“In this, her third novel, Kim Izzo renders the last voyage of the Lusitania in such terrifyingly accurate detail that we readers cannot help but feel we too are aboard that doomed ship—and in Winston Churchill’s ultra-secret lair, Room 40—as the ineluctable forces of history converge.” — Erik Larson, bestselling author of The Splendid and the VileFor readers of Kate Williams, Beatriz Williams … Vile
For readers of Kate Williams, Beatriz Williams and Jennifer Robson, a captivating novel of love and resilience during the Great War, inspired by the author’s family history.
As the First World War rages in continental Europe, two New York heiresses, Sydney and Brooke Sinclair, are due to set sail for England. Brooke is engaged to marry impoverished aristocrat Edward Thorpe-Tracey, the future Lord Northbrook, in the wedding of the social calendar. Sydney has other adventures in mind; she is drawn to the burgeoning suffragette movement, which is a constant source of embarrassment to her proper sister. As international tempers flare, the German embassy releases a warning that any ships making the Atlantic crossing are at risk. Undaunted, Sydney and Brooke board the Lusitania for the seven-day voyage with Edward, not knowing that disaster lies ahead.
In London, Isabel Nelson, a young woman grateful to have escaped her blemished reputation in Oxford, has found employment at the British Admiralty in the mysterious Room 40. While she begins as a secretary, it isn’t long before her skills in codes and cyphers are called on, and she learns a devastating truth and the true cost of war.
As the days of the voyage pass, these four lives collide in a struggle for survival as the Lusitania meets its deadly fate.
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Very interesting and informative. Great story based on true facts.
A fictional tale spun around the historical account of the 1915 Lusitania tragedy. I thought the book had a long, slow start, and it wasn’t until the ship set sail that it really held my attention. What a wonderful tribute to pass on, in honor of the author’s great-grandfather who survived the sinking. The author’s note in the back of the book is also interesting and informative. There’s a fine line between a conspiracy and an act of terror.
This was a good book.
It was emotional and engaging and I found that I tore through it, not being able to put it down. I liked the historical pretense and the fact that it sent me out searching a couple times for the actual historical accounts of what happened.
But more than that, the story was engaging and entertaining.
Although a work of fiction it brought to life the very real events of WW1 and the sinking of the Lusitannia.
Very interesting read about the Lusitania. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions with the events leading to getting the US involved in Workd War 1. The back and forth between passengers in the ship and the decoders in room 40 was quite interesting to me.
I absolutely love this book! What a page turner! The characters are so well drawn. This is one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read! Highly recommended!
The story started off strong but then it became Very predictable. The characters seemed very superficial. Not very engaging.
Predictable but fun. Very well written. Historically interesting. Enjoyed it!
Fantastic. Excellent writing. Hard to put down.
Great story with history as it’s backdrop, certainly a good read.
nice story line fun reading to have at night
Wonderfully written
It would have helped if I had like any of the characters.
Kim Izzo’s Seven Days in May is essentially two mini-stories revolving around the Lusitania, with the characters in each never meeting, intersecting, or even passing, excuse the pun, like ships in the night.
Brooke and Sydney Sinclair are two of New York’s wealthiest and most eligible heiresses. Brooke has fulfilled her heart’s desire in landing a young, English “aristo” who will give her the title she so desires. Her younger sister, Sydney, tends toward the more political activities of the day, namely women’s suffrage and family planning. Of course, they get along like oil and water, such that Sydney, upon boarding the Lusitania, forgoes their joint suite and books herself into third class for the voyage to England – and Brooke’s wedding. The arrangement must be concealed from the future earl, Edward Thorpe-Tracey, lest he be too scandalized to follow through with the marriage. (Spoiler alert: He does find out, and is far more intrigued by Sydney’s feisty independence than scandalized by her “outrageous” act.)
Simultaneously, Isabel Nelson, has earned her way into work in the highly secretive Room 40, where she works alongside a cadre of high-ranking men from the British Admiralty decoding intercepted German messages. In this capacity, she has access to top-secret communications, including many about the Lusitania; she routinely frets over matters far beyond her pay grade and even second-guesses Churchill. Thanks to any number of clumsily dropped clues, the reader figures out pretty early that Isabel has a secret past. Her past feels like the most contrived part of Seven Days in May and together with her meddling in things that she clearly shouldn’t, renders her the most unbearable of the characters, in my ever humble estimation.
In the end, I had two major complaints:
1) Seven Days in May was inspired by true events. Izzo’s great-grandfather did sail on the Lusitania (and survived to tell the tale). He appears in the highly likeable person of Walter Dawson (Izzo’s grandfather’s name, in fact). Dawson is a third class passenger whom Sydney befriends; focusing more on him and less on the simpering Brooke and out-for-battle Sydney would only have improved the narrative.
2) It feels like Izzo had two stories she wanted to tell here, but not enough material for either one to stand on its own. Still, it was hard to understand why the second story, that of Isabel Nelson, had to be there, particularly given that the portion of the story set on-board the Lusitania didn’t lack for action – and probably could have been drawn out further.
Final verdict: Skip Seven Days and head directly for Erik Larson’s Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania.
(This review was originally published at https://www.thisyearinbooks.com/2018/01/seven-days-in-may.html)
Interesting story of the sinking of the Lusitania and some of the people on board and how it effected their lives.
Great read
Couldn’t put it down!
It was interesting to read about the actions of Germany and how Britain was trying to get America to enter into with boots on the ground World War 1.
I knew how it would end but didn’t mind because the rest of the story was so good.
Couldn’t put it down
Loved it. Told the story of the Luisitania with nail-biting accuracy and detail.