Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Lifeboat

by Charlotte Rogan (Goodreads Author)

3.24 of 5 stars 3.24 · rating details · 8,975 ratings · 1,906 reviews

Grace Winter, 22, is both a newlywed and a widow. She is also on trial for her life.
In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner carrying her and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a lifeboat, which the survivors quickly realize is over capacity. For any to live, some must di...more

Paperback, 279 pages

Published March 29th 2012 by Virago (first published 2012)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 06, 2012 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1914.
the atlantic ocean.
39 people.
one lifeboat.

where people stop being polite and start being real.

oh, yeah...

i loved this book.
it has all the elements of a good survival story with all the furnishings of a well-written mystery novel. alliances will form, motives will be shrouded, lies and misdirection will win the day, and exposure and deprivation will make even the well-intentioned people a little loopy and unreliable.

it is a great idea for a novel, and rogan writes it well. the framing devi...more

like 139 likes · see review

Aug 30, 2012 Poingu rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the book very quickly and enjoyed it as I read it, and then I got to the end and I thought, huh. Just..huh. It left me with no other thought except a certain neutral feeling that I was glad that was over and I could read the next book.

So is it enough for a book to be entertaining while you read it, and then forgettable? I guess that should be enough, only this was ground that has been covered better before, by Alfred Hitchcock. But where Alfred Hitchcock's film is visceral and tense, in t...more

like 36 likes · see review

May 04, 2013 Gary McTiernan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Landlubbers

Recommended to Gary by: My beloved book club

I'm not a big fan of boats: I've only been on one cruise (not counting annual booze cruises in Aruba). I have, however, read two unforgettable yarns set in lifeboats in the past few months. The first one was Unbroken which I read and liked earlier this year and now this one. It is a remarkable achievement. The story unfolds during a trans-Atlantic voyage a few days after those fateful shots were fired in Sarajevo in 1914. Henry and Grace, newlyweds, are separated during the chaotic moments after...more

like 11 likes · see review

Dec 12, 2012 Ellie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, historical, 2012, contemporary, thrillers, reviewed

Set in 1914 at the beginning of the First World War, after the sinking of the Empress Alexandra a group of 39 people are left adrift in a lifeboat, built to hold far less, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean for 21 days. This tale is told retrospectively from the point of view of Grace Winter, a 22 year old newlywed, who manages to find a place on a lifeboat. But the lifeboat she's found herself on is overloaded and in danger of sinking, there isn't enough food and water for everyone on board, s...more Set in 1914 at the beginning of the First World War, after the sinking of the Empress Alexandra a group of 39 people are left adrift in a lifeboat, built to hold far less, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean for 21 days. This tale is told retrospectively from the point of view of Grace Winter, a 22 year old newlywed, who manages to find a place on a lifeboat. But the lifeboat she's found herself on is overloaded and in danger of sinking, there isn't enough food and water for everyone on board, soon some of the passengers are discussing "volunteers" to go overboard. Some may need to die if the rest are to survive.

The Lifeboat is the debut novel of author Charlotte Rogan. It is a compelling, gripping and extremely thought-provoking tale. This novel tells the story of survival at its most basic level. It explores human nature and morality. It shows what happens to people while they are fighting to stay alive. The novel is a psychological thriller really. The book is very well-written. I really loved the author's writing style. I was completely engrossed in this novel from the very first page. The way in which Charlotte Rogan describes the moral decisions the characters have to make is quiet chilling. With everyone weak from hunger, in despair over their situation on the lifeboat, fearing they won't be rescued and they'll die out there, all the characters find their behaviour, beliefs and morals being tested to the limit. It's extremely terrifying. You can't help but finding yourself wondering "would I do the same in that situation?"

Grace was an unreliable narrator, which I thought added to the story by making it all the more shocking. Even by the end of the novel, I wasn't sure what to make of Grace. Was she as innocent as she appeared to be? Or was she frighteningly manipulative? In parts of the novel, Grace seems to be surprisingly honest in revealing her negative thoughts and feelings about the other passengers in the lifeboat, along with her worries about her husband's survival. You are left wondering if what Grace is telling you is the whole truth, deliberate lies, or the effects that shock, starvation and exhaustion are having on her mind. She's a very complicated character.

