• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 7 to 12

Now in paperback, a heart-wrenching, beautifully written account of a forgotten maritime tragedy that rivals the Titanic disaster, for readers of Ruta Sepetys and Elizabeth Wein.

On her first voyage as a stewardess aboard the Empress of Ireland, Ellie is drawn to the solitary fire stoker who stands by the ship's rail late at night, often writing in a journal.
Jim. Ellie finds it hard to think of his name now. After their wonderful time in Quebec City, that awful night happened. The screams, the bodies, the frigid waters ... she tries to tell herself that he survived, but it's hard to believe when so many didn't.
So when Wyatt Steele, journalist at The New York Times, asks her for her story, Ellie refuses. But when he shows her Jim's journal, she jumps at the chance to be able to read it herself, to find some trace of the man she had fallen in love with, or perhaps a clue to what happened to him. There's only one catch: she will have to tell her story to Steele and he'll "pay" her by giving her the journal, one page at a time.

Caroline Pignat graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Religious Studies. After working with children and youth for over fifteen years in roles such as teacher, seminar facilitator, mentor and coach, she began her writing career. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry for children regularly appear in Highlights for Children, Guideposts for Kids, Living Faith for Kids, and Clubhouse Magazine.

Caroline Pignat's profile page

PRAISE FOR Unspeakable:

"Perhaps most impressive is Pignat's tone. The novel is written in accessible language suitable for teens, yet the prose is polished and the plot intricate enough to satisfy adults as well. Mark Unspeakable as a YA title with huge crossover appeal." -- Starred Review, Quill & Quire