Queen of the Waves

by Nancy Moser Book 4 in the American Tapestries series.

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4.1(116)

Jacqueline Abingdon plans to escape the marriage arranged for her by eloping with the gardener she loves, leaving her ticket for the Titanic unused. Tessa Bowen, a young woman from a very different background, is drawn into an identity swap that places her aboard the liner under Jacqueline’s name. As the ship crosses the Atlantic, romance and deception are overtaken by disaster, forcing both women to confront what freedom and sacrifice will cost them.

The identity exchange works because class determines how passengers are seen and treated long before anyone checks the truth of their names. Tessa’s borrowed status gives her access to spaces and expectations that would otherwise be closed, while also increasing the danger if the deception is exposed. The Titanic disaster then strips away some social distinctions while making others painfully visible.