The Deepest Waters

February 28, 2011
Walsh, a pastor turned full-time writer, surprises with a swashbuckling tale of a sunken pre–Civil War era steamship and its cargo of gold—and a newlywed couple who must make a harrowing decision. When a steamship heads directly into a hurricane on the Atlantic coast, John and Laura Foster must choose to stay together or be separated when women and children are evacuated to another ship. What makes the story more than romantic fluff is its basis in a true event, the sinking of the SS Central America and its payload of gold, and a dramatic subplot of Micah, a slave who longs to be free along with his family. Some flashbacks that provide backstory are awkwardly obvious, and characters seem to be more obsessed with sunsets than one might expect desperate survivors to be, but the story has penetrating moments. With this novel Walsh establishes himself as a Christian historical fiction writer who crafts credible character-driven stories.

March 15, 2011
For John and Laura Foster, their honeymoon trip on the SS Vandervere is supposed to be the joyous start of their new life together. Instead, the voyage turns tragic when a hurricane sinks the steamship while en route to New York City. By some miracle, the women and children on board are rescued by the Cutlass, a ship sailing nearby, but almost all of the menincluding Johnare left behind. At first, Laura is almost overcome with grief at the thought of facing life alone without her beloved John, but Micah, one of the crew members on the Cutlass, teaches her a valuable lesson about the importance of putting ones trust in the Lord. Despite dialogue that makes Micah sound like a character from Uncle Toms Cabin, fans of faith-based historical fiction will find Walshs latest novel to be a compelling tale of hope and fortitude, while inspirational-romance readers are certain to go through a box of Kleenex waiting to see if Laura and John really do get their richly deserved happily-ever-after ending.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)