I enjoyed this book and the different glimpse into a little known event of world war II. However, I would have enjoyed it more if I had not previously read Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood. I found Lifeboat 12 a bit more engaging and kept me on my edge of my seat. As they are geared to different audiences, there may not be many readers who read both books and find differences between how the historical parts play out.

A beautifully haunting book about survival in the face of great trial; about longing and love; and about the threads that bind people in desperate situations together.

The Last Lifeboat is a well-written, well-paced novel based on actual events. Alice is a young schoolteacher in Kent in 1940. Her idea of adventure is in the pages of a good book. As war gets closer to British shores, she has no choice but to get involved. When Alice and her brother witness a plane crash close to home, she searches for a way to help. Alice answers an add and is hired with other teachers to accompany the children who are being evacuated overseas. Lily Nichols, a young mother in London, was a mathematician before she married and started a family. Now her husband is embroiled in the war and she's forced to decide between keeping her children with her, in bomb ridden London, or enrolling them in a risky evacuation program. Alice is the teacher assigned to the Nichols children and things proceed smoothly until their ship is attacked just outside of the protection zone. Many are lost, but many are saved in the numerous lifeboats, except the boat containing Alice and her charges. What follows is a harrowing account of survival and the persistence of a mother during a time when women weren't listened to and couldn't possibly know more than the bureaucrats. I had to stay up to finish this and find out what happened. Read this book if you like tales of adventure, bravery and courage. Fans of Gaynor will love this book as will fans of books the the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and other WWII fiction. Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author, and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this book!

3.5 stars!

My favorite kind of historical fiction is one that teaches me about a new subject or topic. I am an avid reader of WWII HF, but this is book takes on a unique angle and is based on a true story. It weaves the tale of two women, one who decides to relocate her children to safety on the other side of the world and the woman who is responsible for their safe journey from England to Canada. The beginning was a little slow for me, but when a U-boat destroys the SS Carlisle, the book gets much more face paced. A great story of survival against all odds.

✨ The Last Life Boat ✨

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publishing June 13, 2023

I found this book so amazing! What makes this so emotional and powerful, is the alternating POV throughout the book. We have two main characters, Lily and Alice. Both of their storylines intersected and worked with each other beautifully. Hazel Gaynor did a spectacular job of switching POV at just the right moment, and the stories flow so smoothly together. I was so emotional at the end of this book. I felt all the emotions with these characters.

I love how the author used real life events and tried to stick closely to things that actually occurred. This story was very well put together, and I am glad that I was able to learn more about these historical events.

I would recommend this book to any fellow historical fiction lover! If you are a fan of Kristen Hannah or Ruta Sepetys, this would be a great read for you.

I did not expect--in any way--to enjoy Hazel Gaynor's The Last Lifeboat as much as I did. It's a great book, packed with interest in suspense. I am reluctant to ruin the plot for other readers, but the core focus is the transport of children to Canada in World War II when England seemed on the verge of being invaded. Gaynor captures the tension and fear of the time with great skill. I really loved this book and have no choice but to give it five stars.

Based on a true story, Gaynor's book highlights a torpedoed ship carrying British children during World War II. It touches upon the horrors of the Blitz, the gut wrenching decision to send children overseas for safety, survival, and loss.

This book is a heartbreaking account of what happened during WW2 when people sent their children to other countries to keep them safe. This is a fictional account of something that actually happened in 1940. In September of 1940.

Told from two women's lives. Lily Nicholls and Alice King.

Lily has two young children. Georgina who is ten and Arthur who is six and a half. They are the light of Lily's eye. She loves her children more than life. When things get bad and England is getting bombed she makes the hardest decision ever. She is going to send her two children to a safer place. She wants nothing but to keep them safe from the things that are happening all around her. She's already lost her husband and can't fathom losing her children. Just keep them safe. That's all she wants. That's all anyone wanted that sent their children to safety at this time.

Alice is a woman who wants to do something different with her life. She's a little older and has never been married. She was very close to her father and is very close to her sister and brother. She applies to be an escort for the children who will be evacuated. Her life is about to change is many ways. More than she ever expected.

