Maiden Voyages

Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them

By: Siân Evans

Narrated by: Jilly Bond

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

In an engaging and anecdotal social history, Siân Evans's Maiden Voyages explores how women’s lives were transformed by the Golden Age of ocean liner travel between Europe and North America.

During the early twentieth century, transatlantic travel was the province of the great ocean liners. It was an extraordinary undertaking made by many women, whose lives were changed forever by their journeys between the Old World and the New. Some traveled for leisure, some for work; others to reinvent themselves or find new opportunities. They were celebrities, migrants and millionaires, refugees, aristocrats and crew members whose stories have mostly remained untold—until now.

Maiden Voyages is a fascinating portrait of the era, the ships themselves, and these women as they crossed the Atlantic. The ocean liner was a microcosm of contemporary society, divided by class: from the luxury of the upper deck, playground for the rich and famous, to the cramped conditions of steerage or third class travel. In first class you’ll meet A-listers like Marlene Dietrich, Wallis Simpson, and Josephine Baker; the second class carried a new generation of professional and independent women, like pioneering interior designer Sibyl Colefax. Down in steerage, you’ll follow the journey of émigré Maria Riffelmacher as she escapes poverty in Europe. Bustling between decks is a crew of female workers, including Violet “The Unsinkable Stewardess” Jessop, who survived the Titanic disaster.

Entertaining and informative, Maiden Voyages captures the golden age of ocean liners through the stories of the women whose transatlantic journeys changed the shape of society on both sides of the globe.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

©2021 Siân Evans (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Wonderful

Very interesting book about women and their lives at sea. It was fascinating reading about the cruise lines and now I’d like to take the Queen Mary II to England. The only slightly negative I have is the narrators intonation. She has a beautiful speaking voice and accent but she would place emphasis on words in the middle of sentences that, to me, didn’t make sense. It didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book but I did find myself sometimes listening more to hear what word she would emphasize than the story and had to replay.

Magnificent!

A well written book with both specific details and an overview of the great passenger ships of the 20th century. Gripping stories, quirky events and an insight to life at sea. Listened to the book at full speed without any icebergs ahead.

Ho hum.

If you are a steamship nerd, this might be interesting, but I just couldn't get into it. The narrator, however, was very good. Too bad what she was reading wasn't.