When Marguerite Jolivet was 18, she announced to her wealthy family that she was determined to become an actress, and moved to London with her younger sister, Inez, in tow. While still attending the society functions their mother demanded of them, Marguerite began a life treading the boards of the West End while Inez began a career as a master violinist. Before long, their careers took them around the world, with Marguerite beginning a career in silent films, and Inez and her new husband performing concerts worldwide. However, as they streaked toward fame and fortune, the world at large crept closer and closer to war. After the spark of World War I ignites, Marguerite and Inez's younger brother joins the military, and Marguerite books passage home on the fastest ship available, the RMS Lusitania. Those with a passing knowledge of history know what happened next.
This book is billed as a story of the Lusitania, and that disaster definitely features prominently in the second half of the book. However, I'd say that the true focus of the book is the very real Marguerite "Rita" Jolivet, her rise to fame, and the way that the German attack on the Lusitania affected Marguerite and her family. It's a captivating story about an amazing woman, and one I'd highly recommend.
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