"Luck of the Titanic" by Stacey Lee

Luck of the Titanic (May 4, 2021) by Stacey Lee.

Determined to find her brother, 17-year-old Valora Luck prepares to board the Titanic, having heard that her twin, Jamie, is on the ship with other coal workers heading to Cuba. Val’s employer, an older Caucasian woman, has recently died, but Val has a ticket for first class, and continues with the travel plans as is. Val and her brother are British-Chinese, and with the Chinese Exclusion Act in place in America, she’s told that she can’t board because “at least half of you needs documentation.” A trained acrobat practically since birth, she figures out a way onto the famed ship readying to embark on its maiden voyage, with the help of a stranger named Miss April Hart. She is an American haute couture designer trying to establish her “House of July” brand.  Disguised as the actually-deceased Mrs. Amberly Sloane, Val does find Jamie – he’s one of eight Chinese men aboard – and convinces him to perform their acrobatic duo act, “Valor and Virtue,” if she wins a bet. Val knows, from Mrs. Sloane’s list of “distinguished passengers,” that Mr. Albert Ankeny Stewart will be among the first class guests; he is part owner of the Ringling Brothers Circus. Val has seven days to make this meeting with Mr. Stewart happen, and she has the cleverness and resolve to make it so. As if the acrobatics aren’t tricky enough, Val has to keep a low profile since she’s actually a stowaway, Jamie appears to have zero interest in returning to acrobatics (even for one performance on the ship), and, then, of course, there’s the iceberg.

            Despite the title employing the word “Luck,” it also contains the word “Titanic,” so my thoughts going in were that the novel was going to be devastating despite any strokes of luck the main character had. And … yes, those thoughts were correct. This was my first novel by Stacey Lee, and it’s such an immersive, emotional story. In a time where fantasy is so popular, it’s not often that one encounters a historical fiction novel that is YA, but that is also powerful in its telling. Valora deals with concerns of family, but also treatment by class and racial identity. This story may take place in April of 1912, but certain themes resonate strongly today. It’s a mesmerizing tale, and it swept me away as soon as I started Chapter One. The cast shows diversity, the storyline is historical, compassionate and smart, and supporting characters range from strong to empathetic to uppity to greedy to scary. “Luck of the Titanic” is as brilliant as it is devastating, as gorgeous as it is heartbreaking. Reading it felt fresh and seamless, despite knowing Titanic’s fate.

            Note: Readers of this story MUST read the Author’s Notes at the end. In truth, there were actually eight Chinese men aboard the Titanic, and six survived. Unfortunately, their stories are not widely-known, and efforts to uncover the stories have thus far proven difficult, as those men were shamed for surviving and most did not share their Titanic stories with their own families. Lee’s book is a tribute to those men who hold a place in history that we know so little about.

            Favorite lines: “Grudges are like heavy skirts – they’re just extra weight. I design my clothes to be fluid and easy to move in, so that when life takes unexpected turns, you won’t get stuck” (pp. 217-218). --April to Val, sharing how she chose to name her “House of July” brand