From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Forgotten Room comes a captivating historical mystery, infused with romance, that links the lives of three women across a century—two deep in the past, one in the present—to the doomed passenger liner, RMS Lusitania.May 2013Her finances are in dire straits and bestselling author Sarah Blake is struggling to find a big idea for her next book. … Sarah Blake is struggling to find a big idea for her next book. Desperate, she breaks the one promise she made to her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother and opens an old chest that belonged to her great-grandfather, who died when the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat in 1915. What she discovers there could change history. Sarah embarks on an ambitious journey to England to enlist the help of John Langford, a recently disgraced Member of Parliament whose family archives might contain the only key to the long-ago catastrophe. . . .
April 1915
Southern belle Caroline Telfair Hochstetter’s marriage is in crisis. Her formerly attentive industrialist husband, Gilbert, has become remote, pre-occupied with business . . . and something else that she can’t quite put a finger on. She’s hoping a trip to London in Lusitania’s lavish first-class accommodations will help them reconnect—but she can’t ignore the spark she feels for her old friend, Robert Langford, who turns out to be on the same voyage. Feeling restless and longing for a different existence, Caroline is determined to stop being a bystander, and take charge of her own life. . . .
Tessa Fairweather is traveling second-class on the Lusitania, returning home to Devon. Or at least, that’s her story. Tessa has never left the United States and her English accent is a hasty fake. She’s really Tennessee Schaff, the daughter of a roving con man, and she can steal and forge just about anything. But she’s had enough. Her partner has promised that if they can pull off this one last heist aboard the Lusitania, they’ll finally leave the game behind. Tess desperately wants to believe that, but Tess has the uneasy feeling there’s something about this job that isn’t as it seems. . . .
As the Lusitania steams toward its fate, three women work against time to unravel a plot that will change the course of their own lives . . . and history itself.
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Fiction meets fact when a writer finds an old trunk of her great great grandfather, who died on the Lusitania. Surprised by what she discovers inside, she begins digging deeper into the mystery with the help of a descendant of a fellow passenger on that fateful voyage. The story comes together through the narratives of the writer and two female passengers on the Lusitania.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn’t know much about the sinking of the Luisitania but I love historical fiction. This book did not disappoint! Great characters, good plot to keep you guessing, romance & intrigue= great read!!
I really liked this book. It was suspenseful with great characters. Great for historical fiction fans.
Wonderful book. Loved the character development. This group of authors writes so well together. Looking for more from them. I’ve already read most of their individual books.
Beatriz Williams, Laura Willig, & Karen White The Glass Ocean…
A trifecta of authors, these three amazing storytellers dazzle you each on their own but together as one voice are simply astonishing. Historical fiction, women’s fiction, romance, mystery.. it has it all. I am huge fan of books with multiple storylines that weave together and these ladies are masters of the art. I started listening to the audio book and the narrator is fantastic, luckily I also own a print copy so at night I could pick up right where the audio book left off. If you haven’t read The Glass Ocean, you should and while you are picking up this one, grab anyone of these authors individual books and you will not be disappointed!
Another enjoyable read by three wonderful authors. I was engrossed from page one and hated that I had to do anything but sit and read it from beginning to end. I love that the authors are able to put the story together so seamlessly, and the story and characters were well-written and interesting. All of these authors are must-reads for me and I can’t wait to read their next collaboration!
A story of romance, illicit affairs, espionage, and tragedy.
It’s 2013 and Sarah Blake needs to find inspiration for her next best-selling book. At her wit’s end she opens her great-grandfather’s chest and discovers information that could be history changing regarding the sinking of the Lusitania.
Go back 98 years to April 1915 and we meet Caroline, a first-class passenger, who is married to Gilbert. Gilbert is very pre-occupied and Caroline hopes this cruise ignites a spark in their marriage. What she did not expect was to run into her first love, Robert Langford.
Tessa Fairweather, a second-class passenger, is working with her sister to obtain the music composition that is in the hands of Gilbert. Tessa does not understand why she is to get this music but one thing she does understand is that she is falling for Robert.
What does Sarah learn and how does each passenger above affect the outcome?
