub Date 01 Feb 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This is an incredible historical novel!

I was horrified by the story of the SS Eastland. I had never even heard of this disaster. After getting through the tragedy itself I had to look it up online to learn more. I’m always amazed when I learn about historical events by reading fictional books. The author has done a fantastic job of making things come alive. The descriptions and details she includes painted a very clear picture in my mind.

I love Olive, Claire, Erik, and all of Olive’s family. It was wonderful to see the growth and maturing of the three main characters as the story progressed. They each learned some very valuable lessons about life as they navigated the aftermath of the disaster.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

I reviewed this book for the May issue of Historical Novels Review magazine, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society. Per their policy, I cannot post a review online until this review is published on their website on May 1st. I will update the review after that time.

A seamless tale of fact and fiction, this is a memorable story that honors the real life victims and heroes of the SS Eastland disaster of 1915. Ms. Green's attention to detail and vivid prose drew me into the story, leaving me to feel as if I was fighting to survive this horrid catastrophe. Whenever I crack open a book by Ms. Green I am totally immersed into the world she has created.

Ms. Green masterfully entwines Olive's story with that of the disaster. While investigating unclosed claims linked to the disaster, Olive finds that she will question her own motives as she seeks to battle injustice. Packed with mystery, this story of friendship, family and love will enthrall its readers. This is a fantastic conclusion to the Windy City Saga. This is Jocelyn Green at her finest.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.