The Johnstown Girls

by Kathleen George

Ellen Emerson may be the last living survivor of the Johnstown flood. She was only four years old on May 31, 1889, when twenty million tons of water decimated her hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Thousands perished in what was the worst natural disaster in U.S. history at the time. As we witness in The Johnstown Girls , the flood not only changed the course of history, but also the individual lives of those who survived it.



A century later, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporters Ben Bragdon and Nina Collins set out to interview 103-year-old Ellen for Ben’s feature article on the flood. When asked the secret to her longevity, Ellen simply attributes it to “restlessness.” As we see, that restlessness is fueled by Ellen’s innate belief that her twin sister Mary, who went missing in the flood, is somehow still alive. Her story intrigues Ben, but it haunts Nina, who is determined to help Ellen find her missing half.



Novelist Kathleen George masterfully blends a history of the Johnstown flood into her heartrending tale of twin sisters who have never known the truth about that fateful day in 1889―a day that would send their lives hurtling down different paths. The Johnstown Girls is a remarkable story of perseverance, hard work, and never giving up hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. It’s also a tribute to the determination and indomitable spirit of the people of Johnstown through one hundred years, three generations, and three different floods.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Historical, Adult Fiction

348 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Kathleen Elizabeth George (born July 7, 1943) is an American professor and writer best known for her series of crime novels set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

She was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and educated at the University of Pittsburgh: B.A. (summa cum laude), 1964, M.A. (theatre), 1966, Ph.D. (theatre), 1975, M.F.A. (creative writing), 1988. She teaches theatre arts at the University of Pittsburgh and fiction writing at the Chatham University Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing.

She is married to the writer Hilary Masters, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. They reside in Pittsburgh.

Reviews

[Gina Shoen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I REALLY wanted to love this book. The blurb made it seem like a book that I'd really enjoy. There were parts of the book that I did love, the historical parts about the flood, the mystery parts about the sisters lives unfolding, and Ellen's search for Mary.

The part that made absolutely no sense at all to me was Nina and Ben's relationship. Their work relationship or their romance. Why include any of it in the book? Both were completely pointless and added nothing to the book for me. The work relationship seemed to me like Nina didn't have the courage to go for the story for herself, so she encouraged Ben to go for it, but she also didn't have faith that he had the ability to do the do the series correctly or up to her standards, then she sneaks behind his back and does it herself anyways. AFTER she tries to come off as the holier than thou person who sends him back to his wife to sort out his feelings. Their relationships were really a detraction from the book for me, they really just took away time that I'd rather have been reading about Mary and Ellen.

I would have give the book a solid five stars if the whole Ben/Nina dynamic hadn't been included in the book. I really felt it dragged the book down too much to recover. However, as stated I truly enjoyed the rest of the book. Wish I could have given it a higher rating.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was provided to me for free through the Goodreads First Reads program.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were some parts that I really liked and others that I did not like at all which is why I gave it a 3 star rating. I loved the premise of the book. The author did a wonderful job weaving together a disastrous historical event with fictional characters and how that event altered the course of their lives. Ellen and Anna were likeable characters, bold & forward-thinking women for their time. I really enjoyed the parts of the book that centered on their stories. I did not enjoy the parts of the book that focused on Nina and Ben. The intimate scenes to kick off the book were unnecessary and their relationship in general did not appeal to me. Given that they were reporters writing a series of articles for the centennial of the flood of 1889, I see how their characters were integral to the story to work that angle. However, their personal relationship and his faltering marriage were not integral for plot development. I wish the author had kept their relationship strictly professional and devoted more time to Ellen and Anna.

Another issue I had was that there weren't always clear transitions from one point of view to the next within a chapter so I found myself having to go back and reread sentences which interrupted my flow of reading. Something other than just a space to mark a change in point of view would let the reader know there is in fact a change in POV.

I loved that the author included vintage photographs. She was very descriptive with her writing and the photos added to her visual storytelling.

The end fell flat for me. It didn't elicit an emotional response from me which I expected it would given the content of the story. The author also left the relationships between Nina, Doug, Ben, and Amanda vague. Considering she made a point of their relationships playing a central role in her story, which I wish she hadn't, I expected more of a resolution.

[Victoria W. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ellen has spent almost a century restlessly seeking a lost life of possibilities. Nina wishes her life would stop wandering in so many different directions.

