Title: The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
An indie musician reeling from tragedy reconnects with her estranged father on a week-long cruise in this tale of grief, fame, and love from bestselling author Jennifer E. Smith.
Greta James’s meteoric rise to indie stardom was hard-won. Before she graced magazine covers and sold out venues, she spent her girlhood strumming her guitar in the family garage. Her first fan was her mother, Helen, whose face shone bright in the dusty downtown bars where she got her start–but not everyone encouraged Greta to follow her dreams. While many daydream about a crowd chanting their name, her father, Conrad, saw only a precarious life ahead for his daughter.
Greta has spent her life trying to prove him wrong, but three months after Helen’s sudden death, and weeks before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta has an onstage meltdown that goes viral. Attempting to outrun the humiliation and heartbreak, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her father on a week-long Alaskan cruise, the very one that her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary.
This could be the James family’s last chance to heal old wounds and will prove to be a voyage of discovery for them, as well as for Ben Wilder, a historian also struggling with a major upheaval in his life. Ben is on board to lecture about Jack London’s The Call of the Wild, the adventure story Greta’s mother adored, and he captures Greta’s attention after her stre pak of dating hanger-ons. As Greta works to build up her confidence and heal, and Ben confronts his uncertain future, they must rely on one another to make sense of life’s difficult choices. In the end, Greta must make the most challenging decision of all: to listen to the song within her or make peace with those who love her.
Review:
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith is a humorous yet poignant novel.
Greta James reluctantly agrees to join her father, Conrad, on an Alaskan cruise. She is an Indie musician who was closer to her mother who unexpectedly passed away. Greta and her father’s relationship is fraught due to his lack of support for her career. Their time together on the cruise is uneasy as they navigate their grief and tense moments between them. Luckily Greta has become friends with Ben Wilder who is also dealing with life-altering change. With a mutual attraction flaring between them, is there any chance for a future together once the cruise ends?
Without her mother to buffer their relationship, Greta and Conrad will have to come to terms with their painful past if they want to be part of each other’s lives. Letting go of their hurt and resentment will take time but neither finds it easy to discuss what is wrong between them. Greta and Ben’s unanticipated friendship provides her the opportunity to escape the tension with her father.
The Unsinkable Greta James is a thought-provoking journey of healing. The characters are well-drawn with relatable issues to overcome. The storyline is engaging with beautiful scenery that springs vibrantly to life. Jennifer E. Smith brings this heartwarming novel to an uplifting conclusion.
