In 1912, “the unsinkable ship” was making its maiden voyage across the Atlantic when it struck an iceberg and sank, dooming 1,500 people to icy, watery graves.

Could the tragedy have been prevented?

In 1938, a devastating storm charged up the east coast, slamming into Rhode Island and devastating coastal communities while killing about 600 people.

What do the lingering spirits taken in the storm have to teach us?

Such tragedies are the backdrop of a new, locally set novel that combines historical fiction with fantasy, mystery and family drama. “Call Me Madame Alice” follows the life of a clairvoyant woman who moved from England to Prudence Island, where she made her home and was well-known throughout the Bristol area for her ability to see the future. Her clairvoyance brings to life — and raises serious questions about — historic tragedies that left an indelible impact on the world and the local region.

“Set in the bustle of gilded age New York, the slow, grim shipyards of post-industrial England and the deceitful calm of Narragansett Bay, Call Me Madame Alice is a sprawling tale spanning many decades in the lives of its characters,” the book’s jacket reads. “A thrilling story that brings together some of the most recognizable names and events of the early 20th century.”

The book is the brainchild of first-time author Ken Garlick, a North Attleboro, Mass., man who was born in Providence and has spent summers on Prudence Island for most of his life. His affinity for the island and the surrounding region led him to set his first novel in the East Bay.

“I’ve spent so much time in Bristol and Portsmouth, I have a real sense of the community,” Mr. Garlick said. “My roots run pretty deep in this area.”

The book, which runs the gamut of literary genres, required extensive research of the historic events it details, as well as the real figures of the Gilded age, such as John D. Rockefeller and JP Morgan. Mr. Garlick also delved into the supernatural to research the mystical world that ties the historic events together. The research, he said, was among the most rewarding parts of the writing process.

“I want to entertain but also to inform,” Mr. Garlick said. “I wanted to really dig to make sure the facts are facts, but are also very interesting. It’s historical fiction with a supernatural twist that deals with well-known 20th century people, and real events and tragedies.”

“Call Me Madame Alice” is available at Paper Packaging & Panache on Hope Street in Bristol; Island Books in Middletown; Only in RI in Newport; Wakefield Books; and Barrington Books in Barrington and Cranston. For more information, visit kwgarlick.com.