Luck of The Titanic by Stacey Lee

 

Publisher: Putnam Books for Young Readers

Publication date : May 4th 2021 

Pages: 304

Southampton, 1912; Seventeen year old Valora Luck is about to board the Titanic. Traveling after her lady boss died and she has to get her trunk with clothing, which is onboard the Titanic. Her brother Jamie is also on the Titanic, and she has to see him. There is only a problem; Valora is Chinese, and there still is the Chinese Exclusion Act in working order in the United States, and Valora is denied entrance to the Titanic because she doesn't have the right papers. Then she gets a plan to smuggle herself onboard, which succeeds. Circumstances land her in the expensive suite of her former lady boss, and she gets the plan to pose as her in her clothes and a face veil to stay on the ship, and get of the ship with her brother Jamie and make a new life in the United States.and Valora has tasked herself with convincing her twin that their old life of acrobatics is their ticket into a new world of possibility. But then the Titanic hits an iceberg.

Luck of the Titanic is based on the mainly unknown story of the 6 Chinese passengers, who seem to have been written out of history and the Titanic stories. (there is deleted scene in the movie though where a Chinese passenger is rescued). In this story we follow the fictional characters of Valora and Jaimie and the other Chinese men Jamie travels with. The story is entertaining, you constantly have the idea that Val is going to get unmasked behind her veil, especially when she gets into somewhat uncomfortable circumstances. She also meets a lady, Mrs. Hart, who asks her to wear her dresses onboard the ship, and she promises not to unveil Val's identity. This was a nice side storyline altough it had a bit of a loose end. Her time on the ship is the entertaining part of the story, which soon turns into a tragic one when the Titanic hits the iceberg and everyones life is in danger, especially the people in steerage. Will Val and Jamie survive and make it to America? Find out in this gripping new book by Stacey Lee, don't miss it!!