I'm sure we all hope we’d behave better if we were in a similar situation but this novel poses some interesting moral questions: if you're own survival was at stake, how far would you go to ensure you were the last one left standing?

I can't wait to read more from this author! Four stars! (less)

like 22 likes · see review

Mar 27, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Empress Alexander has sunk and some of the passengers escaped on lifeboats. That is where we begin this story, in the lifeboat and on the first day. Grace, the protagonist, made it onto a lifeboat and we see the events and the people through her eyes. In some ways it is a literal recounting of the 21 days on the lifeboat as Grace is writing journal entries to remember each day and event as she sits in a jail cell in Boston. The crime is not currently clear but will be explained, day by day,...more

like 9 likes · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Holly Weiss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, to-review

Article originally published on www.blogcritics.com

Survival in a lifeboat may sound like a simple plot line, but it astounds in the hands of debut novelist, Charlotte Rogan. In The Lifeboat Grace Winter, age 22, sails from Europe to America with her new husband in order to meet her mother-in-law. After an explosion on luxury liner, the Empress Alexandra, Grace’s husband Henry secures her a place on a lifeboat. She survives three weeks in the overcrowded boat. Upon rescue, she finds herself on tr...more

like 11 likes · see review

Apr 27, 2012 Lisa Christen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had such high hopes for this book as it sounded like such a good plot for a story. This book is about 39 people adrift in the ocean in a lifeboat after a mysterious explosion on their ocean liner (think sinking of the Titanic). Grace Winter, newly wedded and now a widow, is one of those on a tiny lifeboat not fit for 39 people. How do 39 people survive together with different points of view, little water and even less food?

This was really difficult for me to get through, but I plowed my way th...more

like 49 likes · see review

May 17, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The year is 1914.

Grace and her newly married husband, Henry boarded the Empress Alexandra. They were heading from the Atlantic to America. Things were going well until the cruise liner starting sinking like another famous cruise ship, the Titanic. Henry saves Grace and ensures that she gets a seat in a life boat. This is just the beginning of the rest of Grace's life.

Some of Grace's boat mates include John Hardie, one of Empress Alexandra's ship mates and Mrs. Grant, a bossy woman. As each pass...more

like 5 likes · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Today, and this month marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic. The Titanic went down historically on April 12th, 1912. On that note, The Lifeboat is being published this month. I was sent a copy by Penguin. I started to read it 2 days ago.

Wow, The Lifeboat blew me away with its narrative. The Lifeboat is literary, but it is also filled with mystery, and suspense. After the Titanic went down, did you ever wonder what it was like on the lifeboats for them? Did you re-call if you saw the movie,...more Today, and this month marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic. The Titanic went down historically on April 12th, 1912. On that note, The Lifeboat is being published this month. I was sent a copy by Penguin. I started to read it 2 days ago.

Wow, The Lifeboat blew me away with its narrative. The Lifeboat is literary, but it is also filled with mystery, and suspense. After the Titanic went down, did you ever wonder what it was like on the lifeboats for them? Did you re-call if you saw the movie, Titanic it was said the capacity for the lifeboats was not enough for the capacity for the entire ship. The question, who will survive? Do you sacrifice others to save yourself? What would you do if you were in this situation?

The Lifeboat, is thought provoking and think about mankind and human nature. The lifeboat has a capacity of 40 passengers. 39 passengers were on the lifeboat. It was filled to capacity. The regulations then for lifeboats was not accurate.

The Lifeboat, takes place on a ship, called the Empress Alexandra. The story is told by Grace Winter. She has just been married to her wealthy banker husband, Henry. While on the ship, it explodes. There is implications that her husband bought her a seat on a lifeboat that was filled to capacity. There fits the story, with plenty of twists and turn and mystery, with plenty of accusations, and paranoia, and strong women characters to make you think what you would do any extreme disaster. The story is written into Henry and Grace's romance, and the problems they had before their marriage, his and her family life.

This is one novel, I will set up with little information. This story I felt was that good. It doesn't need any further explanation. Just a fast paced novel that you wish it would not end. The Lifeboat is a satisfying read.

