Review
To Jamie Monaghan, the only excitement in his life is trying to figure out his taciturn new classmate, Tom Bleeker, despite the fact that wartime Liverpool is preparing for German bombs. In fact, the year-old war sounds like fun to him, but when the bombs begin to fall, reality sets in. People's homes are destroyed, and lives are lost nightly. Jamie's parents send him off to Canada for the duration, finding him a place aboard the City of Benares. To Jamie's surprise, Bleeker is aboard also, along with his little sister, Elsie. The ship is torpedoed in mid-Atlantic and begins to sink rapidly. Bleeker saves the badly-injured Jamie and Elsie from going down with the doomed ship; they make it to a lifeboat but Elsie is washed overboard. Jumping into the raging water, Bleeker rescues his sister before he is swept away. Even Jamie, knowing of Bleeker's tenaciousness (an early school scene sets the stage for Bleeker's later courage), believes him dead. In the development of several strong characters Heneghan's writing really shines, particularly in the friendship that emerges between Bleeker and Jamie. It's a great adventure tale that would be exciting enough if it weren't also based on the real sinking of the City, of Benares during WW II - an author's note presents the facts. A fine work of historical fiction. (Kirkus Reviews)
Product Description
A world war II novel of 2 boys who survive the sinking of a ship evacuating them to Canada. Bleeker, the new boy at school, is tough and mean. Jamie Monaghan doesn't like having him for a neighbour, but the Liverpool Irish stick together and when the bombs start falling the Monaghans help the Bleekers out. The boys are angry and resentful when they are despatched to Canada on the liner City of Benares, but when the ship is torpedoed by a German U-Boat in mid-Atlantic and scores of children and adults disappear into the icy seas, they are united in the struggle to survive. Based on the true story of the sinking of the city of Benares, this gritty and thought provoking book is a terrifically exciting story of courage and the will to survive.