The Johnstown Girls follows the lives of three women, all born in Johnstown: Ellen, Anna, and Nina. Nina is a young journalist looking for a foundation on which to build her life, the right job (not simply a bit journalist), the right guy( her coworker who can't quite leave his wife or the heroic firefighter she met on the job), and the right place to call her own. For Ellen and Anna, the story is reflective, remembering a lifetime amid a world of rapid changes and devastating losses as forgotten memories start to resurface.

First off, the premise of The Johnstown Girls is a solid one.
The concept of a young survivor from a well-known tragedy, like the Johnstown flood, who holds on to the belief that her twin also survived and was brought up without knowledge of her original family is naturally intriguing and one I was particularly interested in given my experience in counselling and psychology. The usage of the centenarian's life to explore the changes in Johnstown and the Pennsylvania area over the years was also intelligent as Ellen came to life in the role of kindly grandmother. Ellen was a delightful character with her wit and lively portrayal and the highlight of what should have been a wonderful read blending history and fiction.

Sadly, the story fell flat for me.

I believe the reason this story failed to keep me interested (and, indeed, I almost gave up on the book a number of times) is a combination of factors.

The first issue I had with this novel was its structure. When balancing between past/present as well as numerous characters: Nina, Ben, Anna, Ellen, Rose, Julia, etc. . . There needs to be clear transitions from one character to the next. These were not present in the novel making the story hard to follow and lessening the impact of the overall text.

The second issue I had were the characters of Nina and Ben. I truly could not enjoy these characters and their relationship seemed more plot convenience and an attempt to be edgy/relevant than a true driving force to the story. While Nina made great strides in the final chapter, it was still not enough to redeem the character and make me feel for her. If anything, I felt like speeding up and rolling my eyes when I realized that another Ben and Nina section had arrived.
The early intimate scene between the characters felt out of place in the story and more like a cry for attention in an attempt to make a serious story "appear" adult.

Historical fiction is a genre that reignited my passion for reading, however, Kathleen George's The Johnstown Girls, won't be a novel I'll be picking up again.

[Pat Dombrowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shame on you, Kathleen George!!! What could have been a great story outlining two sisters (fraternal twins) who shared a tragedy together turned into an insult to all women born in Johnstown (myself being one!!) Why in the world would you add a character, Nina, who is from Johnstown and then put her into a relationship with a married man?? Did that have anything to do at all with the story itself, and then you even add lines in the book as to how she liked him to "go down" on her when their relationship was unraveling and he was in counseling to go back to his wife??? This book is degrading, disjointed and dribble!! A 5 year old could have written a better book. I hope that you never, ever write a book and mention the word Johnstown in it again!! "No spouses who were souses"...maybe you were "soused" yourself when you wrote this book.

[Roberta · Rating 2 out of 5]

First I'll nit-pick. The writing was mediocre. George's sentence structure is sometimes convoluted and hard to follow. Several times I had to read a sentence 2 or 3 times to understand what she was trying to say. For the most part her research was good and I liked all the South Hills of Pittsburgh references. However, there was a glaring (to me, at least) error on pages 305 and 306. Both Manor Care and Marshall's are on Greentree Road, not Banksville. One other thing bothered me. Early on, around page 4, George describes a sex scene in fairly graphic detail. Was that her idea of an audience grabber? It had to be because there are no such other scenes at all in the book. Ben and Nina have this one moment of great passion and then pfffft! It seemed unnecessary to me.

So, now the story. It was good, not great. There's a lot of interesting history of Johnstown. Anna and Ellen were both well-developed, realistic characters, although I never got the sense that Ellen was as old as Anna. Did I miss something? There was also a lot of ethnic diversity.

On the one hand, this book has prompted me to want to visit Johnstown. I can't believe I've lived in Pittsburgh my whole life and have never been there. On the other hand, it has not inspired me to ever want to read another book by this author.

Addendum: On October 11 I took Amtrak from Pittsburgh to Johnstown and back to visit the memorial site, the museum, the incline, and Grandview cemetery - a trip well worth taking. Both the memorial site (which you need a car to get to from downtown Johnstown) and the museum have excellent films about the flood. Over 2,200 people were killed in the flood and its aftermath. 700 of them are buried in unmarked graves at Grandview Cemetery. You can easily walk to the museum and the incline from Amtrak and to the cemetery from the top of the incline. It's a nice day trip from Pittsburgh, especially if you know someone in Johnstown who's willing to drive you to the memorial.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because the subject intrigued me. Unfortunately I stopped reading the book. I found the writing very choppy and at other times frivilous. Example: "There is nobody to stop them. They move forward and soon walk right into the clubhouse. "Uh," he gasps." The first chapter was like a Harlequin romance which I found totally unnecessary and really distracting. "Oh, he is gorgeous. He's exactly who she wants, the man she has always dreamed of. Earthy, not overly neat or buttoned up." And "'Oh man," he says. " I dream about this, you know. You. Just hours and hours with you.'" Just couldn't make myself finish. Maybe I'll try to finish another but.......

