Crossing on the Paris

May 28, 2013 Rrshively rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's 1921, and women now have a right to vote in the U.S. and Prohibition has started. Three women are starting on a voyage from France to the U.S. on a French luxury liner. One is old and in first class, the second is a married woman with three children traveling second class, and the third is a young woman who has obtained a job as a servant on the liner and is housed in plain quarters well below the water line. Is it even likely that these women will ever meet? Each of them has a back story a...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Book Him Danno rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crossing on the Paris is the story of three women on the move, their lives all on the cusp of change with the insecurity that it brings. Set on the backdrop of the luxury liner The Paris’s maiden voyage to America at the turn of the century (think post WWI). Each interact to solidify or gently redirect themselves on to their proper destinations. You have Julie the young steerage maid who is just starting out in life, Costance the young mother in the middle, and Vera, the older socialite reaching...more Crossing on the Paris is the story of three women on the move, their lives all on the cusp of change with the insecurity that it brings. Set on the backdrop of the luxury liner The Paris’s maiden voyage to America at the turn of the century (think post WWI). Each interact to solidify or gently redirect themselves on to their proper destinations. You have Julie the young steerage maid who is just starting out in life, Costance the young mother in the middle, and Vera, the older socialite reaching the end of her life.

Julie has seen her four brothers lost to war, and has decided she needs a fresh start. Unsure of herself she begins with the view outside her window; the shipyards outside her home where luxury liners are built; including the aforementioned Paris. Having seen these ships for years she decides they are a ticket to adventure and signs on as a maid to make her way in the world. Unfortunately she discovers it is a hard life for a young woman on a cruise ship, and without the shelters of home or her brothers she finds herself soon taken advantage of. Literally lost at sea she is hurting and directionless.

Constance is a still beautiful young woman who got married young to a much older and stoic man, one who does not share her sense of adventure. Travelling back home to America alone after unsuccessfully trying to convince her more cosmopolitan younger sister to come home she is left to reevaluate her life so far. Seeing her sister so happy living for the moment and chasing hedonistic pursuits, she finds her life lacking. Soon as the Paris sets sail she is soon enamored by the sexy ship’s Doctor, and the life she didn’t chose is opened up for her. Seduced by what could have been she is unsure of what she should do. It is interesting she loses herself in detective novels as she is on the trail of her own answers too.

Vera is the older socialite who is coming home to America to essentially die after 35 years abroad. She is in a sense Constance’s younger sister who has pursued her own desires for a lifetime and is now reflecting back on all the decisions passed. As she struggles with her regrets she is befriended by our other two heroines and other passengers who help her see her worth. We all have regrets but the secret to happiness is to focus on the good, for no one’s life is completely one or the other.

As not to ruin the plot the three ladies eventually meet up and are able to provide support for their many indecisions, ultimately leading to resolutions for each of them. A great freshman effort by Dana Gynter who delivers a well written story. I would have enjoyed a little more plot development to “grab” me, and I will anxiously await that in her next book. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 12, 2013 cupcake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Three women - one young and working at her first job, one newly thirty and married with daughters, and one older, who is suffering from breast cancer and leaving France to head back home to the US. These three are the foundation for the book and tell us their stories.

Julie Vernet not only is on a ship for the first time, but she's also working and leading home. She is determined to both escape her small French town and help support her parents, who lost Julie's three brothers in WWI. She is a go...more Three women - one young and working at her first job, one newly thirty and married with daughters, and one older, who is suffering from breast cancer and leaving France to head back home to the US. These three are the foundation for the book and tell us their stories.

Julie Vernet not only is on a ship for the first time, but she's also working and leading home. She is determined to both escape her small French town and help support her parents, who lost Julie's three brothers in WWI. She is a good daughter, even if she is thrilled to leave her home behind. Julie seeks an adventure; she unwittingly finds it in the form of a fellow worker, a Russian who pursues her most ardently.

On her first day, she meets Constance and Vera. The former is a young wife and mother who headed to France to convince her wayward sister to come home to help their parents through some health problems; the latter an aging socialite returning home to die. On board, Constance meets an attractive doctor whose attention she enjoys. The doctor also treats Vera, whose illness is a bit more advanced than we hoped. Julie attends to both women at various parts of the book, and their stories occasionally intersect.

This is a lovely book, written with eloquence and charm. We get to know every character quite well, although some are fairly stock and predictable. We want For instance, the doctor is presented as a good man, yet we sense that he is possibly disingenuous in his pursuit of Constance. The same goes for Julie's Russian paramour. Vera, too, searches for love, although hers does not come in an expected form.

