On the Edge of Daylight Book Review

 

On the Edge of Daylight is an adult historical romance with alternate-history elements, written by Giselle Beaumont.

Please note that Giselle Beaumont changed the name of the First Officer to Wyndham Murdoch out of respect for the real William Murdoch and his family. However, I read the novel before this change, so I will refer to the character as William Murdoch.

How On the Edge of Daylight began

The novel began as fanfiction on FanFiction.net and AO3. Beaumont was inspired by the 1997 Titanic film, but used information from a website about William Murdoch called WilliamMurdoch.net to include more detail and make parts of it historically grounded. The historically grounded parts of the novel are done well, and I enjoyed finding the pieces that were accurate to what happened on the Titanic.

This research is one of my favourite aspects of the novel. While On the Edge of Daylight is a work of fiction, Beaumont incorporates many details about the Titanic, her officers, and the events surrounding the sinking. Reading the story and then learning about the historical aspects Beaumont used was intriguing because, despite reading a fictional story, I learnt something new about the Titanic.

On the Edge of Daylight was taken down from fanfiction sites and published as a novel in 2018. It is Beaumont’s first published novel, and she produced the cover artwork and character illustrations herself.

The Characters in On the Edge of Daylight

Many of the characters found in the novel are historical figures, with several exceptions.

The Fictional Characters

Esther Bailey is the main character we follow throughout the story. She is the only female officer on the Titanic and works hard to gain the approval of her senior officers, especially First Officer Murdoch, whom she works with throughout the novel.

She is one of the elements in the story that clearly establishes the alternate-history premise since a female officer serving aboard the Titanic is a major departure from historical reality. Beaumont uses Esther to explore the challenges a woman would face as she tries to prove herself in a male-dominated profession.

Booker Bailey is Esther’s brother and also works on the Titanic. Unlike Esther, Booker works under Thomas Andrews, one of the men who designed the ship. Esther often goes to him whenever she has a problem, especially if it concerns Murdoch. Their relationship gives Esther someone to confide in, and Booker gives readers another perspective on her experiences.

Callum Lockerbie is the main antagonist of On the Edge of Daylight. He is first seen boarding the ship along with his new fiancée and has a history with Esther and Booker. He is friends with Booker and used to be friends with Esther, making his role in the story more personal than that of a typical antagonist.

The Historical Figures

All of the Titanic officers are included in the novel, with some spending more time on the page than others. When describing these characters, I will be focusing on how Beaumont portrays them in her novel.

Captain Edward Smith is the captain of the Titanic. While he is initially displeased that Esther will be on the Titanic and does not want her onboard, he still shows her the same respect that he shows his other officers. While Captain Smith doesn’t have much page time, I enjoyed how Beaumont treats him, and he has presence even if he isn’t a major part of the scene.

Chief Officer Henry Wilde was not meant to be on the Titanic during the maiden voyage. Whether he was placed on the Titanic on the orders of White Star Line or at the request of Captain Smith is unknown. In Beaumont’s story, Wilde is quite different from the serious, authoritative figure we know from historical accounts. When Esther meets him, Wilde becomes fond of her and enjoys her cheekiness. He and Charles Lightoller do not get on.

First Officer William Murdoch (whom the author later renamed Wyndham Murdoch a few years after originally publishing the book) was initially meant to be the chief officer before he was demoted to first officer. He is one of the main characters in On the Edge of Daylight. First Officer Murdoch is a stickler for the rules but eventually throws that to the wind when he begins a relationship with Esther.

He is one of the main characters, and much of the novel is told from his perspective, allowing the reader to see not only his relationship with Esther but also his thoughts on his career and responsibilities. Murdoch’s past is where Beaumont takes some liberties with historical fact, making him a divorced man so the romance between him and Esther Bailey works.

Second Officer Charles Lightoller was bumped down from first officer to second after Chief Officer Wilde joined the Titanic. Second Officer Lightoller and First Officer Murdoch have known each other since their time on the SS Medic in 1900 and were close friends by the time they served on the Titanic together. During the sinking, Lightoller ignores Wilde’s instructions twice and talks to Captain Smith so they can start evacuating. This scene is also accurate to historical evidence, as the historical Lightoller had also ignored Wilde’s instructions.

I also enjoyed reading Lightoller’s perspective because it gives the reader another way to see both Esther and Murdoch. His friendship with Murdoch also adds another layer to the story, showing the characters have had lives before the novel began.

Third Officer Herbert Pitman is often not seen in Titanic media because he left early on in the sinking. Beaumont included him in her work, and I enjoyed reading how she portrayed him. He has more presence in the novel than I expected, which makes a nice change.

Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall is a minor character in the novel. He is mentioned a few times, but the moment I remember him most is when Esther asks him to tell Harold that she cannot join him in the mess. Fourth Officer Boxhall survives the sinking, but he barely reacts when Fifth Officer Lowe arrives on the Carpathia.

Fifth Officer Harold Lowe is one of Esther’s friends. He helps her improve her celestial navigation so she can help Murdoch when on duty, which also gives him a more substantial role.

Sixth Officer James Moody is the first officer Esther is introduced to, and they quickly become friends. As Moody initially thinks that they will be accepting a new male officer, his first interaction with Esther is amusing.

Historically, Moody was the youngest of Titanic’s officers to perish during the sinking, making his presence in the novel poignant for readers who already know what will happen.

The original second officer, David Blair, is also mentioned at the beginning of the story. When Captain Smith calls the senior officers together to tell them about the reshuffle, Blair is also present. It is nice to see him appear in a piece of media about the Titanic since he is often overlooked.

Other historical figures appear in the novel, including the chairman of White Star Line, Joseph Bruce Ismay, the man who helped design the Titanic, Thomas Andrews, and Molly Brown, one of the more well-known survivors of the Titanic. Molly Brown is only seen once, when she boards the ship in Cherbourg, but I loved how Beaumont used her in that scene and how Molly interacted with Esther.

Historical accuracy vs the story

One interesting aspect about On the Edge of Daylight is seeing where the historical accuracy ends and Beaumont’s fictional timeline begins.

While most of the story is historically grounded, not all of it is. While Beaumont retains the historical framework surrounding the RMS Titanic, she has deliberately altered certain facts and introduced fictional characters.

First and foremost, On the Edge of Daylight is a romance between William Murdoch and the fictional Esther Bailey. Historically, William was happily married to Ada Banks, whom he married in 1907.  For the love story to work, Beaumont made him single through a divorce. This major change in Murdoch’s past means his character and history differ considerably from the real William Murdoch.

Divorce was uncommon in the early 1910s since it was expensive and considered a scandal. To discover more about how Beaumont has changed history to fit her story, you can check out her Separating Fact From Fiction post on Goodreads.

It is changes like Murdoch’s past that make me view On the Edge of Daylight as alternate-history, even if other websites call it a historical romance. Beaumont is not writing about the Titanic as it happened, but instead changing historical facts to suit the story.

My thoughts on On the Edge of Daylight

On the Edge of Daylight is one of my favourite books. I’ve reread it many times and always find something new about the Titanic. The use of the third-person perspective works since Beaumont restricts it to certain characters: Esther Bailey, William Murdoch, and Charles Lightoller. I enjoy reading all of these perspectives, and each adds something to the story.

Despite reading the novel many times, the tension still builds, so even though I know how the novel ends and what happens to the Titanic, I am still hooked, and the characters’ experiences are still engaging.

Giselle Beaumont has a website dedicated to On the Edge of Daylight, which you can find here.
If you want to read more of my book reviews about historical fiction novels, you can find the link here. To learn more about my special interests, click here.