[Char Freund · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wanted to love the book as I have ancestors who were killed in the flood...a great, great uncle along with his wife and 4 children.* I wanted to share it with 15 year old granddaughter but was unable to do so due to the ineffective attention grabber of gratuitous sex on pages 3-4 and later in a hotel scene. The tension between a seasoned reporter and a motivated novice could have worked just as well, or maybe even better, if they had merely been partners.

The news articles written by Ben were almost verbatim from news accounts and McCullough's book.

The underlying story of twins leading parallel lives was interesting and the book had potential if it eliminated the Nina-Ben relationship and instead fleshed out some of the surrounding characters.

* From Johnstown Review. "The Smiths of Pearl Street must have heard a deafening sound as the wall of water approached. It carried 14 miles of debris, including human bodies and the homes that sheltered them. George, Addie, Charles, Alum, and baby Effie were swept up and killed. Only Addie's body may have been recovered." PS. Did the author see the name Alum in the news articles and use it as a plot element for Mary saying Alum instead of Ellen?

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, not great. I enjoyed The Johnstown Girls primarily because of the local (and I have some familiarity with Johnstown) references. The Johnstown Girls is primarily the story of Ellen. In 1989, she is believed to be the only living survivor of the 1889 Johnstown flood. Ellen had a twin sister, who disappeared, at four years old, following the flood. Concurrently, is the story of Nina, a reported for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who along with her "boy friend", are writing features on the Johnstown flood's centennial. Nina is from Johnstown, too.

Ellen's ending was pretty predictable, but Nina's story was not resolved, although the reader can guess at her ending.

[J.S. Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Writing just doesn't draw you in; very flat. Hard to picture this occurring in Pennsylvania because the dialect throughout is clearly British. Jumps around with no organization between so many characters that even halfway through the book it's hard to figure out who is who & why I should care about this scene

[Dara S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Ellen who with her twin sister went through the 1889 Johnstown flood. Ellen does not know what happened to her sister, but has feeling she lived. At 104, she tells the story of her survival and the search for her twin.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. One of the finest books I’ve read. Captures history and imagination. A must read.

[Hannah Penn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good not great! The Nina and Ben part was unnecessary and a distraction. Could have completely eliminated Ben and it would have been great.

[Story Circle Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the Johnstown (Pennvylvania) 1889 flood is well known—2,029 people were killed when the damn on a mountain lake gave way after days of heavy rain. On its way down the valley the water picked up debris: animals, trees, railroad cars, and, yes people. Attempts were made to warn Johnstown by telegraph but the operators had heard so many false alarms they did not post the messages. The flood was the greatest natural disaster in the history of the nation, although soon surpassed by the Galveston hurricane of 1900.

Since the story of the Great Flood has been told and retold, what could Kathleen George do in her novel to make it fresh material? She begins her story not with the flood, as I anticipated, but in 1989 when a newspaper reporter, Ben, travels from Pittsburgh to Johnstown to interview the last living survivor of the flood. With him is his girlfriend, Nina, a cub reporter at the same paper, who was born and raised in Johnstown. (Note that Ben is a married father of two). Effectively, George frames the story of the flood within a modern-day love story.

Ben quickly becomes a secondary figure in the book. As the title implies, this is a novel about women, strong women who are survivors. At 103 Ellen Emerson lives alone, though she has a daytime companion. She is witty, charming, and elegant, insisting on serving lunch at a beautifully set table with food carefully prepared by Ruth, the companion. Ellen is a deeply thoughtful person, a teacher for many years, mother to an adopted child to whom she is unfortunately not close. At one point, she settles down to reread Anna Karenina and thinks how all the pain in life is worth it if you can be a Tolstoy or Austen and use it for others. One senses that Ellen did use her pain for the sake or others—she just never wrote the book.