A good summer read, but not while on a cruise. I give it 5 thumbs up. I like to read books at a different time and place, and something I have not experienced, and make you think. This fits the bill. Thank you Anna for a copy to review. (less)

like 8 likes · see review

Dec 24, 2012 Noeleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's difficult to believe that The Lifeboat is a debut novel for Charlotte Rogan. What a well-thought out, well-structured and interesting story this is. It's an excellent debut most especially because of the author's writing, which is focused, sharp, mature and advanced.

The novel explores such themes as survival, power, sacrifice, morals, truth versus dishonesty, perceived masculine and feminine strengths and weaknesses. It makes us wonder how we would cope if put in a situation of survival and...more

like 5 likes · see review

Mar 10, 2012 Shawn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I vacillated back and forth with whether to give this three stars, because the story sort of faltered a bit the last 60 pages or so, or four stars because the writing was really quite brilliant. In the end, I settle on four because a debut novel this well written deserves a star bump.
The narration of the ships accident and subsequent lifeboat ordeal was very compelling. There are some mystery/intrigue/suspense type "teasers" that didn't really pan out, I don't think. And, I'm not really sure I...more

like 8 likes · see review

May 20, 2012 Marialyce rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: may-2012

While I thought the story was good and the writing was crisp, I did not think this book lived up to its premise. I did enjoy the one person account of what life or death was like marooned on a lifeboat with a man in charge who acted like a dictator, while a very strong woman wrested from him the control of the boat.

One can't possibly imagine what life is like when all you see is ocean and all you think of is your survival. There is much to be said about the human will to survive and even under t...more

like 5 likes · see review

May 22, 2012 Elizabeth La Lettrice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Elizabeth La Lettrice by: karen brissette

Oh poo. I had a quote marked in my book that I wanted to base my review off of but my book is at home. And I am at work. Not working. Too late to turn back now.

I had high expectations for this book. Here's the general idea of the story I had in mind when I decided to read it: Three woman are on trial for murder after being stuck on a lifeboat for days when their ship sank on a journey across the Atlantic.

Here's what I expected: psychological intrigue - [39] strangers picked to [survive in a boa...more

like 5 likes · see review

May 01, 2013 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical

On a transatlantic cruise to America in the summer of 1914, the Empress Alexandra sinks (under somewhat vague circumstances). Grace Winter, an attractive young woman who has just escaped her fate as a governess by seducing an already-betrothed, very wealthy man, takes to a lifeboat that is already crowded, and even less capacious than it is meant to be, due to cost-cutting by the ship's owners. With 38 others, mostly women, Grace drifts as storms rage and water supplies dwindle. The passengers w...more On a transatlantic cruise to America in the summer of 1914, the Empress Alexandra sinks (under somewhat vague circumstances). Grace Winter, an attractive young woman who has just escaped her fate as a governess by seducing an already-betrothed, very wealthy man, takes to a lifeboat that is already crowded, and even less capacious than it is meant to be, due to cost-cutting by the ship's owners. With 38 others, mostly women, Grace drifts as storms rage and water supplies dwindle. The passengers would have perished early on if it weren’t for the single seaman among them, Mr. Hardie, who takes control of the supplies and makes God-like decisions to keep them alive: he steers the boat away from a young boy clinging to wreckage and knocks swimmers trying to climb aboard back into the water. There is evidence that Hardie is not exactly a saint, but Grace is grateful for his ability to keep them afloat and comes to admire him deeply. Eventually, the passengers realize that some of them must die that others may live. However, an older woman named Mrs. Grant resents Hardie’s callous manner and unpopular decisions, and leads a mutiny against him – which Grace also goes along with. (She presents herself, alternately, as hypnotized by the charisma of Hardie and Grant, and then as someone quite determined to survive and willing to make hard decisions on her own.) After their rescue, Grace and Mrs. Grant are charged with murder.