I opted to listen to the audiobook and let me state it is FOURTEEN hours of listening. I enjoyed the audiobook as the narrator did an excellent job with all the characters. My issue was I did not have a lot of time lumped together to listen to a good chunk at one time.
The story jumps between Sarah (2013), Caroline (1915) and Tessa (1915) so you do need to keep track of who is talking and what year it is. It is pretty easy since the majority of Caroline and Tessa’s time is on the Lusitania.
I knew very little about the sinking of the Lusitania and The Glass Ocean has whetted my appetite for more.
This book brings the sinking of the Lithuania to life.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the second collaborative between three great authors. The three main characters blended beautifully with each other. Kept me guessing until the end.
A 400-page books seems daunting but The Glass Ocean is an exception. I couldn’t believe that after just an hour of reading I was already ¼ of the way through the book and was looking for more time to pick up the book and read another chapter or two. There were times I thought I’d just read a chapter and then found that an hour later I was still reading.
Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White are all authors that I have read separately and I was intrigued by how they would come together to write one book. The Glass Ocean has three different timeframes. 2013 is the story of Sarah Blake who is a struggling author looking for information about the Lusitania. 1915 tells the stories of Caroline and Tessa. Each of these ladies gets their own chapters to tell of their time on the Lusitania. I was not familiar with the story of the Lusitania but the authors combined to give the history of this amazing ship and the people on it that I am looking forward to reading more from them.
I loved all three characters. Sarah’s persistence while researching the Lusitania was perfect. She knew there was a story to tell and was only willing to tell the entire story. I loved that she didn’t give up and write half a story, she only wrote what she knew to be true and left some questions unanswered. Caroline was privileged but she was still respected those who worked for her, those who would be seen as a lower class citizen, and she still had flaws. It was great to see that she wasn’t perfect and that she had problems just like everyone else. Tessa had a rough upbringing. She was always looking for the next scam and lived a tough life.
Reading how these three ladies stories come together, how their lives intertwine all while taking what was supposed to be a relaxing cruise.
Very entertaining novel by these three authors. Highly recommended if you like historical romances. Story unfolds at the right pace and the ending is great.
Great read. Interesting and compelling story. Highly recommend!
Books on the sinking of the RMS Lusitania were very popular three years ago as it was the 100th anniversary of the event. Now three years later Team W (Williams, Willig, & White) bring it to the forefront again in THE GLASS OCEAN. This historical fiction novel provides just the right blend of mystery and romance.
The book is written with alternating timelines. It begins in 2013 with author Sarah Blake, broke and struggling to come up with her next book idea. Out of desperation she opens an old chest that had belonged to her great-grandmother. Inside it are the items that were found on the body of her great-grandfather, who had been a first-class steward on board the Lusitania and died on its last voyage when it was sunk by a German U-boat. Among those items Sarah believes she not only has a story but one that will change how history saw the sinking of the great ship. Thus she heads for London to find John Langford whose ancestor was also on board that fateful night. She hopes that his family archives may hold the clues she needs to solve the mystery of what really happened on board the ship.
Then the story flashes back to 1915. Gilbert and Caroline Hochstetter are preparing for their voyage on the Lusitania. Their marriage is floundering and Caroline doesn’t understand why her formerly affectionate husband has become so distant. She is hoping this trip in first-class luxury will revive her marriage. However, also on board is her old friend Robert Langford who provides the attention she has been lacking.
Also on board are sisters Ginny and Tess who are traveling in second-class. However, those are not their real names. Tess is a first-rate forger and her sister learned well from their con-man father. Tess wants out of the game and her sister has promised this will be their last one. When the ship sets sail for England, the lives of the Hochstetters, Langford, and the sisters will be irretrievably linked.
The book was written as a collaboration of the three best-selling authors. The story flows so seamlessly it is impossible to determine which author wrote which portion of the book. It is a pure joy to read a book in which the characters come to life and I feel like a participant in the story rather than just an observer. My heart raced as people were frantically attempting to flee the sinking ship. I could feel the fear, hear the screams, see the panic on the faces. This is masterful writing!
Excellent characters and mystery! I enjoyed the writing styles of the authors and their characters!