The stories slowly unfold, taking their time as the ship crosses from France to New York. As it gets closer to its destination, the three women adjust themselves to their fates, whether proactively or reluctantly. What will come of Julie, the small town girl now in a big east coast city? Or Constance and her marriage and children? And of course Vera. Will she find the peace and contentment she needs in order to die?

It is easy to get into this book, even if nothing terribly cataclysmic happens in it. Julie's story is the most combustible, but then again, she's the youngest and with the most wide open future. Constance and Vera, on the other hand, have more spiritual issues to face. For Vera, the journey is one of preparing herself for death. For Constance, on the other hand, the voyage represents an emotional departure from her staid and dull marriage.

This is an evenly paced book, much like the ship's course. It is nicely written, tells a good story, and features likable characters. If it is occasionally unsurprising, it makes up for it with plots that keep you entertained.

Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
Thanks to edelweiss for the preview.(less)

like · see review

Jan 08, 2013 Vera Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

In Crossing on the Paris , the ship and the details about passage in steerage, 2nd class and 1st class are all true to life although the women are fictional.

I’ll have to admit it is rather eerie reading a book about an old woman reflecting on her life when her name is the same as mine. The details of her life, however could not be more different. Vera had a brief unsuccessful marriage before moving to Paris where her best friend and almost constant companion was a gay man. She had a string of a...more In Crossing on the Paris , the ship and the details about passage in steerage, 2nd class and 1st class are all true to life although the women are fictional.

I’ll have to admit it is rather eerie reading a book about an old woman reflecting on her life when her name is the same as mine. The details of her life, however could not be more different. Vera had a brief unsuccessful marriage before moving to Paris where her best friend and almost constant companion was a gay man. She had a string of affairs, which she is recording along with other facets of her life in a set of journals which she re-reads as she considers her life and the wisdom of returning to New York to die.

Constance Stone, somewhat a prisoner of the expectations for women, uncharacteristically leaves her husband and two daughters at home as she goes to Paris in search of her more liberated younger sister. On board, she finds herself attracted to the ship’s doctor and questioning the life of propriety she has been leading.

Julie, the young woman who grew up watching the ships move in and out of the harbor at Marseilles and dreaming of voyaging, has signed on as a maid. Because her looks are marred by a birthmark above her lip, she is assigned to work in third class. Julie, inexperienced with men, falls for the line of a rough Russian worker from the engine room.

From this short description of the three women, it becomes clear that they are prototypes, bearing the burden of representing three social and economic classes, the life aboard ship on three different levels, social mores as they change from the early nineteenth century into the twenties. Sometimes the weight of all this symbolizing comes dangerously close to stereotyping. The author has chosen a difficult and ambitious path.

I breezed through the book, not feeling deep sympathy for any one of the characters but intrigued by the depiction of life on the real ocean liner. I once took a brief tour of the Queen Mary, docked in Long Beach, and of course I’ve seen movies galore set on luxurious ocean liners. But this book brought the shipboard life more reality.

This review contains parts of a review written at A Traveler's Library.
Read more here.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Robbins Library rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Paris made its first crossing from Europe to America in 1921, just nine years after the Titanic; in fact, Crossing on the Paris is pitched as "Downton Abbey meets Titanic." As a fan of both, I had high hopes for this book, but I was disappointed.

The plot device is thin, but not bad in itself: Julie, a young French woman whose four older brothers were killed in the war, finds work on the ship as a maid in steerage. Constance Stone, a married American with three daughters, is returning home in...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 07, 2012 Debasish Ray Mohapatra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, women-s-fiction

"A Letter to three Ladies..."

My Lovely Julie,
Hey!!! You are such a beautiful lady just like your name 'Little Julie'. By the way you are a wonderful woman and your birthmark makes you much more special. Do you know Julie, when I was a child, my mother once asked me "Can you tell me which things inside the moon make it more special and beautiful at night?". And my answer was because of it's brightness. But I remembered she said that it's because of it's few dark spots and patches. So Julie never...more "A Letter to three Ladies..."

