The Legend of Rigel: Hero of theTitanic - Paperback

by Lorna Olitch (Author)

April 14/15, 2012 commemorated the 100 anniversary of the sinking of the famous ocean-liner RMS Titanic. Here is a story I wrote to honour all the people and their beloved pet dogs who perished on the fateful night.This is a children's story about First Officer William Murdock's Newfoundland dog Rigel. The story is a legend based on an true historical event that happened right after the sinking of the doomed ship. It was said to be that this dog heroically saved a lifeboat of people who narrowly survived from being rammed by the rescue ship Carpathia in the deep darkened and frigid waters of the Atlantic. Rigel was reportedly hailed as a major factor in preserving a number of lives that night and preventing them from becoming themselves victims of the ill-fated Titanic.

Author Biography

Lorna never had children of her own but that didn't seem to stymie her inborn talent to connect with kids through play and storytelling. As a nanny to at least three children under the age of 4 years old, she developed a simple writing style that kept them deeply engaged in the subject she wanted them to focus on. Her own interest in the tragedy of the Titanic story started when she first saw the classic movie 'A Night to Remember' back in the 1960's. In this book she chose to focus on one of the non-humans aboard the ill-fated ship. A black Newfoundland dog named Rigel. Lorna has a long history with the canine world. As the first child in her family her formative years were spent beside Gypsy the family dog. This book is a natural extension of that companionship.