Review: The Passengers

Hannah is accompanying her grandmother Sarah on a cruise from America to Australia. Sarah was Hannah’s age when she fell in love with an American Serviceman during WW2 as he was stationed in Sydney. Together with so many other war brides, she left Australia in 1945 to join her husband and start a new life in America.
In alternating chapters, we follow these two women’s stories. Sarah is such an appealing character, who lived during turbulent times and faced difficult choices with courage and integrity.
I cannot say the same for Hannah, who I found annoying and self indulgent. When you compare the life that Sarah had and how she coped to Hannah and her whinging and “it’s all about me,me,me” - well, there really is no comparison.
I also felt that the novel missed a crucial generation: Sarah’s daughter, and Hannah’s mother, Caroline. She is barely mentioned, and I think if we heard her story, we may appreciate Hannah more
.
This novel illustrates how much women’s lived have changed in such a short time. I just wish Hannah had used her opportunities more wisely.

• Review
• Eleanor Limprecht