Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind: Desireé's Reviews

Book: Hearts That Survive: A Novel of the Titanic

Author: Yvonne Lehman
Pages: 432
Format: Paperback, Kindle
Publisher: Abingdon Press (March 2012)
Book Source: Publisher
Category: Historical Fiction
Style: Conversational prose, engaging, original plot

Synopsis from GoodReads:

On April 15, 1912, Lydia Beaumont is on her way to a new life with a boundless hope in love and faith. Her new friendship with Caroline Chadwick is bonded even more as they plan Lydia 's wedding on board the grandest ship ever built. Then both women suffer tragic losses when the unsinkable Titanic goes down. Can each survive the scars the disaster left on their lives? . . . more

My Take:

Although the beginning starts off like a typical Titanic novel, the story morphs into a compelling tale of regrets, hiding life-changing secrets, and love.

The story begins with Lydia Beaumont, wealthy heiress to a railroad company. She is accompanied on this trip by Craven Dowd, president of her father's company, and John Ancell, poet and maker of toy trains. The first, her unsaid intended; the second, her secret love. Craven is calm, cool, collected, and pretty much Lydia's 'keeper'.

Due to an unplanned moment of passion, Lydia finds herself pregnant. She tells John, who truly loves her and proposes marriage. They decide to get married on the Titanic—truly a wedding fit for a princess. Not knowing of the child, Craven reluctantly agrees to support the marriage, knowing that Lydia's father would never agree.

Dear Readers,

Desireé Nordin Freeman

I have a side table in my house whereon I pile the books that arrive in the mail with review requests. They come faster than I can read them, so the pile is considerable. My daughter-in-law, Desireé Freeman, spied the table from time to time and thumbed through the various volumes, until she finally started taking them home.

Desireé and I have delightful literary conversations. Since she lives nearby, stops by frequently, and has easy access to my growing library, she has graciously consented to contribute to Perpetual Chaos. I feel certain Desireé's book reviews will provide the perfect counterpoint to my own, especially as our tastes vary widely.

Desireé brings her unique perspective to Chaos. As a young mother, she enjoys the constant adventure of the Terrible Twos, and provides exceptional support to her husband, a full-time law student. She works part-time as a registered medical assistant. She graduated with an associates degree from Brigham Young University Idaho in 2011.