Psalm at Journey’s End

I just finished this today, and I swear this would be a Top Tier book if that one thing would have been different, not that I am splitting hairs.

The story follows the musicians that were on board the Titanic and continued playing until the very end. Hansen does a wonderful job of bringing backstories for a few of the players into the mix, making this relatable to plenty of readers, I am sure. There is a huge theme of individuals who grew up in various situations, all mostly good, yet as they grew up they felt lost and continued to become more and more so until they felt the need to just get out and keep walking until the canvas was blank enough for them to start painting on. I got huge discovering-your-identity vibes from this; Jason, Spot, Petronius, and maybe even David were in this position, especially Spot. They were raised in this position that their lives were decided for them by their families, but there comes a time when you say enough is enough and you dip out of that reality and go find your own. We all have gone through that, are going through it, or will go through it.

I like that there is a central point to come back to from the backstories, and it is even better that in those sections Hansen purposely notes the timeline to let the reader know that even though you are going through something, whether you are remembering it, or currently living it, time and life goes on around you. It sounds isolating while at the same time humbling because, for me, I remember that I am not the only one on the earth, and that time goes on.

I guess the only thing that I get caught on is the lack of prevalence that the Titanic has in the book. I mean, what difference would it have made if it was not the Titanic, but a different ship? I get the idea, that the characters were brought to that moment for a purpose, even if it meant that they would die. Hansen makes it primarily about the characters, which is not a bad thing. The description on the back and the front cover were a little deceiving, I guess. I suppose this is a happy accident.

You will be able to get a copy if you are interested in reading this enchanting book here.

9/10