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"[A] story original, witty, playful, moving and rich with insight—wisdom, even. Dorothy's a girl with a very full mind, her observations piquant and memorable...Her sense of guilt is all the more potent for being woven so subtly into her story. Excellent fare." — The Toronto Star
"[Readers will] be likely to devour the fact-filled, fascinating historical note Ellis provides at the end of her novel, with 12 pages of archival photos." — The Montreal Gazette
"Sarah Ellis is adept at getting into the minds of young girls, especially young girls with gumption, courage, and initiative...[Dorothy is] a memorable heroine and a gutsy girl learning how to cope with the unthinkable...That Fatal Night is a really good book—definitely better than the Hollywood movie! Highly Recommended." — Canadian Review of Materials
"The Titanic is done time and time again...But you have not read the Titanic like this before...All in all, a very welcome addition to the Dear Canada family and one of Sarah Ellis' best novels." — Vikki VanSickle, author of Words That Start With B
Product Description
It is May 1912, one month after the horrific sinking of the Titanic, and twelve-year-old survivor Dorothy Wilton is sent home from school in disgrace when she strikes another student. Although she's expelled, her sympathetic teacher encourages Dorothy to write an account of her experience on the ship, with the hopes that it will help Dorothy come to terms with her trauma.
And so begins a truly remarkable story, which reads like a time capsule of the era: Dorothy writes about visiting her bohemian grandparents in England before setting sail back home, the luxurious rooms and cabins on board, a new friend she makes, and the intriguing people they observe. However, amidst all of this storytelling, a shadow lurks, a secret Dorothy is too traumatized to acknowledge — a secret about her own actions on that fatal night, which may have had deadly consequences.
Through young Dorothy's eyes, award-winning writer Sarah Ellis expertly takes a unique perspective on the Titanic tragedy, exploring the concept of survivor's guilt with devastating honesty.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
From the point of view of a Survivor,
By
This review is from: Dear Canada: That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1912 (Hardcover)
Reason for Reading: Someday I hope to read all the books in this series.This book takes a different point of view than most kid's historical fiction I've read about the Titanic. The book starts a few months after the sinking and we meet Titanic survivor 12 year-old Dorothy, her traveling companion did not survive, something for which she feels guilt and Dorothy doesn't really want to talk about the Titanic anymore. She gets into an altercation at school and is sent home for the remainder of the year. Her teacher brings her home work and a journal where she tells Dorothy to write about her Titanic experience as it may help to put it into perspective for her. Dorothy writes about her life now and her life in England where she was visiting her Grandmother and Grandfather before her fateful journey home, touching on every subject but the one that has redefined her life. Eventually, Dorothy does take the plunge and tells us what it was like for her that evening the "unsinkable" ship The Titanic sunk. An enjoyable story, with much more going for it than just a recounting of the Titanic's final days. We have a full-blown story of a survivor's life, living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. What it was like to deal with being a survivor when so many more had died, the guilt and blame a person throws on themselves. Also daily life in Halifax , 1912 is explored as is rural life in 1912 England. I enjoyed Dorothy's tone of voice in this epistolary novel told through her journal writings. The only thing that bothered me is that she sometimes went into theatre mode and wrote scenes as if she were writing a play script, these were a bit bothersome but they did add some humour. Another good entry to this popular series for girls.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Titanic Achievement,
By
This review is from: Dear Canada: That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1912 (Hardcover)
That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton is Sarah Ellis' third diary in the Dear Canada series and it is one of my favourites. The Titanic is done time and time again and with good reason: children are fascinated by this tragedy even today. But you have not read the Titanic like this before. Ellis stays away from the drama and adventure and sticks to an unusual topic for children's literature: survivor's guilt.Dorothy has been asked to keep a journal by her teacher, an astute woman who promises not to read it, but suggests that Dorothy try and write about her experience aboard the most famous of ships. Dorothy is reluctant at first, instead filling the pages with stories of her life in England at her grandparents house and plays she has written featuring a 'Canadian Girl' to illustrate what life was like just before 'that fatal night' of the title. But slowly Dorothy starts to reveal what happened on her trip. She talks about the hated Miss Pugh, her strict companion, kind Beryl, who worked aboard the ship, and trouble-making Marjorie. I had a lump in my throat as Dorothy eventually tells the events of that night and the fates of Miss Pugh, Beryl, Marjorie, and others become clear. Despite issues of guilt and post-traumatic stress, That Fatal Night is not a heavy or traumatic read. Dorothy has a lot of pluck and Ellis has done an excellent job of recreating the diary of a girl who never intended her words to be read. She is honest about the people she likes and doesn't like and never minces words, the effect of which is laugh out loud funny. Dorothy has a keen eye for detail and brings the Titanic to life for the reader, mentioning how the photographs in the paper cannot capture 'the smells.' The tone reminded me a little bit of a Budge Wilson short story called 'My War' about a girl living in Halifax during WWII who just can't get enough of the excitement and the drama until tragedy comes into her life and she has a change of heart. Both this story and Ellis' novel capture the horrors and loneliness of trauma in addition to the burden of other people's reactions to your trauma. Dear Canada fans and lovers of Titanic literature will welcome this addition to the canon. As always in this series, a historical note is included in the back for fact lovers. All in all, a very welcome addition to the Dear Canada family and one of Sarah Ellis' best novels. This review is cross-posted at pipedreaming
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