Arrogance and innocence, hubris and hope—twenty-four haunting voices of the Titanic tragedy, as well as the iceberg itself, are evoked in a stunning tour de force.
Millionaire John Jacob Astor hopes to bring home his pregnant teen bride with a minimum of media scandal. A beautiful Lebanese refugee, on her way to family in Florida, discovers the first stirrings of love. And an ancient iceberg glides south, anticipating its fateful encounter. The voices in this remarkable re-creation of the Titanic disaster span classes and stations, from Margaret (“the unsinkable Molly”) Brown to the captain who went down with his ship; from the lookout and wireless men to a young boy in search of dragons and a gambler in search of marks. Slipping in telegraphs, undertaker’s reports, and other records, poet Allan Wolf offers a breathtaking, intimate glimpse at the lives behind the tragedy, told with clear-eyed compassion and astounding emotional power.
Download and start listening now!
"Verse novel: This was my first verse novel I think. I kind of looked at it as a book of poetry that told a story. I liked the way it opened with the undertaker's voice as we are in the present after the ship has crashed so we see the death and destruction that was caused. It is kind of morbid and grim but not without reason. This is a tragic event and I am sure being an undertaker for such carnage was not easy. I like the way the sections were divided into what leg of the journey it was on. My favorite would have to be the prelude, there was so much hope and promise with this amazing ship because no one knew what lay ahead. I did not like the way the iceberg used biblical references for a time reference. It seemed unnecessary and there coild have been more valid hisstorical people and events to include. However, seeing it speak throughout the book was a nice touch. I did like the way the tone changed for each new speaker it gave them all a distinctive personality. It was actually a really good book that I enjoyed. The length was kind of daunting but it was well worth it. This was much more engaing for me than Titanic Sinks!I think the author did an amazing job"
— Whitney (4 out of 5 stars)
“This production tells the story of the passengers on the Titanic through interlinked poems from multiple perspectives. Five narrators help listeners keep the large cast straight as they create appropriate and distinct voices for each character. The range of accents (American, British, Norwegian, Irish, French, and Pakistani, to name a few), pitches, and tones makes the poetry and story accessible, and the way the production incorporates details like the chanting of a mail sorter and a periodic Morse Code sound effect adds verisimilitude. Dispatches from an undertaker who retrieves bodies after the accident are a continual reminder of where this story is headed, making the narrators’ jobs all the more important as they urge listeners to become invested in these characters. A weighty and compelling listen. Winner of the 2012 Audie Award for Distinguished Achievement in Production.”
— AudioFile“Allan Wolf has imagined his way deep into the cold, dark waters of history and has come back carrying a couple of dozen voices that he discovered there, voices whose authenticity is not only convincing but compelling. With the publication of this fine book, we know at last—and we know as well as sisters and brothers—some of the people who went down with the Titanic.”
— Ted Kooser, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and former US poet laureate“A richly textured novel in verse…Wolf’s carefully crafted characters evolve as the voyage slides to its icy conclusion; readers may be surprised by the potency of the final impact.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“A masterpiece. Wolf leaves no emotion unplumbed, no area of research uninvestigated, and his voices are so authentic they hurt. Everyone should read it.”
— Booklist (starred review)“Gives voice, through first-person accounts, to a cross section of passengers and crew on the Titanic…The themes of natural disaster, technology, social class, survival, and death all play out here.”
— Horn Book (starred review)“Brings the history and, more importantly, the human scale of the event to life by giving voice to the players themselves…A lyrical, monumental work of fact and imagination that reads like an oral history revved up by the drama of the event.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Gives readers an emotional punch…The facts that are revealed by the narrative are stunning, and the voices range from the desperate to the complacent…Very enthusiastically recommended.”
— Children’s Literature“The ensemble narrators unfold another brilliant facet of this historical fiction gem, providing varied accents and nuances for each character. This phenomenal audio version of a stirring story should be part of all high school and public library collections.”
— School Library Journal (starred audio review)“Wow.”
