The Unsinkable Greta James

An indie musician reeling from tragedy and a public breakdown reconnects with her father on a weeklong cruise in “a pitch-perfect story about the ways we recover love in the strangest places” (Rebecca Serle, bestselling author of In Five Years)

“The characters are drawn with a generosity that allows them to be wrong but also right, loving but also prone to missteps, and ultimately deserving of a resolution that’s full of hope.”—Linda Holmes, New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—BookPage

Right after the sudden death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted; the kind he warned her about when he urged her to make more practical choices with her life. 
 
Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other.

It’s here in this unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska—Greta will finally confront the choices she’s made, the heartbreak she’s suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she’ll have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again.

Genre: General Fiction

"Thoughtful and tender and true, The Unsinkable Greta James perfectly captures the messiness of loving and being loved. Smith has written a gripping relationship story that's also a perceptive exploration of what it means to dream. I devoured it." - Janelle Brown

"These characters are drawn with a generosity that allows them to be wrong but also right, loving but also prone to missteps, and ultimately deserving of a resolution that's full of hope. And while The Unsinkable Greta James is not your typical adventure on the high seas, it's a cruise-ship story with a vibrant sense of its unusual setting." - Linda Holmes

"This novel is unabashedly sentimental in the best possible way. It's about how family can misunderstand us, grief can undo us, and our dreams can save us. The Unsinkable Greta James is as transporting and diverting as the Alaskan cruise Greta herself is on in these pages. In short: It's a total delight!" - Christine Pride

"Filled with music, passion, and love of all kinds, The Unsinkable Greta James is a fast-paced, emotional novel and an unforgettable exploration of family and the choices we make that shape our lives." - Jill Santopolo

"Warm, funny, and bursting with heart, The Unsinkable Greta James is exactly the book you want to read: a pitch-perfect story about the ways we recover love in the strangest of places." - Rebecca Serle

"I burst into tears at the end of Jennifer E. Smith's gorgeous, heartfelt The Unsinkable Greta James - tears of surprised happiness. I loved traveling to Alaska with the wild and tender Greta, and found her escape from her life as a literal rock star an addictive journey. Each evening, I looked forward to opening the novel and rejoining Greta's adventure, and will miss her - and her music - now that I've turned the final beautiful page." - Amanda Eyre Ward