My Lovely Julie,
Hey!!! You are such a beautiful lady just like your name 'Little Julie'. By the way you are a wonderful woman and your birthmark makes you much more special. Do you know Julie, when I was a child, my mother once asked me "Can you tell me which things inside the moon make it more special and beautiful at night?". And my answer was because of it's brightness. But I remembered she said that it's because of it's few dark spots and patches. So Julie never blame it again. Do you know, you are such a lucky person that your wish came true. You got a chance to be a part of this transforming voyage. When you reached New York, Just crossing Paris you became a new person with values and experience. I knew from the beginning that you are a strong lady, just like your brothers with full of courage and passion. I'll never forget about Loic, who just joined army to write about soldier's life style for his writing passion. The thing is Julie, you never realized about yourself though you had a lot of care about your brother. "But Life rule isn't so strict. Anything is Possible" I am happy that at the end you changed and took your decision yourself. You stood on your own feet. And finally became more young but not stupid. I like your attitude towards the life. The sufferings and pains you had gone through made you more stronger ever. So never leave these values of your life again. Wish you a very happy life.

Hello Constance,
You are a very friendly person. You always deserve a place in between some good friends and people. And I like your thought to give a chance to women to prove them self and take part in social works. This is a very noble thought and it'll decide our path in future. I think you never get a chance to express yourself, it may be because of you or others.
Constance, you are a very caring mother, wife as well as a daughter. You never run away from your own situations, problems and burdens of your family. I am happy that you proved it each and every time till the end. And at the end your took a bold step in your life without any confusion and with a clear mind. I can feel the change and transformation inside you, that you owned through this journey. From a confused, loaded with full of burden at the beginning to a transparent heart and a woman with a full of love for herself and for her life and for others.

This debut novel by Dana is a wonderfully and noble story. As a historical novel it depicts the ancient English culture beautiful. From the beginning, the story maintained it's pace. I'll appreciate the way author gave each character equal emphasis and tried to join each scene with others. Yes, the end is little bit first but beautiful.
Some people may say that the first part is little bit slow and boring, it may be true but due to this the full story is looking more interesting. I enjoyed this and highly recommended to every one.

For full review just visit my blog http://debasishray19.blogspot.in/2012... and never forget to give your valuable comment. For book review purpose, you can contact me through my gmail account debasishiter@gmail.com(less)

like · see review

Nov 19, 2012 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

CROSSING ON THE PARIS by Dana Gynther is an interesting Gilded Age/post WWI historical fiction set upon the SS Paris ocean liner. The SS Paris is on its maiden voyage from France to New York City by way of England following WWI. Follow three women who boarded as strangers but left as friends. Constance Stone,Vera Sinclair,and Julie Vernet boarded as different social classes as well as on different levels of the SS Paris. Told through the three main characters eyes. An epic tale of bittersweet lo...more

like · see review

Nov 19, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crossing on the Paris is a great historical fiction book. Gynther does a great job of creating a detailed setting on board the Paris ocean liner, I really felt like I was right there with all three women. I was very impressed with how Gynther took the time to descibe all three social classes that were on the ship through the different social classes of each of the three main characters. Through Julie we see the difficulties of being below deck and the misery a lot of these people dealt with alon...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Jo at Jaffareadstoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

In 1921 when the transatlantic ocean liner, the Paris, leaves France bound for New York, three very different women are on board.

In first class, wealthy socialite Vera Sinclair, now gravely ill is returning home to die; she is struggling to cope with her memories of the past and yet finds comfort re-reading her written journals. In second class, dissatisfied wife and daughter Constance Stone has just made an unsuccessful journey to Paris to entice her younger sister to make the journey back to N...more

like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Lynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Crossing on the Paris. In this debut novel by Dana Gynther, three women are on the maiden voyage of the Paris, a luxury ocean liner headed for America from Le Harve, France. The women are described as "the maiden, the mother, and the crone". Each has her own reason for being on the ship -- each is escaping. The maiden, Julie, has taken a job on the ship, and is serving meals in steerage [3rd class]. Constance Stone is berthed in second class as she makes the trip back to her fam...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crossing on the Paris introduces us to three women; Vera Sinclair, Constance Stone and Julie Vernet. All three are facing life changing periods in their lives when they board the brand new luxury liner, the Paris in Le Harve, France. It is just after WWI and life is good again. The story starts with Constance who is married to a very staid man and has beautiful little daughters. Her mother, though is suffering from a mental illness and her father seems to think that seeing Constance's sister wil...more Crossing on the Paris introduces us to three women; Vera Sinclair, Constance Stone and Julie Vernet. All three are facing life changing periods in their lives when they board the brand new luxury liner, the Paris in Le Harve, France. It is just after WWI and life is good again. The story starts with Constance who is married to a very staid man and has beautiful little daughters. Her mother, though is suffering from a mental illness and her father seems to think that seeing Constance's sister will cure her. Constance feels it's a fool's errand but agrees to go to France to try and track her down and bring her home. Then the reader meets Vera, an aging American ex-patriot who has lived in Paris for as long as she can remember. In a fit of pique at an old friend she decides to go home to New York but is New York really home any more? Our third passenger is young Julie who is anxious to leave France and her parents who are dying inch by inch since the loss of their four sons in the War. They do not see the value of their remaining child - only the sons they have lost. They do not even seem to acknowledge that Julie is leaving or notice her departure.

