Sometimes you need a book that feels so real to help ground you and this was that book for me. 9/11 was such a real and traumatic moment in US history for many of us. I was 7 and still have vivid memories of that day. This story follows 3 adults, Franny, Lucy and Doug, who get on a cruise days after the 9/11 attacks and all are forced to face their current struggles in a new way. This story provides such a unique storyline that feels so real and captivating, moments had me crying because the pain felt so real and raw.

Set against the uneasy backdrop of a post-9/11 America, this is a stunning exploration of personal reckoning aboard a vessel far past its glory days. What begins as a story about an awkward birthday celebration soon expands into a poignant reflection on family, regret, and how we try to navigate joy even when the world feels irreparably changed.

Franny’s decision to go through with her mother’s Chilsun celebration aboard the Sonata—a faded cruise ship once used for filming a kitschy TV series—initially feels absurd. But through layered storytelling and empathetic characterization, the novel reveals how grief, cultural tension, and familial disconnect often demand rituals we don’t fully understand. Franny’s strained relationship with her mother is rendered with nuance, heartache, and a biting humor that makes even the most uncomfortable moments feel real.

The intersecting narratives—each shaped by its kind of uncertainty—converge in a satisfying and beautifully melancholy way. The cruise ship, with its peeling glamour and artificial cheer, becomes the perfect metaphor for the fragility of the lives we construct—and the longing beneath them.

Witty, compassionate, and full of quietly devastating insights, this novel is a rare kind of trip that entertains while making you reflect on the strange, liminal spaces we pass through during times of crisis and change.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A delightfully entertaining read with a great deal of charm.

Everything seems to go wrong for Franny, who is determined to honor her mother's 70th birthday.

The time period (Sept 2001, shortly after 9/11) is expertly conveyed with the appropriate amount of angst and misgivings.

Doug and Ethan are superbly entertaining as well.

Finally, we have Lucy, who is highly educated and nervous about the job market and her prospects.

There is a good amount of drama here -- enough to keep us turning the pages but nothing that feels forced or over the top. This well-written novel should appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

One of the best books I’ve read this year. Fun, but also serious matter. Characters easy to read about.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

4 stars

It is September 16, 2001, and a cruise to Bermuda (hey, I’m on a cruise as I type this, but not to Bermuda) that was supposed to leave from NYC is headed out from Boston instead. Onboard are: Franny, a daughter who is determined to properly host her mother’s chitsan, her seventieth birthday, a milestone in Korean families. She and her husband are fronting the celebration for her down at the heels brother and his girlfriend. Franny isn’t close to her mother and everything seems to go wrong.

Doug is an older, has-been actor, whose last major role was on a nighttime soap set on the very boating which they are sailing (think “Love Boat”/Pacific Princess, and how amazing/sad is it that the name of that ship is still etched in my mind after all of these years? Charo would be proud!) The eternal bachelor Doug has brought his nephew, Ethan as his plus one as he performs (constantly. He really needs to have his agent review his contracts more carefully) on a reunion/nostalgia tour for the series alongside two of his former costars.

Lucy is the only black, female graduate in her major at MIT, and she’s as solid as they come, so it’s a shock to all when she takes off on a cruise with her roommate whom she does not know well. It’s interview season and she’s nervous about all these tech companies that are hiring, especially one her mentor is excited about that has a funny name.

The book is interesting. Its blurb says it isn’t a 9/11 book but I beg to differ, and I think it was well done. The three primary characters and the main supporting ones are presented very well and the drama is all solid and quite believable. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended.

A very charming little book that makes a great beach read for a long afternoon. It was a bit predictable in so many ways but still enjoyed it. Good luck with the book and thanks for the early read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Most books that casually mention 9/11 do so just to clarify when the story takes place. However this one is different in that it is the perfect example of how the rest of the world still carries on and events take place all at the same time as our own personal drama we endure as individuals. The cast of characters were relatable and easy to like. Everyone has their own personal life troubles, stresses, and happenings. The cruise ship setting is unique and I really enjoyed it.

A cruise becomes the setting for one family’s overdue celebration.
Franny has planned what she hopes will be the party of the year: a surprise 70th birthday celebration for her Korean immigrant mother aboard the cruise ship Sonata. After decades of watching other families host lavish tributes at her mother’s restaurant, it’s finally their turn. There’s just one problem: her mother doesn’t want a party.

Joining the voyage is Doug, a faded TV star once beloved for his role on a Love Boat-esque series, now reluctantly reuniting with fans who remember a version of him he barely recognizes. And there’s Lucy, a brilliant but weary MIT grad student—the only Black woman in her department—who’s been dragged aboard by her roommate and is finding that she still does not fit in.

Set in the uneasy, emotionally raw days just after 9/11, this tender novel is filled with grief, hope, and humor. Yun balances generational disconnects, cultural expectations, and unexpected friendships with remarkable care. The Sonata is not just a journey at sea—it’s a voyage through identity, memory, and the quiet courage it takes to celebrate love, even when it’s complicated. #Simonandschuster #alltheworldcanhold #junyun