Ellen and her twin sister, Mary, floated on a mattress for much of the flood, and she remembers her older cousin, a boy, pushing her father off the mattress and saving himself by climbing in a upper-story window, abandoning the girls who were eventually separated. Memories of the flood haunt Ellen all her life, but as the story gradually emerges we see what a rich and fully lived life hers has been. Throughout her long life she has clung to the belief that her twin is still alive.

While Ben researches and writes the scientific facts of the flood, why the dam failed, and how fast the flood moved, Nina is engaged by the emotional story and almost obsessed with finding Ellen's sister. But she operates within the framework of her relationship to Ben—his wife is demanding reconciliation. First they go to counseling, though Ben is reluctant; then Ben ends up in an arrangement whereby he spends one week with his family, one with Nina. You can almost hear the relationship crumbling, even as Nina's fascination with Ellen flourishes and even her relationship with her own mother, also a Johnstown girl, grows deeper.

Another character is introduced and the omniscient narrator begins to follow the story of Anna, living in a nursing home. It's no spoiler to say that early on the reader suspects that Anna is the sister Ellen has missed all those years. Anna's life story, gradually revealed, is as rich and varied as Emma's, for both sisters flaunted the conventions of the day in their personal lives. The suspense here is whether or not the two will be united in time. Anna contracts pneumonia, and the nursing home staff presumes she's gone. But she rallies.

Meanwhile the separate stories of Ellen, Nina, and the search for Ellen's sister continue. At Orthodox Easter Sunday, Nina takes Ben to Johnstown to meet her mother formally, and he asks, "How did you define that J-town thing again?" "Oh, you know," she says, "nervous, high strung, alert, but also very patient. Describes every woman I ever knew there. It must be the water."

Water is a strong theme throughout the book—both Ellen and Anna always resist swimming—and you're very aware that water shaped the lives of these people, even that of Nina who survived two lesser floods but grew up on tales of the Great Flood. But Nina is only partly right about the high-strung women of Johnstown. Yes, they are alert and nervous because of the history of their town. But they are strong survivors, worth reading about.

After a slow start (the contemporary love story seems a tale oft-told), the pace picks up. I much preferred the historical sections—the lives of Ellen and Anna—to the tarnished affair between Ben and Nina. But Nina ends up taking the same bold step that Ellen did. All in all, it's an absorbing read, history from a new perspective.

by Judy Alter
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woah, I kind of feel like I’ve been tossed around on a mattress riding through the floodwaters of this novel. Don’t jump to conclusions, though. This is not a negative review. I actually really liked this book despite having a devil of a time getting into it and getting interested in it. From the beginning, I disliked the distant, impersonal narration. Third person present. It seemed such an odd way to tell the story. I got used to it, but I also didn’t like Ben or Nina, so it was hard to get started and become invested in the book. However, that finally happened when the book became more about the lives of Ellen and Anna than about the journalists. The lives led by Ellen and Anna are different, yet the same, and both are fascinating. Both were forward thinking women for their time, which led them to have long, meaningful lives. As Nina points out, these women lived through four wars, the changing from horse-drawn transportation to automobiles, from candles to electric. They watched the entire world change in the span of their 100+ years.

As the book jumped from Ellen and Anna’s lives back to the journalists, I slowly began to like Nina. She was a Johnstown girl, a fighter, a survivor. Finding her way without help and support. Learning to identify, then follow her instincts. She blossomed into her own person and learned what she wanted, both personally and professionally. To me, however, Ben remained a wet noodle throughout the novel. He seemed a man who either didn’t know what he wanted or didn’t have the guts to go get what he wanted. Either way, I could never muster any sympathy for him, despite his awkward, difficult situation.

Kathleen George’s style of blending truth (the Johnstown flood really was a natural disaster that devastated the town in 1889) with fiction was well done and very appealing. Her story of Ellen and Mary riding through the flood gives the reader a sense of what the disaster was like for the real people who survived it. The inclusion of actual photos from the flood and its aftermath heightened the devastation described in the novel and added to the overall sense of loss and attitude of perseverance and survival.

Give this novel a chance. You won’t be disappointed.

See this review and others on my blog: http://ggddizzy07.wordpress.com

[Jenni V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and would like to thank the author and University of Pittsburgh Press for the opportunity to read and honestly review it.

I wasn't familiar with this historical event at all, which is surprising given the number of people that died in the flood. The photos included in the text were very affecting, especially the one of 6 children (siblings) with the caption that all 6 perished in the flood.