Love, love, love this book. Two storylines during two time periods told by three characters involving a ship that sunk in the early 1900s (the other ship). . It was such an entertaining read. At times, it was tragic, and other times I laughed out loud. So many plot twists. There was romance, deceit, espionage, loyalty, and disloyalty. You would not guess that it was written by three authors, but I think that lent itself to developing very unique characters. A must read!
I have read a non-fiction account of the sinking of the Luisitania, but this is a novel with characters and a mystery included. I do not know if it is true, but it is compelling.
History, Mystery, Wisdom and Love
THE GLASS OCEAN flows beautifully through the decades and points of view, presenting a story with heart and surprises . . . so many turns that I did NOT see coming.
Descriptions are lush, and the transitions between chapters are beautifully dove-tailed, so much to enjoy! Some books I race through, but this was one to savor and admire and puzzle over and ponder even after finishing.
The writing team of White, Williams, and Willig have created another amazing work. There’s a rumor that there will be another collaborative creation, set in Paris. I can hardly wait.
Lifestyle and excesses of the rich: “You could herd cattle in that hall and still have room left over for a dry goods store and a saloon.”
Love: “It’s easy to love someone you can’t have. There’s no risk in it.”
On great books: “the real magic is between the lines. What he implies but doesn’t say . . . characters so acute . . . some telling detail that makes you catch your breath.” (This applies to GLASS OCEAN as well. Characters I CARE about).
On being oneself: “This room was her new world where she could be someone else . . . where she could finally be her.” “No regrets.”
Beauty: “The flat smoothness of the ocean reflected the brilliant blue sky like a looking glass, giving the illusion of endless heaven.”
Personal responsibility but not for all the ills of the world: “What if I could have stopped this?”
“It’s not on you . . . None of it. I refuse to let you blame yourself.”
This book was a 2 ½ rounded up to a 3. My review is going to be different from many that I’ve read so far. This book first had me disliking it, then liking it, then disliking it again. It didn’t help I guess that I had just watched Titanic with my granddaughter for about the 10th time. Here’s what I thought.
There is such an extensive blurb for this book that I will just give you snippets of what the book is about. There are three different narrators, two that will be aboard the Lusitania in the past and one in the present, or at least 2013.
Caroline is the wife of a very wealthy industrialist Gilbert Hochstetter, she has felt that lately her husband has been preoccupied and not very attentive to her. She is hoping this trip to London will rekindle the marriage fires. Gilbert is definitely up to something, but what?
“Tessa Fairweather is traveling second-class on the Lusitania, returning home to Devon. Or at least, that’s her story. Tessa has never left the United States and her English accent is a hasty fake. She’s really Tennessee Schaff, the daughter of a roving con man, and she can steal and forge just about anything” Her sister Ginny is the one who talked her into this “job” aboard the Lusitania. She was under the impression that she was going to steal and then copy a long lost waltz by Strauss, but when she finds out this is about something much more she wants out of the job! She isn’t even sure of what she found in the safe, what is this extra sheet of paper with numbers, etc?????
Sarah Blake is a best selling author but in 2013 she is struggling to find her next big idea for a book. She breaks a promise to her mother and opens a chest that belonged to her great-great grandfather. She finds references to the sinking of the Lusitania and perhaps something else that might make for a great story. She decides to go to England to find John Landford whose family archives etc might hold the secret to what really happened on the Lusitania.
Confused yet? I certainly was. I usually don’t mind books that go back and forth in time, in fact I like that writing style, but this book did not flow smoothly for me. Add to that there are several romantic triangles, none of which were very convincing as the women kept changing their minds as to whom they loved.
I felt that there were many comparisons to the story of the Titanic in the beginning including the description of the opulence aboard the ship, etc. Tess also just happened to be a remarkable sketch artist, very, very talented, sound familiar??
When I researched the sinking of the Lusitania, just through Goggle, it seemed crazy that the ship even sailed when the Germans had warned the US and Britain that they would attack any ships sailing in a war zone. According to the book they were supposed to have an escort by the British Navy but there is no history to support that according to what I found.
I really wanted to like this book but it ended up being just an o.k. read for me and at times really confusing and annoying to sort out. I’m giving it 3 stars because the premise was a good one and there was some good writing here.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.