The Unsinkable Greta James is a deep burning, methodically written tale of family, ambitions and relationships, particularly of the child-parent kind. With such universal themes, Greta is guaranteed to strike a chord with every reader. I was particularly drawn to the eponymous character, a successful indie musician in her mid thirties, who is at a turning point. Although she leads a life completely alien to us all, the author manages to build up the layers and then slowly peel them back to reveal a character with whom we can happily relate.
Following the recent and sudden death of her mother, Greta finds herself on a cruise ship among the stunning environs of Alaska, forced into the awkward companionship of her father – who is less than a fan of her life choices. The author handles this, and indeed all of the relationships in the novel, with a beautifully nuanced and sympathetic touch. For me, and I’ve no doubt for many, it was a hard relate. Throw in a love interest or two to keep the interest fresh, and the result is a definite hit.
The dialogue in this novel – and it is dialogue heavy – hits particularly hard. The fraught exchanges between father and daughter had me close to tears at points; and yet, despite the drama and the grief, I would not describe this as a sad story. It ends with hope.
Five stars all round for this quiet, unassuming belter of a novel.
Jennifer E Smith is a veteran author of young adult novels, and The Unsinkable Greta James is her first novel for adults, published by Quercus in the UK and out now in hardback form.
