Book Review: "The Unsinkable Greta James" by Jennifer E. Smith

(I can't tell you how many times I thought of this as The Unsinkable Molly Brown, but I'm an old musical theater fan, so get off my lawn.)

In Jennifer E. Smith's first adult contemporary novel (she's a prolific YA writer), grief and resentment can make you feel far away from a person, even when you’re with them.

Greta James is a talented singer/songwriter on the verge of releasing her second album. She’s had some notoriety and a few hits. But when she completely falls apart during a performance shortly after her mother's death, and the video of it goes viral, she needs a little bit of a break to figure things out.

Since she has some free time, her brother suggests she accompany her father on the Alaskan cruise he and their mother were supposed to go on to mark their 40th anniversary. Even though her parents were supposed to travel with two other couples, Greta joining her father would help him feel less like a third wheel.

The thing is, Greta and her father don’t get along, and her mother often played peacemaker between them. Her father hasn’t ever been particularly supportive of her music career or most of her life choices, thinking she should have a backup plan and settle down to have a family like her brother. And Greta hasn’t always remained silent about his criticism—her first hit was a song about his disapproval.

But healing and reaching understanding isn’t going to be easy, even when they’re on a ship together. Greta must figure out how to meet her father halfway, and at the same time, she needs to figure out how to find the courage to get back up on stage again, as her record label is expecting her to. And when she meets Ben, an author and college professor dealing with his own uncertainties, will their connection prove distracting or help her along her journey?

The Unsinkable Greta James was a powerful exploration of how grief and regret and hurt can affect you in ways you’ve not realized, as well as how we hurt others. At times, Greta's father really is hurtful, but you know it comes from a place of love and sadness. I’m definitely a fan of Smith’s storytelling, and I cared about these characters and what would happen to them.