Book Review and Giveaway: Crossing on the Paris by Dana Gynther

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Synopsis: In 1921, the Gilded Age is drawing to a close, but not aboard the great ocean liner, the Paris, on its way from Le Havre to New York. On this maiden voyage of the massive ship three very different women have come aboard. And although they come from different generations and walks of life their lives will nevertheless intersect and demonstrate the power of chance encounters.


Amidst the luxurious wood paneling and plush carpets of first class is the aging Vera Sinclair, who has made the decision to return to Manhattan after thirty years in Paris. In second class, Constance Stone revels in the unaccustomed freedom as she returns from a brief, failed mission to Paris to her home in Massachusetts, where her adored little daughters and dull professor husband await. And on the stifling noisy lowest deck below the waterline, young Le Havre native Julie Vernet tests her wings in her first job – unenviably serving meals in the steering class dining room.

Review: I loved this book! It was like stepping back in time, before the Titanic sank, when traveling was both a luxury and a means to a new life. The author tells the tale of the three women in separate chapters, until their lives start overlapping on the ship, they meet, and become friends. Their lives mirror one another's, despite class differences and ages. It is a very quick read- I finished it in 2 hours! I was very surprised that this was the author's first novel!

Some of the plot lines you see the inevitablities of, others are a surprise and keep you reading to the end. I liked that the author didn't give you a 'happy ever after complete' ending, but left some things up to chance- it allows the reader to imagine what happens to the women after they get off the ship. This is a lovely book and I highly recommend it!


About the Author: Dana Gynther was raised in St Louis, Missouri and Auburn, Alabama. She has a BA from the University of Alabama in Political Science and French and an MA in French Literature. She has lived in France and currently lives in Valencia, Spain, where both she and her husband Carlos are teachers and translators. They have two daughters, Claudia and Lucia. 

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Disclosure / Disclaimer: I was sent this book, free of charge, for review purposes, from Gallery Books, via Bookblogs.ning .. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.