Luck of the Titanic Summary
Stacey Lee

Luck of the Titanic Overview

Luck of the Titanic, a young adult novel by Stacey Lee, is the story of a Chinese-British girl named Valora Luck who manages to stow away on board the ill-fated Titanic. She does so to be with her twin brother Jamie. Valora hopes the two of them can make their way to New York and become a famous circus act. She faces many problems, including the discovery that America has enacted a rule refusing to admit the Chinese except in special circumstances. After Valora and Jamie are able to perform on the ship for Mr. Stewart, who is with Ringling Brothers Circus, they are offered a job. Performing in the circus has been Valora's dream. However, Valora realizes she must let Jamie make his own decisions in the world about joining a circus, which no longer holds an interest for him. Her realization comes just as the Titanic hits an iceberg and begins to sink. Over the next few hours, Valora and Jamie manage to help their friends into lifeboats, but they end up floating on a chaise lounge until a lifeboat agrees to take Jamie on board. As the novel ends, Jamie writes a letter to the girl he loves, pledging to live his life in honor of Valora, who had an enormous enthusiasm for life. The novel's main themes are class differences, the importance of culture, and the role of family members.