Bill Walker, Titanic 2012

Titanic 2012

Bill Walker

Cemetery Dance, 1998, $24.95

ISBN: 1881475492

In 2012, billionaire Realtor Harlan Astor informs selected friends, including his old Harvard mate bestselling author Trevor Hughes, that he has built an exact replica of the famous Titanic, the ship where his great-grandfather died one century earlier. He asks Trevor to join the maiden voyage of TITANIC 2012 as the chronicler. Excited by just being aboard, Trevor accepts the invitation with plans to interview the crew and guests, starting with the christening in Poland, but first dumps his girlfriend therapist Julia Magnusson over Astor's ego.

As the ship sets sail and the media goes wild, Trevor interviews those on board. He begins to wonder what criteria Harlan used to select the chosen ones, as deep appreciation of Cameron's film is the only seeming link. However, his issues and concerns vanish when he meets Madeleine Regehr. As he fights not to fall in love, his doubts about the guest list and crew resurface, so he begins to investigate everyone on board to learn why they were picked, especially Maddy.

This is a terrific tale that stars an individual who cannot commit to any deep relationships, whether they are just friendships or abiding love. Trevor's quest to learn why each was picked enables him to also look at himself. Using the Titanic with homage to the Cameron movie is a clever mechanism that has the readers join the characters (in their imagination) on the sea voyage, in spite of wondering about icebergs and other possible calamities. This is a very deep character driven tale, as Bill Walker, like his cast, reveres the movie.