This book takes you through so much. So much anguish and heartbreak. So much loss. It's all about one lifeboat that carries what remains of the last passengers from the Carlisle, the ship carrying children to safety. Everyone has had to get off this ship after it was torpedoed. There are twelve lifeboats and Alice is on THE LAST LIFEBOAT!! There are five boys and one girl that she will be responsible for. Also there are several men. A lot of people didn't make it. A lot were on other lifeboats. This story is about The Last Lifeboat and what all they endured. The quick thinking. The horrors. The eight days they are at sea. Totally alone.

This book is so beautifully written. So full of deep emotion. It made me weep. I do mean weep. I did laugh a few times at the antics of some of the children but for the most part it was very sad. In a historic way sad. Hazel Gaynor has written a wonderful story here based on actual facts. Actual events. I fell in love with some of these children. Especially Arthur and Billy. Billy is one that I rooted for. He was just a little child full of wonder. Arthur was a great child also. He was so very brave.

Do not forget to read the HISTORICAL NOTE at the end. There is a lot of info that is vital to this story there. There is no doubt that this author did a lot of good research. It's so sad that this ever happened.

Thank you #NetGalley, #HazelGaynor, #Berkley for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five huge stars. Don't let this one pass you by. Grab it and several boxes of tissue.

In 1940 Alice King is what most would call a spinster. At thirty years old she remained in her childhood home with her overbearing mother in the small village of Kent. By trade a teacher and librarian, Alice’s world shrunk even smaller as war and threats from Germany worsened. Alice wanted to do something meaningful with her life. She dreamed of making a difference as if she were a character in one of the books she cherished. When an opportunity arose to chaperone children being evacuated to Canada - Alice signs up. At the same time Lily Nichols, recently traumatized by the loss of her husband had two small children in London. The bombings had them trapped uncomfortably in shelters for hours, their uncertain futures terrifying even to the bravest souls. When the “seavacuees” program was offered, Lily could not resist the chance to spare her son and daughter the dangers that lurked nightly. Alice was to be their “auntie” on the S.S. Carlisle. What started as an adventure at sea turns into a nightmare when the ship is torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat. Inspired by a true story, this spellbinding novel is filled with stormy seas and unparalleled bravery. Well written, fast paced - a must read!

Historical fiction at its best!! "The Last Lifeboat" is a gripping story inspired by actual events of a ship carrying evacuated children being torpedoed during WWII on their way to Canada. Told from two different points of view, one a mother, Lily, who is trying to keep her children safe, and another a school teacher, Alice, who wants to do something to help the war effort. Lily makes the difficult decision to send her children to Canada. Alice decides to volunteer to escort the children on board the ship to help them arrive safely. Little do they know that their lives are going to change in ways they never thought possible.

This is a unique story about survival and courage as not much is out there about children being taken overseas during WWII to escape the war. I did not want to put this book down as I had to know what was going to happen to Alice and the children in the lifeboat. A truly remarkable and emotional story!

Thank you to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, especially World War II stories, so this book appealed to me right away. It is loosely based on an actual event that took place in the beginning of the war when Britain started a program to evacuate children by boat to Canada in hopes of keeping them safe from war. The story is told from the perspectives of two different women, Alice and Lily, who are strangers at first but whose lives become entwined and ultimately dependent upon each other. Alice is a timid schoolteacher who sees the effects the looming war with Germany has on her country and decides to volunteer as a chaperone to children being evacuated to Canada. Lily, having recently lost her husband and raising two young children on her own, feels the increasing impact of war daily and fears for the safety of her children. She makes the heart wrenching decision to send her children overseas for the duration of the war to ensure their safety. As a mother myself, I kept thinking about how incredibly difficult a decision that must have been! Ultimately the boat that Alice and the children are traveling on is torpedoed by the Germans and what follows shows the strength and determination of both of these women on land and sea. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be my last. I love her writing style - her character development is superb and her descriptive writing skills make you feel as though you are part of the story.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the real-life ship "City of Benares" The Last Lifeboat tells the story of the families and children that were torpedoed during the evacuation of children from London.