It’s a fascinating book that works as a thrilling adventure at sea, an examination of the staid Edwardian mores of the era and how they crumble under the unyielding reality of nature, and it also serves as a deeper rumination on the ethics of group survival. This is Rogan’s first novel, but she writes with a very assured tone and rich imagery (on a storm: “the boat… climbed the foamy heights of the waves and then descended into hellish troughs so that we were surrounded on four sides by walls of black water;” on thirst: “my tongue sat in my mouth like a dead animal, no longer supple and quick, but parched and cracking, like a dried and hairless mouse”). The rickety boat, the bailing, and tensions that run increasingly fraught all come to life. I’m not sure that Rogan adequately conveys what would have been the deplorable over-crowded conditions on the boat (although demure, not altogether reliable Grace Winter, with her Edwardian proprieties, may be the one doing the skipping over in this area). In any case, this is a terrific book, especially for a first novel, and its ambiguity allows the reader to make his own conclusions about Grace’s culpability, or what might have been the “moral” thing to do in such a situation.(less)

like 4 likes · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Mal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Grace Winter, the main protagonist, is an interesting character. As Grace tells her story of what occurred on the lifeboat you get a better understanding of why her personality is so lifeless. Grace comes across as calculating and void of any real emotion. As she reveals bits and pieces of her life you understand she is no stranger to survival. She comes across as being desensitized but on the other hand, given the circumstances, leaves you wondering if this is merely a weapon to survive. Given...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-2012, best-of-2012

In the late 19th century a large number of shipwrecks led to tales of atrocities committed by those who survived; many were put on trial under charges of murder and cannibalism. Charlotte Rogan recalls these accounts and marries them with the early 20th century ocean liner disasters of the Titanic and Lusitania to create a harrowing exposition of human behavior.

In 1914, en route from Britain to American, an ocean liner capsizes after a mysterious on-board explosion. Several life boats are fille...more In the late 19th century a large number of shipwrecks led to tales of atrocities committed by those who survived; many were put on trial under charges of murder and cannibalism. Charlotte Rogan recalls these accounts and marries them with the early 20th century ocean liner disasters of the Titanic and Lusitania to create a harrowing exposition of human behavior.

In 1914, en route from Britain to American, an ocean liner capsizes after a mysterious on-board explosion. Several life boats are filled and launched. In one is Grace Winter, the story's narrator. Grace, a newlywed, fears for the fate of her husband, Henry, from whom she was separated in the chaos as the ship capsized. She joins thirty-eight other survivors in a lifeboat that is designed to hold half that number. These passengers - literally adrift - become psychologically and morally so as the days pass and the odds of surviving dwindle.

We know from the opening prologue that Grace is rescued and is now on trial for her life. The story's tension, therefore, is not a matter of if, but how and who. Rogan masterfully maintains this tension by revealing the story through Grace's wobbly perspective. The reader has an unshakeable sense that this young woman cultivates a naive and winsome appearance to disguise the cunning and narcissism she has honed to survive life's misfortunes. But who are we to judge? Who knows which sides of ourselves we may be forced to call upon when our lives depend upon it?

And the author does not judge. She creates a claustrophobic and haunting world set upon a merciless sea and lets Fate and the survivors' shifting morals shape events. She allows paranoia to seep into the cutty, hinting at greater plots afoot, but restricts the reader's vision to Grace's self-serving memories.

As compact as this story is, it drags in the middle, as if the author was seeking to stretch the narrative out to reach a full-length novel minimum word count. There is a limit to the dramatic impact of scenes of bailing water and huddling together for warmth. But that is a faint complaint of an otherwise compelling and well-crafted thriller. (less)

like 5 likes · see review

May 29, 2012 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all

Nice to read a page-turner for a change. I was originally drawn to this novel because it was a first novel by a woman in her 50s! (Gives one hope.) The story - about a group of people stranded in a lifeboat bobbing along in the ocean after fleeing a burning luxury liner (a few years after The Titanic)- wasn't initially something I thought I'd enjoy. Too claustrophobic, too small and tight a world. But the writer, who is an architect by training, knows how to build a plot and characters and theme...more

like 6 likes · see review

Jun 06, 2012 Janice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, love-the-cover

I found this story engaging in that it made me think about what it would be like to be stranded with strangers for ten days in a life-threatening situation.

