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I Needed To Tell Ruth’s Story
The Stars in April is based on the real life story of a Titanic survivor and the journey that led her to the ship. What inspired you tell Ruth’s story?
In 2012, during the hundredth anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, I discovered among the survivors the name of a girl whose parents were missionaries in India. Twelve-year-old Ruth Becker was separated from her family as the Titanic lifeboats were loaded, yet she managed to share her blankets with others and offer a handkerchief to a stoker who had injured his finger.
What would make this young girl act so bravely when she must have been terrified? How did she feel about leaving her home in India, and what led to her decisions in a lifeboat full of strangers that cold, dark night? As I asked myself those questions, I began researching and realized I needed to tell Ruth’s story.
What were some aspects of the story you felt had to be accurate and what were some aspects you took creative liberties with?
I knew I wanted to tell what happened as truthfully as possible, so I gathered all the information I could on Ruth and her family’s life in India, their long voyage to England, their stay in London, and their experiences aboard the Titanic. I paid particular attention to Ruth’s recollection of the events after the collision with the iceberg and what took place in the lifeboats and following their rescue. I filled in the story with fictional characters Ruth could have met, along with several subplots to show Ruth’s development and gradual change of heart from when she leaves India up to the most terrifying night of her young life.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
It’s a coming-of-age story, with courage being the most important theme throughout. In the beginning, Ruth knows she has none. On her long journey, she observes it in others and learns from them, taking small steps and seeing her world in a new light. Then, everything culminates as the Titanic sinks, and Ruth must draw from the well of her own newly-acquired courage as she fights to survive and face an unknown future.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is also based on a true story, set in New York City during the American Revolution. It’s still in a rough draft stage and I have a lot of work and research ahead, but I’m hopeful that it can be published within a year.
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“Sometimes we have to go a long way to find out who we are.”
The year is 1912. When doctors in India are unable to treat her baby brother’s illness, Ruth’s missionary parents decide there is one solution: move her mother and the children across the world—to Michigan.
But India is the only home Ruth knows. In a matter of days, she must leave Papa and all she loves behind, abandon her dream of one day playing violin in the Calcutta Orchestra, and embark on a rollicking, four-week journey across the Arabian and Mediterranean Seas, followed by the voyage to New York aboard the luxurious, ill-fated RMS Titanic.
Ruth’s story is one of courage and self-sacrifice as she earns her sea legs and faces the unknown, culminating in a desperate, tragic night she will never forget.
The Stars in April
![The Stars in April by [Peggy Wirgau]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/515xmRj-MGL._SY346_.jpg)
Peggy Wirgau’s The Stars in April is a work of factual fiction recounting the journey of Ruth Becker, a survivor of the Titanic shipwreck on April 15, 1912. Due to the illness of her little brother, Ruth Becker must move from her birthplace and abode, Gunter, India, to Michigan. She is indignant at the prospect of her new and uncertain life in a foreign country, away from India, and her loving friend Sajni. The Stars in April follows the story of Ruth as she embraces the possibilities of a new beginning, her encounters with interesting people she meets along the voyage, and her experiencing the wonder of the magnificent queen of the sea, Titanic.
Though their presence may be brief, the novel presents the reader with some beautiful and interesting characters. Throughout Ruth’s significant voyage, the reader witnesses her change from resentful to a selfless individual affected by the people she meets. In the company of his equally generous father, Michael, the acrobat and unschooled boy of Ruth’s age, shows the wisdom he has gained during the years performing in a circus around the world. Also, while the three characters Natalie, Millie, and Elizabeth portray fashionable women of the time, who are eager to embrace the world with a receptive eye, Mrs. Becker’s astonishment at these women’s independence betrays her desire to be one of them.
By blending the facts from Ruth Becker’s life and the accounts of experiences gleaned from the internet, together with the additional elements of fiction, the author has woven a riveting historical fiction novel. I find myself exploring the deck of 1st class alongside Ruth, dancing in 3rd class with Ann, and experiencing the thrill of the Titanic, thanks to the fascinating and detailed accounts. Ruth and Michael’s eccentric habits are also great observations by the author of human behavior. Ruth’s habit of humming when stressed and Michael’s impulsive wrist-flexing when anxious are thoughtful ways to humanize these characters and make them feel real and sympathetic.
The reader is taken along, from Ruth’s anxious anticipation of what lies ahead to her anticipation of a fresh start with gratitude and eagerness. Ruth Becker’s last sky report in her journal, where she describes a clear and starlit sky instead of the constellations and the ancient tales associated with them, apparently illustrates her desire to paint her own story against the big horizon of the sky in her new life.
The Stars in April is highly recommended to readers who would love to explore the Titanic with Ruth Becker. It encourages people to accept and explore the new and unknown paths God has laid out for them without questioning his will, as the opportunities to encounter extraordinary people and experience significant things in life would never arise if one remained stationary.
Pages: 266 | ASIN: B08QFV21P9
LITERARY TITAN 