The Stars in April by Peggy Wirgau

My debut novel, The Stars in April, is based on the true story of a twelve-year-old Titanic survivor, Ruth Becker. Released on March 30, 2021 by IlluminateYA, the book has been honored with a Starred Review from School Library Journal.

In 2012, during the hundredth anniversary of the ship’s sinking, I discovered among the survivors the name of a girl whose parents were missionaries in India. Twelve-year-old Ruth Becker was separated from her family as the Titanic lifeboats were loaded, yet she managed to share her blankets with others and offer a handkerchief to a stoker who had injured his finger.

What would make this young girl act so bravely when she must have been terrified? How did she feel about leaving her home in India, and what led to her decisions in a lifeboat full of strangers that cold, dark night? As I asked myself those questions, I began researching and realized I needed to tell Ruth’s story.

An excerpt from the back cover:

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. 

But India is the only home Ruth knows. In a matter of days, she must leave Papa and all she loves behind, abandon her dream of one day playing violin in the Calcutta Orchestra, and embark on a four-week journey to England, followed by the voyage to New York aboard the luxurious, ill-fated RMS Titanic. 

Ruth’s story is one of courage and self-sacrifice as she earns her sea legs and faces the unknown, culminating in a desperate, tragic night she will never forget.

One of the best parts of writing the book was getting acquainted with Mr. Floyd Andrick of the Titanic Historical Society, who knew Ruth in her later years. He graciously provided several tales she had shared with him about her life in India and aboard the Titanic, and I was able to weave them into the novel. One that took place in India involved a tea party that her mother hosted for other missionary wives, only to have it interrupted by wild monkeys who had decided to invade their veranda and eat the sandwiches!

The most amazing story, however, is Floyd’s detailed account of how Ruth befriended two little boys on the ship, who were later known as the Titanic Orphans, because their father perished in the sinking. She had always thought they drowned as well, until she was reunited with the older of the boys at a Titanic convention 75 years after the voyage. A photo from that event, as well as others of Ruth and her family, are included in the book’s backmatter.

Ruth’s experiences come to life in The Stars in April, through a cast of characters from all walks of life and through her Sky Reports—journal entries she writes as she observes the stars and constellations and speculates on her future as she travels across the world. Ruth Becker’s story is for all ages, from kids who are interested in a true adventure, to adult history buffs and those looking for a heartfelt, first-person account from a survivor of the “unsinkable” Titanic.

“A captivating, honest, lovingly told story of a young girl’s courageous journey. If you only read one book about the Titanic, read this one!”

~ Francisco X. Stork, award-winning author of Marcelo in the Real    World, The Memory of Light, and Illegal

Amazon.com: The Stars in April (9781645263067): Wirgau, Peggy: Books (paperback)

Peggy Wirgau is a Michigan native and now lives in Delray Beach, Florida. She loves true stories from the past and writes through the eyes of ordinary people in history who faced extraordinary challenges and became heroes. Peggy has written for several magazines and contributed to Why? Titanic Moments. Her debut novel, The Stars in April, is based on the story of twelve-year-old Titanic survivor Ruth Becker. She is a member of ACFW, SCBWI, and Florida Writers Association.