Each woman travels on a different level of the ship; Vera in first class, Constance in second and Julie, since she is an employee, down in steerage. The differing levels of comfort and service are shown through the interactions of the three heroines and the others in their sections. Ms. Gynther has a magical way of bringing the details of place into the story without distracting the reader from the tale. Whether through character observations or simple asides the reader feels as if they are in the first class cabin or the second class dining room.

In it's simplicity the book shows three women running from problems and awakening to the answers to those problems but it's really much more than that. It's a story of facing problems head on and choosing to do what's right even if it's not the easiest choice. Fate throws these three women together despite having nothing in common and yet they find they are very much alike.

I truly enjoyed this book. It is more character driven than history driven and it kept me reading long into the night. All three women were well developed characters and I found them fascinating. The Paris was a fourth character as she played a pivotal role in bringing them together. They all learned something about themselves as they cruised from France to New York and the lessons were important ones.

The book is broken down by days of the journey which I found to be an excellent device to move the tale forward.
(less)

like · see review

Dec 23, 2012 Jenifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, historical-fiction

I requested Crossing on the Paris from the netgalley catalog because of my love of historical fiction. I was drawn to this title for a number of reasons. First, one of my favorite novels, Birdsong, is set in the same era (early 20th century). Second, I love stories that interweave different narratives. And thirdly (is that even a word?) the cover is professionally done and is just beautiful.

The novel spans the trans-atlantic maiden voyage of the fictional luxury liner, the Paris. The book is sep...more I requested Crossing on the Paris from the netgalley catalog because of my love of historical fiction. I was drawn to this title for a number of reasons. First, one of my favorite novels, Birdsong, is set in the same era (early 20th century). Second, I love stories that interweave different narratives. And thirdly (is that even a word?) the cover is professionally done and is just beautiful.

The novel spans the trans-atlantic maiden voyage of the fictional luxury liner, the Paris. The book is separated into five main sections, one for each day of oceanic travel. Within each of these “sections” or “days”, we learn the history of the three main characters. Although the three women are living at the same time and are traveling on the same ship, they each have very different experiences during the five day trip.

Gynther does a beautiful job bringing in the historical details that truly bring her story to life. I did find a couple of situations/characters predictable but this did not detract from the story for me. In fact, although I did predict one situation, I was still a bit shocked with how it played out and did not expect it to happen quite like it did.

On a personal level, I appreciated the detail that the author went into with the descriptions of the ship and it’s three levels of passengers, particularly the experiences and plans of the character Julie. My great-grandmother, left Ukraine to escape the communist revolution, in 1918 or 1919, just a couple of years before the start of this novel. She was approximately Julie’s age and as far as I know, was traveling alone. I’ve always pictured her trip across the ocean in small old boat but after reading this novel, I now wonder if she wasn’t actually in the steerage level of some type of ocean liner. While she did not have the exact experience that Julie had, she most definitely did experience the chaos found in the overpopulated steerage level and I appreciate being able to better imagine what it must have been like for her during that voyage.

This is the debut novel of Dana Gynther. If her future novels live up to the promise in Crossing on the Paris, I will be a very happy reader.(less)

like · see review

Nov 17, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, read-fiction, netgalley

In this book, we follow the experiences of three different women as they cross the Atlantic on the ocean liner the Paris. Julie is a young working-class girl working in the steerage dining hall, Constance is a solo traveler in second class returning to her spouse and children, and Vera is an elderly first class passenger making a final voyage. Their similarities are beautifully illustrated through their contrasts in age and social situation, and their paths cross frequently, yet believably, seve...more

like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Diana Leigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, womens-fiction

In June of 1921, the Paris is making its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. The paths of three very different women will intersect on the ship, each one using the journey to reflect on her life.

Vera Sinclair is a wealthy, first class passenger on her way back to New York after decades of living in France. Vera's life was full of glamour and adventure, but now she's very sick and wants to return home. As she spends the journey reading over her journals, she begins to question some of her past cho...more In June of 1921, the Paris is making its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. The paths of three very different women will intersect on the ship, each one using the journey to reflect on her life.

Vera Sinclair is a wealthy, first class passenger on her way back to New York after decades of living in France. Vera's life was full of glamour and adventure, but now she's very sick and wants to return home. As she spends the journey reading over her journals, she begins to question some of her past choices.