What I liked about the book was that it examined the dynamics of people in a survival situation, doing things that they never thought they'd do. An example was that they passed by a child stranded on some wreckage because to rescue him would result in capsizing their lifeboat and bringing death to them all.

What I questioned about the book was...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Vivian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Could not put this book down! Captivating story as seen through the eyes of a survivor faced with unbearable circumstances. Superb juxtaposition of dealing with that which has been dealt, and doing what you can to create your own destiny ... only to face judgement by your peers. Loved it.

like 1 like · see review

Jan 27, 2013 Tawanna rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: worst-ever

This book was selected for my book club. This book had potential, but didn't live up to my expectations. I prefer not to read books which switch back and forth from the past and present. Furthermore, there were too many characters to follow in the book. So by the time people started dying, I just didn't care. However, I did love the main character's brutal honesty. She didn't try to sugar coat her feelings about the other people in the boat. Her frame of mind was appropriate for the situation.

like 1 like · see review

May 17, 2013 Annie Smidt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2013

In the venn diagram of things I'm fascinated by, Edwardian stuff, ocean liners and morbid-ish survival tales involving cold places overlap nicely, so I thought this would be a good book for me. Sadly, it was a bit disappointing.

Though I've never actually read a John Grisham novel, I felt like this was something more along the lines. Superficial, mystery-lite. It was procedural —but not in a deeply detailed way that might be a thing unto itself.

The setting, two years after the sinking of the Ti...more

like · see review

May 15, 2013 Jared rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read The Lifeboat somewhat on a whim. An acquaintance of mine had just finished it and was raving about it. I had just finished a book and was looking for something to read. It was short(ish) and had big print, so I bumped it to the top of my reading queue. So...with all that in mind...I liked it.

It's the type of book you read on a road trip or during your 3-day stay at a beach cottage: you read it, think "hmm," put it aside, and forget about it.

This was Charlotte Rogan's first book, and for t...more I read The Lifeboat somewhat on a whim. An acquaintance of mine had just finished it and was raving about it. I had just finished a book and was looking for something to read. It was short(ish) and had big print, so I bumped it to the top of my reading queue. So...with all that in mind...I liked it.

It's the type of book you read on a road trip or during your 3-day stay at a beach cottage: you read it, think "hmm," put it aside, and forget about it.

This was Charlotte Rogan's first book, and for that I give her credit. She does an admirable job of creating an interesting setup: castaways in a too-small lifeboat, an unexplained mystery of how they all got there and whether a crime was committed, the dramas of Man versus Man, Man versus Nature, and Survival Ethics...not to mention the side-dramas of class struggle, feminism, and the question of God's existence/whether He should be blamed for putting them in a lifeboat (and us here on earth) in the first place.

In fact, Rogan did such a good job of creating an interesting story with so many plot elements to explore...that I hold it against her that it didn't turn out better.

(view spoiler)[1) Grace is an intriguing narrator, but I never knew how to take her. Is she a manipulator or a victim? Are we being lied to or is she telling the truth? Is she weak and naive or is she the strongest person in the boat? Rogan doesn't play this out as much as she could--so instead of drawing any good conclusions or even being teased but left wanting, I felt that it was done almost accidentally. I ended up wondering, "Did Rogan even intend for those questions to be raised by the reader?"

2) Too many of the characters were flat. Mary Ann and Hannah, especially, blended together. And so did Mrs. Grant and Mrs. McCain. So did a number of the male passengers. They felt two-dimensional and formulaic. Especially at the end, when we got absolutely no reaction (or drama) from Grace turning against the other two defendants. We only get one scene: Hannah staring at Grace as she walks away.

3) Too many parts seemed full of meaning--like the meaningful looks that Mrs. Grant, Hannah, and Mr. Hardie gave Grace--but were never developed by the narrative. Why were they staring at Grace so often? Were they impressed with her depth or intelligence? We never really know.

4) Rogan never tells us what caused the accident, what was up between Hardie, Blake, the banker, and Henry. You might argue that this is true to life and quite "indie" of Rogan to leave us hanging. I felt that it was poor writing.

