The Stars In April

By Peggy Wirgau

Description:

“I feel as though I'm sitting in Ruth's apartment and she is sharing her life story with me. This could very easily be a non-fiction account ... so very well written ... one can hardly stop reading.”
Floyd Andrick, Titanic Historical Society member and personal friend of Ruth Becker


“Sometimes we have to go a long way to find out who we are.”

Based on the True Story of Twelve-Year-Old Titanic Survivor Ruth Becker

The year is 1912. When doctors in India are unable to treat her baby brother’s illness, Ruth’s missionary parents decide there is one solution: move her mother and the children across the world—to Michigan.

Torn between anger and sadness at leaving Papa and her best friend behind, Ruth must abandon her dream of one day playing violin in the Calcutta Orchestra and embark on an unpredictable four-week journey across the Arabian and Mediterranean Seas, followed by the voyage to New York aboard the luxurious, ill-fated RMS Titanic.

Then, everything culminates in a desperate, tragic night Ruth Becker will never forget.

Ruth’s story is one of courage and self-sacrifice as she earns her sea legs and records her observations of the stars in her Sky Reports. As she meets a colorful cast of characters—a circus acrobat, a Suffragette who longs to be a physician, a young Irish immigrant, and a wealthy publishing executive with a prizewinning dog—her eyes are opened to the wide, changing world around her while she faces an unknown future with a mixture of fear and daring.

Featuring photos and information about Ruth and her family, a map of her journey, discussion questions, and a guide to constellations in the northern hemisphere.

Book Takeaway:

The book describes Ruth Becker's journey from India as well as the Titanic voyage/sinking/rescue. The main takeaway is what led a twelve-year-old girl, separated from her family, managed to help others after such a terrifying disaster. I hope it conveys her bravery and fighting spirit as well as that of other passengers and crew members, and that we can trust God with our future even when our plans don't match up with His.