Titanic Survivor: The Memoirs of a Stewardess [Large Print] [Hardcover]

This is the biography of an extraordinary woman, who was so much more then just a Titanic survivor; she was a true survivor, with all the meaning of the word.

Born in Argentina where her Irish parents immigrated, Violet had to endure and overcome a serious illness that she was not expected to survive, sexual abuse, loss of several of her siblings, constant changes of location in search of a better life, and extreme poverty. And yet, she describes her childhood as a happy one, filled with love, wisdom, warmth and an altogether positive attitude towards life. After her father's death the family moved to England, where again she had to face extreme poverty, loss, sexual abuse and to sacrifice her own dreams in order to help her family. Once again, Violet remained optimistic and positive.

During her many years at sea; a profession she chose out of necessity and never actually liked it, she survived three disasters. Her narration of Titanic's sinking is amazing and I think that from all the books, documentaries and movies about this famous liner, these thirty pages moved me the most. She provides so many information I never knew about Titanic, like the fact that this was the first time the crew was asked what little improvements would make their work easier and it was Tommy Andrews, whom she dearly loved, that made sure all improvements would be made. Also I never knew that there was a cat onboard, which had just given birth to a basket of kittens; so very sad. Violet's account of her last moments on Titanic are surreal and moving and her farewells to dear brave friends who perished that night will forever haunt me. As will her desperate hopes that the Californian would rescue them in time, and her account of their rescue by the Carpathia, which some women mistook for Titanic and greeted with joy, thinking that their loved ones were safe and all was well.

As if Titanic was not enough, during WWI she was posted as a nurse on Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic. When the ship was hit by a mine and sank in 1916, in Greece, Violet was among the few people who fell overboard and was injured by the ship's propellers, but it was her will to live that saved her. Once again Violet found the silver lining and kept a positive attitude and a sense of humour.

Violet never found happiness in her personal life, though few people deserve happiness as she did. She had a brief unhappy marriage with a co-worker that she does not mention in her memoirs, and never had children which she so much loved, although she did save a child's life on Titanic. Her great love with the elusive Australian Ned, remained unrecruited, but she always loved him and was very proud that she rejected multiple proposals for prosperous marriages "for the love of a pair of quizzical eyes."

The book is excellently introduced, edited and annotated by John Maxtone Graham. He provides all the facts that the reader needs to know in order to better understand Violet's memoirs and he comments on her narration without however interrupting her story. Also he explains the real names of Titanic's crew and passengers, as Violet changed most of the names. The book also includes interesting letters that Violet wrote to friends and family.

I bought this book as I thought that it would be an interesting account of Titanic's disaster but this is so much more. It is a fascinating biography of a strong woman, who's life was so full and interesting that Titanic was only a small part of it, and the best thing is that it is so well written and gripping that I could not put it down. Highly Recommended!

To be born and raised on the Argentinian pampas and die of old age in a Suffolk village sounds mildly interesting. But what if in between you had worked as a stewardess and had avoided death on three famous liners which had met with accidents? Including rescuing a baby as the Titanic sank. Violet tells us that as she passed the dignitaries whilst being ordered into the last lifeboat, the men were calm, waiting for a rescue that never came. The lights of the California could be seen on the horizon and "they must have picked up our SOS". If only.
However this life story is much more than a Titanic novel. It is about a person's resilience and will power to overcome sadness, setbacks and handicaps over a period of 80 years. She lived anonymously and humbly after retirement with her written account unpublished until the end - soccer players and actors please take note - so that all those extra questions one would like to have had asked unfortunately go unanswered.
This is a superb true-life adventure story.

Although this book is called 'Titanic Survivor' and includes a vivid and exciting description of that memorable event, the rest of Violet Jessop's life contained many interesting episodes that are recounted in this book.

Her childhood in Argentina was happy, though overshadowed by her own serious illness, and the illness and death of more than one sibling. Her teenage years, spent at a convent school in Kent run by Breton nuns, also seems to have been happy.

Feeling obliged to give up further education in order to support her mother and younger siblings, Violet embarked on a long career as a ship's stewardess. though there seem to have been many things about being a stewardess that she disliked, particularly the beggarly wages and the fact that they were mostly reliant on tips, she nevertheless continued to work at sea for most of her life.

A pretty girl, she had plenty of opportunities for romance, and turned down at least one very eligible proposal of marriage. The strong romantic attachment she felt to a young Australian called Ned in the end came to nothing, and although she was apparently briefly married, the book says nothing about it.

The sinking of the Titanic is memorably described, but even more dramatic is the sinking of the Britannic, in 1916, the description of which is not for the squeamish. Although the loss of life was comparatively small (only 28 died) a lot of people were horribly maimed by the propellers of the ship, and the descriptions of their horrific injuries make blood-curdling reading.

The editor, John Maxtone-Graham, occasionally casts doubt on certain passages, beleiving they may have been misremembered or exaggerated, but whether they are or not this certainly is an entertaining and memorable book.