5) The biggest disappointment, though, was that those really interesting themes the book touched on about God, Nature, society, and survival ethics were never really developed, or resolved. Taking the most obvious one as an example: we never know what we are to feel about them killing Hardie. Did they make the right decision? Did they make the wrong decision? We don't know and we don't even explore the question that much since Gracie never even thought about it. She just got caught up in the action. She was told to help. She helped. He died. She got off.

It would have been much more interesting if Gracie had made the decision to kill Hardie or been part of the conspiracy. Instead, she's just an outsider...as are we. (hide spoiler)](less)

like · see review

Apr 25, 2013 Barb Flory rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book as a part of a reading group I have joined. I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy it. If I hadn't been reading it for the group, I would have read about 1/3 of it and returned it to the library. Why? Number One - The plot never grabbed me. I'm not sure why, but building suspense is an art and this book just didn't work for me. I knew the main character would survive - that is clear from the beginning, but that isn't the problem. That is a situation that is often a part of fiction...more

like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Pauline Evans rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an excellent debut novel by Charlotte Rogan especially as she taught herself to write staying at home to bring up her triplets. You could tell she had childhood experiences involving her family of sailors which obviously provided inspiration. There is always something compelling about survival and this book is a fastinating portrait of the many characters she invented for her lifeboat. It is an easy read and a bit of a page turner as you negotiate the dynamics of the personalities on boa...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 29, 2013 Valerie Derbyshire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very enjoyable book, full of atmosphere and tension, which I found very hard to put down once I started reading it. It had a really authentic feel to the story, with the reader feeling almost as chilled as the occupants of Lifeboat 14 as one follows the story. I loved the character of Grace as the narrator - she had a powerful voice and her narration of the story was compelling, and yet there was just a tiny undercurrent of doubt as to how much we, as the reader, should trust her. Cons...more

like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Joanne Guidoccio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Grace Winter is an unlikely protagonist for Charlotte Rogan’s debut novel, The Lifeboat.

In the opening scene, she is standing with her mouth open in the middle of a downpour. When reprimanded by her lawyers, she admits to being “thirsty for rain and salt water, for the whole boundless ocean of it.” Afterward, she is unable to restrain her laughter and is asked to eat her meal in the cloakroom of a restaurant. While contemplating the pros and cons of an insanity defense, one of the lawyers gives...more Grace Winter is an unlikely protagonist for Charlotte Rogan’s debut novel, The Lifeboat.

In the opening scene, she is standing with her mouth open in the middle of a downpour. When reprimanded by her lawyers, she admits to being “thirsty for rain and salt water, for the whole boundless ocean of it.” Afterward, she is unable to restrain her laughter and is asked to eat her meal in the cloakroom of a restaurant. While contemplating the pros and cons of an insanity defense, one of the lawyers gives her a diary and asks her to recreate the twenty-one days she spent in a crowded lifeboat during the summer of 1914.

In a dispassionate voice, Grace tells her story.

Happy to be sailing on the Empress Alexandra with her new husband Henry, Grace looked forward to starting their new life together in New York. When the ocean liner suffered a mysterious explosion, Henry secured a place for Grace in a lifeboat, which is over capacity. Throughout the book, different characters comment on Grace’s life of privilege and the unusual circumstances that led to her inclusion on that crowded lifeboat.

Grace, however, had humble beginnings, enduring the trauma of her father’s suicide and her mother’s subsequent breakdown. She lured wealthy banker Henry Winter away from his long-term fiancée, admitting that she felt no guilt in freeing “him from both tradition and from emotional restraint” and, in the process, securing her own future.

As the castaways battle the elements and each other, it becomes evident that some must be sacrificed for the majority to survive. A brewing power struggle between a ruthless, experienced sailor and a persuasive matron further complicates the situation. Throughout the ordeal, Grace remains passive and is easily manipulated by the stronger characters.

Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the novel down. In spite of my ambivalence toward Grace, I was fascinated by the other personalities and how they reacted when pushed beyond their limits of endurance. To be truthful, I did not find any of the characters likeable. I tend to agree with Grace’s description: “We were stripped of all decency. I couldn’t see there was anything good or noble left once food and shelter were taken away.