How heartbreaking of a story! Having 3 kids of my own, all I could think about was those parents! It got off to a bit of a slow start, but ultimately I really enjoyed this book.

The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor A riveting emotional tale based on a little-known WWII trauma that not many people have read about. Well written with unique vibrant descriptions and realistic characters that will keep one turning the pages late into the night to discover the fate of Alice and the children.

Thank you to the author, Berkley Publishing Group-Berkley, and Net Galley for the opportunity to preview the book.

The Last Lifeboat is a fictionalized account based on the little-known story of the ship City of Benares. The ship was on the way to North America with a full load of passengers in September, 1940. Ninety British children being evacuated to ride out the war in ‘safer’ lands were on board when the ship was torpedoed at 9:45 one night. Casualties were high, especially among the young evacuees. Another ship picked up many of the survivors but one lifeboat drifted off and its passengers were on their own for eight days.

The Last Lifeboat speculates on how those eight long days were spent until the group was finally rescued. The courage and heroism of individuals and the anguish of parents who made the decision to send their beloved children away, only to lose them makes for a poignant read. Reminiscent of the writings of Ruta Sepetys, Gaynor brings to light an obscure event and exposes readers to a small piece of difficult history.

Recommended for those who are fascinated with WWII, shipwrecks, and historical fiction.

Excellent book! I couldn't put this one down. Enjoyed the interaction between the characters and the fact that the lifeboat survivors did not turn against each other.
Can't even imagine what those parents went through to make the decision to send those children away. Don't think I could have done that.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I will be recommending it at our library!

This utterly immersive, pulse pounding, and emotionally searing tale of wartime tragedy should not be missed. My full review will appear in my Book Smart column in Boston’s Patriot Ledger/ USA Today network newspaper online and in print within the next week or so!

Alice Kent wants to help with the war effort, but she does not think she is brave. Lily Nichols wants to keep her children safe, but she wonders if anyone can be safe during this war and will strangers care for her children as well as she can. This book is based on the naval evacuation of children and tells the heart wrenching story of 2 women as they live through the unimaginable, and how they deal with the aftermath of government nontruths. An excellent read to learn more of the blitz, the evacuations, and how hearts were stretched. Hazel Gaynor helps us imagine the trauma of it all.

Sherman said War is hell", and this book certainly demonstrated that. During the blitz, England offered parents the opportunity to send children across the ocean to safety to escape the blitz. That was a gut wrenching decision make--keep your children home to suffer through bombing and the threat of invasion, or send them across an ocean threatened by German submarines. Some children survived that move, but for the families and children in this book, based on a true story, it was a different experience. As I read, I wondered what would I do in those circumstances, and I suffered right along with the people in that lifeboat. Read this book.
I received this as an arc from net alley and was not pressured for a review.

Ramona Thompson

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor

What does a parent in England decide to do when bombs are falling and there is a chance to save children by sending them to other countries? Widow Lily Nicholls in The Last Lifeboat must make this horrendous decision. However, she has not been given all the facts and, when tragedy strikes, she is faced with the guilt of making the wrong choice.

Alice King, a British schoolteacher, has applied for and been accepted to accompany children as they travel by ship to new countries. Based on the true-life experience of the SS City of Benares, their ship will be torpedoed, and no one expects the occupants of the lifeboat to survive.

Readers will become immersed in the day-to-day struggles of those on the lifeboat as well as those who must come to terms with the idea of never seeing their beloved children again.

Within the backdrop of war are moments of peace, beauty and compassion leading to a riveting conclusion.

Hazel Gaynor is the queen of historical fiction I don't think it is possible for her to write something that I or the majority of humanity won't devour. I enjoyed both Alice's and Lily's points of view equally. I look forward to Gaynor's next novel and to be honest I'm glad this one is finished so that I can catch up on my sleep at night as this book was keeping me awake waaay past bedtime. A HUGE thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC. 5 stars!!