From the description and the 'historical fiction' label on Goodreads, I expected a book about the flood. Instead, it felt like the focal point was the relationship between Ben and Nina as they just happened to work on an article about the flood. Along those same lines, I didn't like their relationship. There were too many issues going on (they work together, Ben's married, Nina meets another man). Also, a small point in the book but something that really bugged me - a marriage counselor recommending Ben alternate weeks between his wife and Nina because he "needed experiences of both to make a decision" (um, isn't that what he's been doing during the whole affair?) and everyone agrees to it? C'mon. No.

In my opinion this read started strong, was mediocre in the middle, and fell flat with an implausible and abrupt resolution. Overall, I didn't enjoy this book.

Find all my reviews at:
http://readingatrandom.blogspot.com/2...

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this interweaving of fact and fiction, we get to know several characters. The problem is, the narrative jumps between them too much without much transition. Since much of the book is devoted to Nina & Ben's relationship, I was disappointed in the lack of closure at the end. It was fun to read about Pittsburgh locales; the description of Mt. Lebanon (my town) was dead on. The University of Pittsburgh Press, however, needs to improve its editing, as I saw several (distracting) typos. All in all, an interesting story about the Jamestown Flood of 1889 without getting too bogged down in details (Ben's boring articles notwithstanding).

[Caitlin Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful book about my unlucky hometown and the history it holds. I recommend it to anyone who was born and raised in Johnstown.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, I was unsure how I would like this book. Kathleen George, professor at the University of Pittsburgh and born in Johnstown, sure has the credentials to write the story which weaves the tale of two 104-year-old sisters who were separated in the Johnstown flood of 1889, with the more current narrative of Nina, a rookie journalist who works at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Often, the plot of historical fiction can feel a bit forced as authors try to find parallel conditions between their modern day characters and those who help paint the historical picture. Initially I thought this might be the case as we learn about the romance between Nina and Ben, a more senior journalist who also works at the Post Gazette and who is separated from his wife. Frankly, Nina seemed a bit too good to be true as she encouraged Ben to alternate weeks between her and his ex-wife as he explored whether divorce was really the best solution. I'm not sure I would have been so flexible! Nonetheless, it enabled George to weave the more compelling tale of two twin sisters who lost the rest of their family and who thought they lost each other during the 1889 flood.

I love local references and George was generous with them, not only in the description of the 1889 flood but of many Johnstown and Pittsburgh stores, restaurants and other attractions. For the uninitiated, there were actually three floods: the most devastating 1889 flood which killed about 2,000, another in 1936 and the more recent flood in 1977 which I actually remember as it severely impacted my family with severe rains and more seriously affected a good friend who was living in the Johnstown area.

The local appeal and solid writing pushed this into four-star territory for me. Those less connected to the location might feel differently but for my book pals from western PA, I would highly recommend.

Kathleen George is also the editor of "Pittsburgh Noir," which I am also reading and, based on these two experiences, I would definitely read additional books by her.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a fantastic premise, and it was definitely a page turner - I read it in two days. The idea that twins could have survived the Flood and didn't find each other is very real. The ending was a tearjerker. However, there were two specific parts that made me dock a few stars from the review, one for lazy writing and another for lazy researching (shame on you, Kathleen George, considering you were born in Johnstown).

The opening scene - page four of the book - is a fairly graphic sex scene. Ok, that's a thing in some books, I'm not a prude. In this story, the level of detail is completely superfluous. The relationship between these two characters is odd at best, and this scene doesn't really define them or advance the story. It's a lazy attempt to garner interest in these characters and it doesn't work.

The second problem is bigger, for me. In researching the history of the 1889 Flood, the two characters referenced above visit several sites related to the disaster. At one point, they visit the village of St. Michael to see the clubhouse and cottages of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Upon arriving, they notice that those buildings are the only things in the area. Considering that I would have been sitting in my elementary school at the time they would have been visiting, after having taken a school bus through St. Michael, I beg to differ on that description. It's remarkable that someone who was born in Johnstown, who describes so much of that city and Pittsburgh with such clarity and detail, could have missed this. It's lazy and unfortunate.

