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A Novel
From the author of The Perfume Thief, a remarkable tale about the life-changing power of books and second chances, following the Titanic librarian who opens a bookshop in Paris where he meets a secret society of survivors.
For weeks after the sinking of the Titanic, Yorick spots his own name among the list of those lost at sea. As an apprentice librarian for the White Star Line, his job was to curate the ship's second-class library. But the day the Titanic set sail he was left stranded at the dock.
After the ship's sinking, Yorick takes this twist of fate as a sign to follow his lifelong dream of owning a bookshop in Paris. Soon after, he receives an invitation to a secret society of survivors where he encounters other ticket-holders who didn't board the ship. Haunted by their good fortune, they decide to form a book society, where they can grapple with their own anxieties through heated discussions of The Awakening or The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Of this ragtag group, Yorick finds himself particularly drawn to the glamorous Zinnia and the mysterious Haze, and a tangled triangle of love and friendship forms among them. Yet with the Great War on the horizon and the unexpected death of one of their own, the surviving book club members are left wondering what fate might have in store.
Elegant and elegiac, The Titanic Survivors Book Club is a dazzling ode to love, chance, and the transformative power of books to bring people together.
"Lush and intricately researched... The marvelous sensuous details [make] this star-crossed lovers' tale an absolute delight, and the underlying themes of book banning and suppressed sexuality resonate. Schaffert has outdone himself."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Lush... Schaffert has a [strong] gift for atmosphere... The novel is at its best in evoking the sumptuous details of prewar life in Paris... [A] swoony romance with a dash of history."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Exquisite... Schaffert writes stylish, intelligent fiction that casts new light on familiar settings, and his appreciation for lush details feels so very Parisian. This isn't a standard cozy novel about book clubs but rather an elegantly moody take on love, literature, and the indelible connections they create."
—Booklist
"Deeply moving and rich with vivid detail, The Titanic Survivors Book Club is as heartbreaking as it is enthralling. About love, fate, desire, and the power of books, this wonderful novel will delight fans of historical fiction and captivate booklovers. Timothy Schaffert is an exquisite storyteller."
—Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets We Kept
"Book a trip to Paris with this intriguing take on the Titanic story. For members of The Titanic Survivors Book Club, hard luck brings good fortune and second chances. Echoes of a modern Cyrano love triangle set in the Parisian bookshop La Sirène will keep you turning the pages in this powerful ode to books and friendship."
—Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library
This information about The Titanic Survivors Book Club was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
©timothyschaffert.com
Timothy Schaffert grew up on a farm in Nebraska and now lives in Omaha. He is the author of The Swan Gondola as well as four previous critically acclaimed novels, which have been among Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selections, Indie Next Picks, and New York Times Editor's Choices. Schaffert teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Link to Timothy Schaffert's Website
Name Pronunciation
Timothy Schaffert: sch-Aff-ert
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Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim
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