Following the death of her father, Hazel’s family is quickly plunged into destitution. The best solution is to send Hazel to the United States to live with her aunt and work so she can send money back home, although Hazel secretly wishes to be a journalist. However, Hazel doesn’t have the money to buy a ticket so stows away on a boat named the Titanic.
Thankfully, she is able to befriend Charlie, a porter, who helps her find a room more comfortable than the stairwell. Hazel also meets Sylvia, a sweet first-class passenger looking for a companion on the long voyage. When Hazel stumbles onto a plot that she fears targets her new friend Sylvia’s wealth, she hopes all her talents as a budding journalist will help her break the news.
Hazel is young and idealistic, curious and kind. While written for a younger audience and including a sub-plot that propels the story along, most readers will pick this up just for the fact that it is about the Titanic. It is not surprising that Nielsen, after taking a stab at historical fiction, has finally put pen to paper about one of the most famous disasters in history.