Constance Stone was sent to Paris at her father's request to bring home her free-spirited sister. After failing in her mission, she heads back to America as a second class passenger on the Paris. Constance has always been the dutiful daughter and wife, the devoted mother to her own three children, but at what cost? Seeing her sister's freedom in France makes Constance doubt her own life and happiness, or lack thereof.

Julie Vernet is a young, naive woman leaving her home in Le Havre for the first time. World War I has taken a great toll on her family, and she sees her new job as a steerage class waitress on the Paris as her escape. For Julie, life aboard ship is harsh, and her experiences make her desire to improve her circumstances even stronger.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how the book's chapters were divided into the five days of the journey, and each character told her story about that day. I also liked how the author weaved in bits and pieces of the women's histories. This was not a fast paced book. It was a character-driven story, and the characters were well-drawn and easy to connect with.

I also loved the vivid descriptions of life aboard the Paris on its first transatlantic voyage, from the romance and glamour of the upper decks to the struggles of those "below the waterline." The author captured the essence of the 1920s beautifully.

CROSSING ON THE PARIS is a bittersweet tale fans of women's and historical fiction might enjoy.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: america, europe, france, historical-fiction, kindle, owned, review-copies

It's 1921 and the transatlantic liner Paris is sailing to New York from France and England. Three passengers from three different classes and generations are onboard; Vera, Constance and Julie. Vera Sinclair is an ex-pat American who has spent years in Paris and is now returning home after receiving the news that she hasn't got long to live. Constance Stone is returning from an unsuccessful mission to bring her younger sister Faith home from Paris to help their mentally ill mother. And Julie Ver...more It's 1921 and the transatlantic liner Paris is sailing to New York from France and England. Three passengers from three different classes and generations are onboard; Vera, Constance and Julie. Vera Sinclair is an ex-pat American who has spent years in Paris and is now returning home after receiving the news that she hasn't got long to live. Constance Stone is returning from an unsuccessful mission to bring her younger sister Faith home from Paris to help their mentally ill mother. And Julie Vernet is working in steerage class on her first ocean crossing. The three women are very different but all will be changed in some way by the voyage.

I enjoyed Crossing on the Paris a lot more than I expected to. I thought it would be shallow and possibly a bit cheesy, but it wasn't at all. The atmosphere of the 1920s and the glamour and squalor of ocean liners was captured well by Gynther and this made a great back-drop to the story. The three women were vividly written and easily distinguishable from each other. I liked the technique of splitting the book up in to chapters, with each one relating to a different day of the five-day crossing.

Of the three women, I found it easiest to relate to Julie. Having lost all of her brothers in the First World War, she's desperate for a chance to get away from the grief and poverty of her home in France and jumps at the opportunity to work on the boat. But she is assigned to serve in steerage class (3rd class) and the liner isn't as glamorous as she had hoped. Suffering with low self-esteem, she's overjoyed when a handsome engineer takes an interest in her and is swept away in what she thinks is a romantic fairy tale only to learn a very hard lesson about life. I really felt for Julie as I was reading her story and it's here that Gynther makes the plot more heavy going than I had anticipated it would be. This book definitely isn't as sweet as the cover makes it look.

I also enjoyed Constance's story. She's married to a man that she doesn't really love and gets a taste of freedom on board the Paris. With no one to answer to but herself, she fools people into thinking she isn't married and is tempted to have an affair with another passenger. Jealous of her sister's freedoms, Constance has to choose whether to live in the moment or remember all of her responsibilities I think this is something we all face in life, not necessarily with adultery, but we all have moments where we have to choose between what we want to do and what is the right thing to do. I didn't enjoy Vera's story as much as those of the other two women, but her voice was still engaging enough to make reading the book pleasant.

All in all, I enjoyed the time I spent with Crossing on the Paris. It's a lovely escapist read with more depth than I had anticipated. Fans of historical fiction would enjoy this title.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Orsolya rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, own

Won on GR Giveaways

With the general historical interest in ocean liners (due to the obviously popular Titanic); a historical fiction novel revolving around passengers on a large ship may seem like an instant “win”. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Dana Gynther’s “Crossing on the Paris”.

Although “Crossing on the Paris” engages a creative concept of following three strangers (Constance Stone, Vera Sinclair, and Julie Vernet) and their connections; the execution fails. The flatness of the...more Won on GR Giveaways

With the general historical interest in ocean liners (due to the obviously popular Titanic); a historical fiction novel revolving around passengers on a large ship may seem like an instant “win”. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Dana Gynther’s “Crossing on the Paris”.

