Coming  March 9, 2021

SURVIVING SAVANNAH

"The Titanic of the South"

“In Surviving Savannah, Patti Callahan masterfully weaves a little known historical tragedy, an enigmatic mystery, and a searing family saga into a mesmerizing tale that will captivate readers until the
last page and beyond." 

—Pam Jenoff,
NYT Bestselling Author of

The Lost Girls of Paris
 

Praise For 

Surviving

Savannah 

“The astonishing story of the “Titanic of the South” is brought to vivid life by Callahan, who effortlessly blends fact and fiction into a novel that I simply couldn’t put down. This tale of survival, love, and loss,
as well as Callahan’s epic portrayals of a trio of strong, passionate women, gripped

me from the very first page. Simply masterful."
 

—Fiona Davis, NYT Bestselling Author of

The Lions of Fifth Avenue
 

It was called "The Titanic of the South."  The luxury steamship sank in 1838 with Savannah's elite on board; through time, their fates were forgotten—until the wreck was found, and now their story is finally being told in this breathtaking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis.

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When Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection focusing on artifacts recovered from the steamship Pulaski, she's shocked.

The ship sank after a boiler explosion in 1838, and the wreckage was just discovered, 180 years later. Everly can't resist the opportunity to try to solve some of the mysteries and myths surrounding the devastating night of its sinking.

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Everly's research leads her to the astounding history of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together, and the extraordinary stories of two women from this family: a known survivor, Augusta Longstreet, and her niece, Lilly Dawson, who was never found, along with her child. These aristocratic women were part of Savannah's society, but when the ship exploded, each was faced with difficult and heartbreaking decisions.

This is a moving and powerful exploration of what women will do to endure in the face of tragedy, the role fate plays, and the myriad ways we survive the surviving.

“In this lush, vibrant novel by the indomitable Patti Callahan, one can feel with incredible vibrancy the raw terror aboard a sinking steamship in the darkness, the searing pain of loss, the modern-day mystery of a ghost ship unearthed in the ocean’s depth. Callahan splashes every scene with rich life, delivering the reader straight to the heart of the story, which is a rich tale of friendship, heritage, forgiveness, redemption, and the thin, too-fragile line between life and death. “How will we survive the surviving?” one of her characters wonders, and it is a question that Callahan mines beautifully.

If you’re fascinated by the Titanic, meet your new favorite novel, a lush, vibrant based-on-a-true-story tale that toggles effortlessly between present and past, as a doomed ship sets out to sea, forever changing the fate of the mysterious, moss-draped city of Savannah.”

—Kristin Harmel,
NYT Bestselling Author of

The Book of Lost Names
 

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"A seamless blending of fact and fiction" 

“Fans of Christina Baker Kline and Kate Quinn will love this beautiful, richly detailed novel about a lost bit of American maritime history. In a seamless blending of fact and fiction, Patti Callahan has created an atmospheric, compelling story of survival, tragedy, the enduring power of myth and memory, and the moments that change one's life."
 

—Kristin Hannah

 #1 NYT Bestselling Author of 

The Great Alone & The Nightingale