The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic

by Allan Wolf

"A lyrical, monumental work of fact and imagination." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Arrogance and innocence, hubris and hope — twenty-four haunting voices of the Titanic tragedy, as well as the iceberg itself, are evoked in a stunning tour de force. Slipping in telegraphs, undertaker’s reports, and other records, poet Allan Wolf offers a breathtaking, intimate glimpse at the lives behind the tragedy, told with clear-eyed compassion and astounding emotional power.

• ISBN10: 0763637033
• ISBN13: 9780763637033
• Publish Date: 2 February 2012 (first published 11 October 2011)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 11 April 2017
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Candlewick Press,U.S.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 480
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

The Watch That Ends the Night recounts the maiden and final voyage of the RMS Titanic in a unique and engrossing way. Told in free verse, it is narrated by twenty-four different characters. I was worried that so many perspectives would be confusing or that not everyone would get enough page time to be memorable, but that was exactly the opposite of how I ended up feeling while reading. The author uses real people who were aboard Titanic--as well as a rat and the ice berg itself--and tells all of their stories, some more tragic than others. Of course, I'm very familiar with the fate of the Titanic but I still found myself nervous when the chapter dated April 14 appeared.

I absolutely loved The Watch That Ends the Night! It's sad and tragic, but it's also hopeful and funny at times. The rat's chapters definitely lighten the mood a bit, along with its feud with the baker. I think that using so many different voices was a risk, but definitely one that pays off. Even without the character's name appearing before each of their poems, it was always clear who was speaking. They each had their own unique voice, and some of the poems were formatted differently for different characters. I was never confused at any point, and it was surprisingly simple to keep everyone's stories clear in my mind. The ice berg's poems are particularly chilling, pardon the pun. If you're familiar with Titanic's history, or even just seen the movie, you'll recognize several of the narrating characters.

The short lines of the poems and the number of character switches certainly fits the urgency of Titanic's tale, making a well-known story feel fresh. The Watch That Ends the Night is a fascinating account of the ship and several of the lives aboard. I loved the mix of fact and fiction, and the author even includes several sections at the end which separate the truth from his imagination. I would say that this book is almost on par with the 1997 movie for me. And just like in the movie, I got chills when Mr. Andrews says the ship will stay afloat for "two hours at most." I highly recommend The Watch That Ends the Night to historical fiction and verse novel fans alike, or anyone looking for something really good.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.