Although “Crossing on the Paris” engages a creative concept of following three strangers (Constance Stone, Vera Sinclair, and Julie Vernet) and their connections; the execution fails. The flatness of the first few lines is all it takes to feel Gynther’s detached and somewhat restrained (almost fearful) writing. Gynther’s narrative style is much too “by the book” (no pun intended) concerning writing/plot devices which are taught in college writing courses. This results in a novel which feels forced and is, bluntly, boring.

Gynther’s work is choppy, inconsistent, and with dialogue that one-dimensional; although the descriptions of settings are much better contrived (but only in comparison). Furthermore, “Crossing on the Paris” lacks any true historical value and is merely a contemporary novel trying to incorporate history onto its pages. The novel feels modern, thin, and does not create a historically-rich picture for the reader, thus diminishing believability.

Gynther’s attempts at establishing a correlation amongst the characters also feels compulsory and quite elementary. The novel simply “tries too hard” and devalues any proper arc-building or suspense. On a positive note, “Crossing on the Paris” alternates between the narratives of the characters who have their own personalities and variations in their actions which causes the reader to easily distinguish the three voices and to even pick a “favorite”.

The romantic overtures are not only slight in substance but are also predictable resulting in a filtered experience and a lack of truly “feeling” the novel.

Overall, I simply could not go on (even with the fear of not winning another GR Giveaway). “Crossing on the Paris” is both underdeveloped and fails to capture my attention or present any amusement. There are too many books to read to focus on one which doesn’t enthrall.
(less)

like · see review

Nov 18, 2012 Katie Lequia Rowland rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I would highly recommend this book! I finished it very quickly and halfway through I could not put it down! I stayed up long into the night to finish it!

There are many questions I asked myself while reading this book. What is love? This book seems to go through all stages and all types of love - romantic love, family love, sisterly love, violent love, and love that has lost its luster, etc. Even though it is set in the 1920s there are questions that women still ask themselves about their relatio...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 25, 2012 Tara Chevrestt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, historical-fiction, france, 2012-release

Think Titanic, but not quite. It's after The Great War, before WWII, a maiden voyage of a grand ship, but instead of focusing on class division and romance, the story focuses on women. Women's trials, tribulations, women growing, coming to terms with things, realizing this or that...find themselves.

The youngest of the three women this book focuses on is the lower class. She works on the ship, lives in steerage, is not taking well to a life at sea. I'd say she was my favorite. She has a birthmark...more

like · see review

May 10, 2013 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Vera is a first class passenger, she is old and travelling back to New York to die. Constance is a second class citizen, going home from a failed mission to convince her sister to come back to the States. Julie is a maid on the ship, deciding to try her hand at starting her life. They are all very different, yet they are all very similar.

This book had amazing potential, which is why I give it three stars. It lacked a lot of character development, and yet at the same time I felt like they were p...more

like · see review

Nov 30, 2012 Chelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

All of my readers know that I love books that follow the lives of more than one person and join them together, and I am here to tell you that this book fits into this category! This story takes place in June of 1921, just after the end of World War I. Three women who lead extremely different lives all board the ocean liner known as the Paris, each of them is trying to escape a part of their lives that seem empty and unfulfilled. Julie Vernet, Constance Stone, and Vera Sinclair are all traveling...more All of my readers know that I love books that follow the lives of more than one person and join them together, and I am here to tell you that this book fits into this category! This story takes place in June of 1921, just after the end of World War I. Three women who lead extremely different lives all board the ocean liner known as the Paris, each of them is trying to escape a part of their lives that seem empty and unfulfilled. Julie Vernet, Constance Stone, and Vera Sinclair are all traveling in three different classes and have different dreams, hopes, aspirations, and ailments. This book slowly walks you through their lives and leads you up to the reason that each of them has boarded this ship and is sailing to America.

I love anything that surrounds culture or a mixture of many different cultures. The characters in this book are each from different parts of the globe and have very different and diverse backgrounds. I loved switching back and forth between the view points of the three women because they each have something different to bring to the table. Vera is an older woman who is suffering from a fatal disease, Constance is middle aged, married, and has a family of her own, and Julie is our youngest traveler who is looking for a better life than what she already has with her parents. I loved the fact that each of these women were at different points in their lives and all had completely different circumstances.

