Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2017 It may surprise many to learn that the worst maritime disaster in American history was not the sinking of the Titanic. It happened 47 years prior, but the story begins during the Civil War, when the prisoner exchange system ended and the Andersonville prison camp swelled with Union soldiers. Once the war ended, these prisoners needed to be returned home, and transporting troops became a lucrative business for steamboats along the Mississippi River. Walker sets the scene for the Sultana disaster as she describes the captain’s greed (allowing 2,400 passengers when the legal capacity was 376), the chief engineer’s decision to repair rather than replace a deteriorating boiler, the flooded river, and other factors that would come into play. She tells the story through the lens of select soldiers and paying passengers, who each met different fates aboard the steamer. The author not only relates the aftermath of the tragedy that claimed 1,537 lives but also why it was almost forgotten. History buffs, and even adults, will be the biggest fans of this crossover YA title. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2017 Gr 7 Up—A comprehensive recounting of the devastating but largely overlooked explosion of the Civil War—era steamboat, the Sultana. In April 1865 the Sultana set off along the Mississippi River, loaded with an excess of 2,000 passengers, including civilians and formerly imprisoned Union soldiers. In addition to the sinking, Walker details peripheral events and factors, such as the appalling conditions at Confederate prisoner camps, which the Union soldiers were desperate to escape from; steamboat officers competing to make a profit; a shoddy last-minute repair to the boat's boiler; and the subsequent investigation, which failed to hold anyone accountable for the disaster. Walker includes numerous first-person accounts, adding an emotional depth to the narrative, although the extensive cast of characters is sometimes hard to keep track of. Diagrams, maps, and photos throughout help clarify technical descriptions and ground readers in the time period, and asides are featured sparingly to detail relevant topics, such as steam power technology. The extensive back matter makes this a valuable source for research. Readers who have already devoured the abundance of material on the Titanic will be drawn to the story of the Sultana, which despite being the "worst maritime disaster in American history" is often overshadowed. VERDICT A riveting and informative addition to nonfiction collections.—Jessica Agudelo, New York Public Library - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.