[Elaine Onstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

More enjoyable if you know Johnstown

I probably thought more of this book than someone not from Johnstown would. The novel covers 100 years in the lives of two Johnstown Flood (1889) survivors as well as the stories of two journalists researching the Flood as Johnstown prepares for the Flood's centennial remembrance. The author introduces enough contemporary Johnstown locales to create a feeling of nostalgia for Johnstown natives like myself. Those same casually mentioned locales likely give pause to non-natives, who might question their authenticity. The story of the Flood survivors, particularly the ending, is fairly predictable. The narrative concerning the journalists is sometimes difficult to believe, especially when dealing with his family situation. Glad I read it, since Johnstown figures so prominently in the story, but I no doubt would have given it 3 stars if it were set anywhere else.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked: the intimate details of the flood and of Johnstown; Ellen and Mary/Anna; the historical photos and context of the settings; the story kept me hooked; the ending and the resolution for the two sisters was satisfying.

Disliked: Nina and Ben are not likeable characters, and they had no character resolution (either individually or as a couple); hated the dialogue style of just quotes one right after another, it was difficult to know who was speaking which lines sometimes; the timetable was poorly executed - for example, we didn't need that love scene in the first chapter before we knew anything about Johnstown or Ellen; tertiary characters like Doug, Amanda, and Hal were superficial stereotypes.

[Mary Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 100 th anniversary of the Johnstown flood is the basis of the story.  Twins  4 year old girls who lost their entire family  but were separated in the aftermath find each other through the efforts of a Johnstown girl (Nina) working for a Pittsburgh newspaper.  Weird marital issues with Nina’s married lover who is a father to 2 boys.  Strange asides as to Nina’s widowed mom.  A strange encounter with a possible arson fire and a firefighter.  All these things are never well developed and never resolve.  The author tries to make the lives of these saintly elderly twins seem contemporary and woke. She imbues on them all the attitudes of current progressives. It’s a bit too much.

[Lynn Gatehouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalists covering The Johnstown Flood for a series of articles leading up to the flood's centennial celebration uncover the story of the oldest survivor of the flood, 103-year-old Ellen Emerson. In spite of her advanced age, Ellen is still sharp. She is convinced that her twin sister did not perish in the flood, and continues to search for her and the truth. Professor George weaves facts into a compelling story. Readers from Johnstown and Pittsburgh will recognize her references to Western Pennsylvania people and places. I recommend this novel to all readers who enjoy historical fiction and great storytelling.

[Oatgoat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reading of this book ebbed and flowed. There were parts that inspired me to read on and other parts that I was ok putting it down until the next day.

The topic of the Johnstown floods interested me because I had knowledge of them from growing up in Pennsylvania. The references to characteristics of "Johnstown women" made me smile at times.

The author effectively blended the historical floods in with the fictional survivor of a flood and her quest to find her twin. Her handling of the relationship between two reporters was a bit convoluted.

[Elizabeth Hornig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually didn't finish. I was reading for a book club meeting. I wanted to like it since we live in the greater Johnstown area. I enjoyed the parts where the older woman was reminiscing about the day of the flood and her life after and I do wish I had jumped ahead to see if she and her sister were reunited. I couldn't get into Nina and Ben's story. Especially didn't like Ben. Do wonder if Nina ever got together with the firefighter because I liked his character much more than Ben. I wished the chapters were broken down a bit more. I don't have a lot of time to spend reading.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the late 1980s, this book follows two reporters from Johnstown, Pennsylvania who are writing an article for the centennial of the Johnstown flood. They interview the only living survivor of the flood, which leads to a sub-plot describing her life and her search for her lost twin sister. It was a good idea, but I found the plot hard to follow, as it jumped back and forth in time quite a bit. Also, I didn't find any of the characters very compelling, and none of them seemed realistic.

[Susanne Van mierlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story that keeps you wanting more. More to read about all the characters, even about Ben who was not my favorite. But especially about the lives of Ellen and Anna. I also liked the old pictures in between by the beginning of a new chapter. Although I did not always the connection to the chapter at first sight.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I grew up in Pennsylvania, this book may have been more interesting to me than to the average reader. I feel the parts of the book that dealt with the 1889 flood and with the story of the sisters was stronger than parts dealing with the Ben/Nina relationship. The writing was mediocre but adequate. It's not great literature, but it was still a good read.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost didn't continue this book beyond the first chapter because of the focus on Ben and Nina's love life and I'm glad I continued because I just love how the book ended. I do feel, though, that classifying this book as Historical fiction is a bit of a stretch. to me it feels more like women's fiction. Very little of the books is spent on the actual historical event.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read The Johnstown Girls for my library book club. Set in 1989 it is about two reporters doing stories on two survivors from the Johnstown Flood of 1889. I enjoyed the history in the book but transitions between scenes and characters were not smooth. The ending was lackluster. 2.5 stars.