The cruel sea

The early years of the twentieth century hold an irresistible draw for the modern imagination. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan takes us back to 1914, the world poised on the precipice of the modern age, with a plot and characters that are of the pre-modern era. A ship is stricken and, in a rescue bid, lifeboats are hurriedly deployed. At the last minute, Grace Winter manages to secure a berth on one. She finds herself adrift with thirty-nine fellow passengers. Rumours of distress signals stoke hope of potential rescue. But this is a technological dark age; they are at the mercy of the sea and each other.

It is a rollicking scenario, and one teased apart with aplomb. The boat is too small to cope with them all. Any hope of recovery depends on lightening the load.