Rogan found the germ of this story while reading one of her husband’s old legal texts. She was particularly intrigued by the account of two drowning sailors who came upon a plank that could only support one person. After considering the question—Is it murder for one of them to push the other off—Charlotte Rogan started writing The Lifeboat.(less)

like · see review

Mar 25, 2013 Colin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I read through this book, something rang a bell and made me wonder where I had heard this sort of thing before - R v Dudley and Stephens (1884) is something like it, but read the book first unless you are a criminal lawyer in which case I'm sorry for spoiling it for you. So what would you do if you were a woman who is newly married, and her husband has gone down with the ship on your voyage to a new life? You have managed to scramble into one of the few lifeboats to escape the sinking ship, a...more

like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, this is no Life of Pi, which will be the last big story in everyone's mind concerning a lifeboat. Seemingly it is a page turner you would not want to put down and readable in one sitting. I did read it in four days, but only as I was late starting it for my pending book club meet.
Any, was it good, well, yes. . Alfred Hitchcock directed his own Lifeboat back in 1944, from a John Steinbeck story, which whilst reading Rogan's book, I was reminded of. The back story with Rogan's book was gend...more

like 2 likes · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Mac rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An enjoyable book! The plot is well conceived and interestingly constructed so I wanted to read on to learn what happened, particularly what happened on the boat. (I was less interested in learning about the resulting trial).

Grace, the narrator, is a flawed, calculating person, intensely dedicated to being sure she survives and sure she succeeds in life. Her memory is also flawed, but mostly, Grace is just very selective in what she chooses to recall and what she chooses to tell.

The book is re...more

like 1 like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Penny rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was hestitant to read this for quite the funny reason. Back when I was a newlywed I took a communications class so I could be at school with my husband when he was taking night classes. In the communications class we did one of those what if scenarios where we had a lifeboat with room for 8 people but we had 11 people (or something like that). We had to decide which people to 'allow' to survive by keeping the people who we thought would make the most positive and useful contributions. I have h...more

like 4 likes · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
A Novel Idea Book...: Comments from 3/9/13 Discussion	1	1	11 de May 14:40
A Novel Idea Book...: The Lifeboat and Passengers	1	1	29 de Abr 08:12
A Novel Idea Book...: The Guardian Review	1	3	22 de Abr 13:36
A Novel Idea Book...: NYT Review	1	2	15 de Abr 07:00
A Novel Idea Book...: * Discussion Questions for The Lifeboat	1	3	11 de Abr 20:43
Has anyone read this yet?	11	124	31 de Mar 13:09
Did Grace kill Mary?	15	173	21 de Mar 17:49

combine
Other Editions (24)

More editions...

Genres

Historical Fiction

216 users

Book Club

84 users

Adult Fiction

29 users

Adventure > Survival

29 users

Mystery

28 users

Adult

24 users

Literary Fiction

22 users

Suspense

17 users

Thriller

13 users

Adventure

12 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

You Came Back
by Christopher Coake
The Cove
by Ron Rash
A Land More Kind Than Home
by Wiley Cash
The Uninvited Guests
by Sadie Jones
Waiting for Sunrise
by William Boyd

About Charlotte Rogan

Charlotte Rogan graduated from Princeton University in 1975. She worked at various jobs, mostly in the fields of architecture and engineering, before teaching herself to write and staying home to bring up triplets. Her childhood experiences among a family of sailors and the discovery of an old criminal law text provided inspiration for The Lifeboat, her first novel. After many years in Dallas and...more

More about Charlotte Rogan...

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Lifeboat

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Lifeboat

“I wondered if all a person could hope for was illusion and luck, for I was forced to conclude that the world was fundamentally and appallingly dangerous. It is a lesson I will never forget.” — 3 people liked it

“I had been allowed to believe in man's innate goodness for the twenty-two years of my life, and I had hoped to carry the belief with me to my grave. I wanted to think that all people could have what they wanted, that there was no inherent conflict between competing interests, and that, if tragedies had to happen, they were not something mere human beings could control.” — 3 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Lifeboat
avg rating	preview: The Lifeboat Goodreads rating: 3.24 (8975 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12238707-the-lifeboat?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327754041l/12238707.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12238707-the-lifeboat?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan[/url]

The Lifeboat

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website