Deep Secrets: A Titanic Novel

Gr 6 Up–Colette lives in New York City with her family (mother Lisette, sister ­Genevieve, and brother Antoine), and the year is 1929. The family has always struggled to put food on the table, and the recent stock market crash has them fearing for their factory jobs. All except Colette, who is considered weak and frail by her mother, and forced to stay at home all day, only venturing out to collect the groceries from Walter’s Market. ­Summoning up her courage, Colette defies her mother’s orders one day and asks Walter for a job to offset some of her family’s debt. Colette learns that Walter was a passenger on the Titanic and survived the sinking in 1912. As Walter begins sharing his story, his tales of that fateful night rekindle recurring ­nightmares for ­Colette of icy cold, screams, and tears. Colette learns that her family is more connected to Walter’s story than she could have imagined, and she begins to unravel a secret that has been buried for more than a decade. Smith takes a fresh approach to a ­Titanic historical fiction tale, crafting into a riveting mystery that leaves readers eager for the next chapter. Setting the story well after the sinking gives Smith the chance to show how the fear of racial discrimination contributed to the life-changing decisions made by the characters in 1912. Colette is cued white.