The Lifeboat: A Novel by Charlotte Rogan

Final Rating: 5/5 

 

With as many depths as the sea, The Lifeboat is a multifaceted jewel of a debut novel.

 

With as many depths as the sea, The Lifeboat is a multifaceted jewel of a debut novel. This is no flimsy story following the opportunistic marketing trend that seems to currently crowd the library book shelves. The Lifeboat stands alone and shatters the mold to create a worthy novel for those readers who crave a psychological realistic examination of the dark side of human nature with a fictional disaster as the perfect catalyst.

     The reader will be drawn immediately to Ms. Rogan's ability to capture the late Edwardian era with her attention to research, dialogue and description. With only a few words, the reader will be transported and captivated by the narrator Grace Winter, who reminded this reviewer of the cunning and tragic Lily Bart from Edith Wharton's beautifully crafted The House of Mirth. The characters were multidimensional and represented a cornucopia of human personalities and emotions from the passive-weak heartened to the paranoid and detached, and finally to the cunning and manipulative. Historical details were evenly dispensed throughout and added to the well constructed imagery, a dose of ancient theories are sprinkled in that may surprise the potential reader and finally add a minute touch of religion (but not overly preachy or intrusive); everything falls into its own niche and equals to a perfect consistency.

    In the end, I was extremely surprised with my response when I reached the final page. I honestly loved it and highly recommend The Lifeboat. Even with the greatest literary works, there were a few wanting or bothersome particulars that normally would cause me to deduct a star but The Lifeboat supplied me with the major morsels I crave when I invest my time and attention in a Historical fiction novel. The book ultimately caused reflection, stayed with me days after and illustrated sublime research pertaining to major and minute historical details (that are usually frustratingly overlooked by new authors) and that is what warrants 5 stars. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Rogan and hope she stays in the Edwardian era or researches the Victorian period for her next work, her voice and talents can certainly carry either.

-Reviewed in May 2012, review written May 2012/ copy of THE LIFEBOAT borrowed from local library