I have to say that my favorite character was Julie Vernet. She is a young girl whose family is poverty stricken and she takes a job as a waitress aboard the Paris in order to make a better life for herself. Her character is so young and shy and this is her first sea journey. She was naïve at times, and my heart crumbled when because of what she experienced aboard the ship. I don’t want to go into detail, but Julie’s character is just so heart wrenching at times and I became so enthralled with her story. She is the least fortunate of the three women, and I have always been a supporter of the underdog. I just wanted a better life for Julie. Not to mention the tragedy that her family had already faced with the previous war. I will say that I did love Vera Sinclair as well. She wrote personal memoirs throughout the novel that were very inspiring to read!

I felt like I was aboard this ship and I constantly caught myself envisioning the lives of each of these women among the different classes. This book was full of historical facts and details that were significant to the times. Dana Gynther really knows her stuff, and she left quite the interesting historical note in the back of the book that lets readers in on a little more of her reasons for writing this book. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves historical fiction.

***I would like to say thank you and give a huge shout out to the publishers at Gallery Books. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***
(less)

like · see review

Dec 11, 2012 Holly (2 Kids and Tired) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Three different women board the ocean liner, Paris, for three different reasons. Each woman has a lesson to learn and an issue she must resolve. In alternating chapters we learn each woman's story as as the novel moves from second class to steerage to first class over the five day journey from Paris to New York.

Crossing on the Paris isn't a fast paced story with action. Instead, it is very much character driven and like the ocean liner in its title, the novel moves along steadily, but not quickl...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Three women embark on the maiden voyage of the luxury liner, the Paris in 1921. A young woman, Julie, a young mother, Constance and an elderly woman, Vera. Julie is seeking employment on the ship, escaping the grief of her family after losing all four of her older brothers in the war. Constance travelled to Europe to persuade her younger sister to return home to help care for their ailing mother and Vera is ill and returning home after living thirty years in France. Their lives intertwine on boa...more

like · see review

Dec 20, 2012 Ana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, historical-fiction, women

"Crossing on the Paris" is a lovely story about three very different women whose lives intertwine in a series of coincidences - a picture of the three of them taken during the ship's launch, a brief encounter at the ship's doctor's office, a fateful reunion while trying to save a "baby" from falling to the ocean - while aboard the Transatlantic ocean liner "The Paris".

The year is 1921. The aftermath of WWI has left the Old World immersed in a haze of sadness. Many Europeans are emigrating to Am...more "Crossing on the Paris" is a lovely story about three very different women whose lives intertwine in a series of coincidences - a picture of the three of them taken during the ship's launch, a brief encounter at the ship's doctor's office, a fateful reunion while trying to save a "baby" from falling to the ocean - while aboard the Transatlantic ocean liner "The Paris".

The year is 1921. The aftermath of WWI has left the Old World immersed in a haze of sadness. Many Europeans are emigrating to America hoping for a better life in the promising New World.

Julie Vernet, a young French woman who lost all her brothers at war, escapes the sorrow that permeates her household and becomes a maid aboard the ship. While working at the ship, she will fall in love, experience heartache, learn about "frenemies" the hard way, and find the courage to change her fate.

Constance Stone, wife/mother/daughter/sister, is returning to Worcester, Massachusetts, after spending weeks in Paris trying (and failing) to convince her bohemian sister to return to America and help her take care of their ailing mother. While on her trip back home, she will rethink her marriage, reminisce about "the one that got away", and will attempt a chance at a love affair with a handsome doctor.

Vera Sinclair, an American socialite living in Paris for most of her life, is begrudgingly returning to New York to live her last days among estranged relatives while awaiting her death, victim of breast cancer. While on her trip to her death bed, she will make amends with the son of her favorite lover and learn to let go of her old self.

Even though, as Contance put it, each passanger aboard the ship had experienced their own personal crossing, there is one common denominator: the crossing had given them time to think and plan, to let go or hang on.

It was a lovely surprise to see that my favorite poem appear in this book. I think that Constantine P. Cavafy's "Ithaca" describes the story's atmosphere to a T:

When you set out for Ithaka
ask that your way be long,
full of adventure, full of instruction.(less)

like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Mary Dansak rated it 5 of 5 stars

Crossing on the Paris is simply a great book. The story of three women whose lives come together aboard the ocean liner, The Paris, in the 20's is the perfect backdrop for Gynther's fine storytelling. She sees right through the frail human condition, and takes us into the lives of her characters as they each reach their own defining moment. Crossing on the Paris is one of those rare books that transcends genre, and has a wide appeal to an enormous range of readers. This makes it not only a great...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 27, 2012 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars

So, when I finished this book, I told my husband that it was one of those I liked so much I did not want it to end, and that I wished "the author" had started it BEFORE the main characters boarded the ocean liner and continued it long after they had disembarked.

