On a fogbound night in May 1914, the Empress of Ireland passenger liner collided with the Norwegian collier Storstad in the St. Lawrence River. The great ship sank in just fourteen minutes. More than a thousand people died. Shipwrecked Lives tells the story of the survivors—and of the government inquiry that followed Canada’s worst maritime disaster. Drawing directly on the sworn testimony given before the Commission of Inquiry, the novel recreates the courtroom drama presided over by Lord Mersey, the formidable British jurist who had already led the Titanic and later Lusitania investigations. As grief-stricken survivors seek justice, the inquiry becomes a battle between vastly unequal forces: a tiny Norwegian coal-hauling firm defended by the brilliant American lawyer Charles S. Haight, and the British-owned Canadian Pacific Steamship Line represented by London barrister Butler Aspinall. Press bias, political pressure, and national pride collide as fiercely as the ships themselves. Through vivid personal stories and sharply observed legal combat, Shipwrecked Lives exposes how truth can be submerged by power—and how history is sometimes written not by evidence, but by those who control the verdict. From the bestselling author of Playing Rudolf Hess, An Absolute Secret, Remembrance Man, Kentucky Choirboy, and White Slaves comes this extraordinary story about the sinking of the Empress of Ireland passenger liner in the St. Lawrence River. This is the story of the survivors and the failed government inquiry into Canada's worst maritime disaster that led to a whitewash. It tells the story of the ruined captain of the passenger liner, the woman who survived the disaster and tried unsuccessfully to claim the body of her disfigured son, the Rimouski fishermen whose job it was to search the debris field for the bodies of the victims, the Norwegians who were quickly condemned by the press, the shysters and wagon-chasers who fraudulently claimed insurance policies on next of kin, and the government inquiry which pitted a multinational transport industry giant against a tiny Norwegian coal-hauling firm.
Book reviews:
"From the very first lines, Kinsey skillfully crafts his novel. We are drawn into the lives of the individuals on the Empress, passengers confused and frightened when loud blasts of the ship's whistle sound and the ship begins to list, then rapidly sink. He weaves the story between the disaster itself and what follows with the survivors in a courtroom as lawyers and witnesses try to unravel the cause of the collision. Kinsey has written a historical novel that is impossible to put down. I found that the transitions from survivor story to courtroom events held my interest from start to finish." Rosalie Grosch, The Norwegian American Journal.
"As a Maritimer, I've always been familiar with the stories of the Titanic and the Atlantic. The sinking of the Empress of Ireland is certainly a tragedy I'd heard of but it wasn't a story I knew much about. I found Nicholas Kinsey's book absolutely fascinating and could certainly draw parallels between the Empress of Ireland's tragic sinking and the Lusitania's. They both happened so quickly that there was absolute chaos on the decks. They also both resulted in intense inquiries afterwards. The historical research was first rate and based on primary sources. Though the book is historical fiction, the facts shone through and it were presented in a very readable way. An important (though terribly sad) part of Canadian history that more people should learn about." BookSirens
"This book offered a fascinating look into a shipwreck that occurred in Canada in 1914. I liked that the author focused on characters from all the different sides of the disaster and its aftermath. I also appreciated all the historical details woven into the story." Goodreads
"I find that stories having a factual basis are the most interesting, especially if the author can weave a believable story around the facts. As was done here. I did not know the story of this shipwreck, and that more lives were lost than in the Titanic, especially so soon after, shows how much the powers-that-be were able to downplay the facts surrounding this horrible incident. No doubt not having an excess of high-profile passengers had something to do with that. This was a story that had to be told." Goodreads