Daughter of the Titanic

By: Caroline Cauchi

Narrated by: Ruth Sillers, Catrin Walker-Booth

Inspired by a true story, this is a moving reimagining of loss, legacy and the fragile truth between memory and myth…

She was never meant to be a symbol, but the world made her one

In 1912, fourteen-year-old Helen ‘Melville’ Smith loses her father, Captain Edward J. Smith of the Titanic. In the decades that follow, she becomes the reluctant keeper of a story the world insists on telling for her: unlucky, cursed, tragic.

Sixty years later, Oxford academic Catherine Haynes discovers a mislabelled portrait and a trail of forgotten papers that lead her to the woman behind the myth.

In a series of interviews, Mel recounts the truth behind the headlines – the quiet rebellions, the dangerous loves, the secrets she burned, and the one fragment of her past she refuses to let go…

Daughter of the Titanic is the story of a woman the world tried to define – and the extraordinary life she built beyond the wreckage.

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Readers are LOVING Daughter of the Titanic:

'Revealing, powerful and moving … I felt truly enlightened and blessed to have read this novel.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I am in bits! So poignant, beautiful, sad, hopeful, inspiring…' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A fascinating tale' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A really moving book. One that lingered in my heart' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A 5* read on every level … Linger[s] long after the last page' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Completely captivating … will hold your heart for a long time to come.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'You'll find yourself falling headfirst into Mel's world with her. 5 stars- no notes.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A very emotional read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A story filled with perseverance, sorrow … beautifully written' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Fresh, evocative … historical fiction at its absolute best’ Gill Paul

©2026 Caroline Cauchi (P)2026 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR CAROLINE CAUCHI:

“As intricate and absorbing as a Van Gogh painting…MRS VAN GOGH will stay with me for a long time.” New York Times bestseller Hazel Gaynor

“All the characters jump off the page…what we have here is a very fine novel.” Historical Novel Society

“[A] brilliantly fictionalized account of the life of a woman who the world needs to know better” Lit Hub

“What an exquisitely written book, I loved every moment! How lucky readers are going to be to read this utterly absorbing and deeply moving book for the first time. Such a treat!” USA Today bestseller Deborah Carr

“A truly impressive book and a great talent.” Sunday Times bestseller Caroline Corcoran

“Brings to vivid life an extraordinary woman… will appeal to all lovers of historical fiction. A story that deserves to be told and widely known.” Essie Fox

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This book is exquisite! Everything about Johanna's story is astoundingly beautiful and hers is a story that needed to be told, a voice that deserved to be heard”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A beautifully done historical novel, it was so well written and did everything that I was hoping for”

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A beautifully written historical novel… Johanna was ahead of her time and the author portrayed her authentically”

⭐⭐⭐⭐“Historical fiction at its best. A well-written story about a strong woman with a fascinating life”

⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The author paints a beautiful picture…If you enjoy historical fiction and you like strong female characters, I highly recommend”