Full disclosure: I actually said the words "the author" as if I did not know the author, when in fact we have been very friendly if not friends in the conventional sense of the word for decades. Not sure if I can convey what true praise t...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2013 Rhonda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

Aboard the SS Paris are three women traveling from Europe to New York... Vera, an elderly woman traveling back to U.S. after several decades in Paris, in first class...second-class Constance, returning home to her husband and daughters after unsuccessfully trying to convince her sister to come home, and Julie, a young and naive, starting her first job as a servant, anxious to try and set out on her own.

Their lives intersect in interesting ways aboard the ship, and each one's lives are forever c...more

like · see review

Jun 17, 2013 Lynne rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm unsure about this book. Imagine the Titanic and Downton Abbey in one setting … sounds pretty spectacular doesn’t it? And yet … this story doesn’t quite meet those expectations.

Told over the course of 5 days, as three characters; Vera (first class, wealthy, elderly lady), Constance (second class, married mother of 3), and Julie (steerage, young women employed as crew) cross from France to NYC on the ocean liner “The Paris”. I felt that often the dialogue felt inauthentic – I didn’t feel like...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 19, 2012 Sabriena rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got an eARC from Netgalley of Crossing on the Paris by Dana Gynther and I was excited to read it as I am with most books, right? This one isn't one of my normal genres but, it sounded really interesting. Historical fiction is something that has to be done right or it just sucks. Crossing on the Paris is actually about three women all of different calibre and their stories are intertwined so you aren't just reading about one character and their troubles you are reading about three.

The three la...more

I got an eARC from Netgalley of Crossing on the Paris by Dana Gynther and I was excited to read it as I am with most books, right? This one isn't one of my normal genres but, it sounded really interesting. Historical fiction is something that has to be done right or it just sucks. Crossing on the Paris is actually about three women all of different calibre and their stories are intertwined so you aren't just reading about one character and their troubles you are reading about three.

The three ladies are Vera Sinclair who is the older of the three and the one who is in first class as well as she is sick and returning home to New York to spend the rest of her days. Constance Stone who is on the return ship back to the states because she went to Paris to try to get her sister to come home and be with her sick mother. Julie Vernet who is the lower class and is actually working on the Paris. She is getting away from her grief stricken mother and father and starting a new life on board as she always wanted to do. Three women, three very different experiences on the ship.

I enjoyed all three ladies and their troubles but, I have to say that I enjoyed reading Vera's stories more so than the others. She didn't have a romance on the ship however, she was confronted with a past romance and how your decisions have consequences. When you think you did the right thing, it may not be right for other people.

The whole five days the ladies learn and grow and come to realizations that they needed to and in the end they all come together and become friends.

The book was a bit slow in a lot of parts and with that I think it took me a bit longer to read than other books but, I wasn't too disappointed with it. The imagery was wonderful and you could easily see the different levels on the ship from what was written. The stories took up smoothly within each other and crossed great. I loved the way it ended and in fact, if there was another novel that followed Julie along, I think I would be more than happy to read it.

I was expecting a bit more romance but after reading it I think the book was more about growing no matter how old you are and learning new things that need to be learnt before moving on with different stages of your life. Change is inevitable would be a great line for this book.(less)

like · see review

Dec 25, 2012 Jenny rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge

I hate to give a poor review, especially when I got the book in advance from NetGalley, but I have to be honest: I could tell from the first few pages that Crossing on the Paris didn't have the power to entrance, and I should have stopped reading then.

Though the history is accurate - postwar France and America, the different sections of the ship - the characters weren't compelling, the dialogue felt false, the plot was thin. There were no surprises, and little creativity or originality. I was a...more

like · see review

Jul 29, 2012 Natasha Hanson rated it 3 of 5 stars

After being sent an advanced copy of this book to review, I dug in pretty quick. I love historical fiction and I love intertwined stories - this book has both. There are three main female characters all in various stages of life. We have a young woman who is becoming more self aware, a married middle-aged woman, and an elderly woman with cancer. I found all three women relatable in one way or another, and they all had interesting backstories. I was interested to see how the women would end up me...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Crossing on the Paris
avg rating	preview: Crossing on the Paris Goodreads rating: 3.44 (513 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537533-crossing-on-the-paris?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340271193l/13537533.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537533-crossing-on-the-paris?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Crossing on the Paris by Dana Gynther[/url]

Crossing on the Paris

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Dana Gynther

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Crossing on the P...

Crossing on the Paris

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Dana Gynther

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Crossing on the P...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)