— Junior Library Guild" Titanic is my favorite movie, I have read about the Titanic, watched interviews of the survivors, etc. I know pretty much everything about the Titanic. My best friend knows this and she suggested this book for me. I love how the characters are actual people that boarded the Titanic. This is a very thick book that took me a long time to read but I don't regret it for a moment. I am always looking to learn more about the Titanic and this book had facts that even I did not know. "
— Leanna, 2/17/2014" Absolutely phenomenal as an audiobook. "
— Heather, 2/12/2014" Oh my God. What an incredible book. Different voices of real people that were on the Titanic written into poetry. Ten interlocking stories altogether, from each part of the ship -- first class, second, third, crewmembers, etc. Some survive, some don't. At the end, there are real bios for each person. "
— Lisa, 2/9/2014" I really like the voice of the Iceberg in this one, it gave a uniquely new menacing feeling to the story. Though I could have done without the rat. I thought that the voices of the character were insightful and genuine to the history. A great historical fiction, I think middle readers who are titanic fanatics will certainly gravitate to it as well as older readers. "
— Ashley, 2/7/2014" History comes to life in this story of the Titanic as told from the perspective of 24 characters. The author brilliantly brings them all to life, and I enjoyed getting to know them. The characters' stories intertwine beautifully, and they are told in unique ways, including telegrams, letters, verse, and undertaker's notes. This book is very well researched, and includes a section at the end which separates fact from fiction. A great read for teens and adults. I absolutely loved it! "
— Kris, 1/19/2014" This book is unlike anything I have ever read before. I absolutely love the movie Titantic, have watched it many times that I cannot keep track. I was very used to the typical story portrayed in the movie and never considered what else took place or what happened from other peoples point of views. I loved reading from the icebergs perspective. I could have never imagined an ice berg giving a point of view but this point makes it so real. There are so many different voices included in this story and it gives so many different backgrounds and perspectives. I found it really interesting to read letters and telegrams that these passengers had written. I really enjoyed the arrogance from some of the wealthy passengers. It almost made the story comical although I need how it would end in the very end. Overall, this was a great and very different read. "
— Alyssa, 1/13/2014" I loved this book! Read in hard copy not E-book, the book itself is really cool! "
— Nanette, 1/12/2014" Outstanding Audio-book!!! "
— Katie, 12/17/2013" Loved this verse novel! A fantastic look at the night that the Titanic sank. I just finished reading "A Night to Remember" with my seniors, and I actually enjoyed this novel more. But they make great companions. "
— Ms., 12/13/2013" This book was terrific. I loved the style in which it was written and seeing the story told from so many viewpoints. I also loved the factual basis shown at the end of the book. A definite must read for Titanic lovers. "
— Brandee, 12/9/2013" Not sure how I feel about this content in the poetry format. I liked the poems by the humans -- not so sure about the rat or the iceberg. . . "
— Cass, 11/3/2013" Completely amazing! "
— Courtney, 9/7/2013" So beautifully told and unimaginably moving. Humanity drips from its pages. "
— Libraryangel, 6/13/2013" Poetic, imaginative, moving--an unusual way to portray the lives of those on the Titanic. "
— Jean, 6/4/2013" Very interesting way to tell a story, and about the sinking of the titanic, at that... "
— Lucy, 5/29/2013" A very interesting way of doing a novel in verse and in looking at the Titanic. 20 different POV's including the ship's rat. The end notes were particularly fascinating as well as the Undertaker. "
— Alyson, 5/4/2013" I enjoyed reading the different possible points of view of the people involved in this tragedy. "
— Mary, 3/13/2013" Good as audio! "
— Melissa, 1/29/2013" Absolutely phenomenal. I couldn't put it down. "
— Sarah, 1/20/2013" I. Love. History. And because of that I thought I'd heard every way you could possibly tell the story of the Titanic. I was so wrong. This is probably one of the best historical fiction/Titanic books I've ever read. LOVE the poetry format. "
— Aileen, 11/24/2012" Another Titanic book but the author does a great job of presenting the information; the book is told in prose with each person giving you their perspective of the events. Includes the captain, the ship builder, Molly Brown, the iceberg, the lookout, etc. "
— Raelene, 11/16/2012" I think I liked his book New Found Land about Lewis and Clark better but this is still quite and accomplishment. "
— Cboatfield11, 5/29/2012" While everyone pretty much knows how this one is going to end, the use of verse to tell the tale of 20+ Titanic passengers is riveting. The free verse is very well done and will probably appeal to adults as well as teens. "
— Kate, 11/6/2011" 4.5. <br/> <br/>This was phenomenal. The verse is tight and works with the story. It's a lengthy one, but it reads at a good clip, and it's engaging. I think this one has Printz potential. <br/> <br/>Longer review to come. SO glad I read this. "
— Kelly, 11/5/2011" A very timely prose novel for the 100th anniversary of the Titantic. The voices of the passengers and crew create a moving experience. "
— Mary, 11/5/2011" Other reviewers have said it best, "utterly enthralling." The imaginative use of form and style is compelling without ever being precious, truly a new way to tell a story whose ending everyone knows. This book will stick in your head. "
— Evan, 11/1/2011" LOVE LOVE LOVE! Historical Fiction Novel in Verse is my favorite kind of book. Allan Wolf makes history come alive and uses words like a true craftsman. The end matter was an amazing cherry on top of this well written and amazingly well put together novel. "
— April, 5/17/2011Allan Wolf is an acclaimed poet and storyteller. Along with his two other historical verse novels, The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic and New Found Land: Lewis and Clark’s Voyage of Discovery, he is the author of The Day the Universe Exploded My Head: Poems to Take You into Space and Back Again, The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems about Our Parts, and the young adult novels Who Killed Christopher Goodman? and Zane’s Trace.
Michael Page has been recording audiobooks since 1984 and has over two hundred titles to his credit. He has won numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As a professional actor, he has performed regularly since 1998 with the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He is a professor of theater at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Phil Gigante has narrated more than two hundred audiobooks, earning ten AudioFile Earphones Awards and three of the prestigious Audie Awards for best narration. An actor, director, and producer with over twenty years of experience in theater, film, television, and radio, he is currently the artistic director of Gigantic Productions and Little Giant Children’s Theatre.
Christopher Lane is an award-winning actor, director, and narrator. He has been awarded the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration several times and has won numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Laural Merlington is an audiobook narrator with over two hundred titles to her credit and a winner of multiple Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, she has also directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, she teaches college in her home state of Michigan.
Angela Dawe is an actor, writer, and audiobook narrator based in the Midwest. Her work as an actor has included roles in theater, film, and television, as well as improv and sketch comedy with such theaters as Second City and the Annoyance. In the literary world, Angela has received multiple awards and nominations for her work as an audiobook narrator, and is a published fiction author herself. She holds a BA in philosophy, so if the writing/performing work dries up, she has something to fall back on.