Abandon Ship!

Praise for Abandon Ship!
A Junior Library Guild Selection

"This epic story races along, unspooling like a movie before our eyes—artfully, dramatically, revealing a little known part of WWII history. An intriguing book."

"The authors do an excellent job of conveying the chaos and loss of this grisly historical incident without pushing young readers too deeply into the horror. Many of those who lived through the Laconia catastrophe endured weeks at sea, parched and sunburned and starving in conditions that literally drove men mad. Archival photos add immediacy to this sensational true-life story."

"An amazing account of a World War II event that is almost entirely unknown…. This story chronicles the courage, compassion, and perseverance of the few survivors of the incident, showcasing war at its worst and humanity at its best…. School librarians will want to add this to their collection."
 

"Tougias and O’Leary (Attacked at Sea) recount the 1942 sinking of the Laconia in this pulse-pounding work.... Through viscerally told accountings, including stories of passengers spending several days awaiting rescue aboard lifeboats, the authors deliver a fascinating tale of human perseverance and morality that explores the 'most unusual actions in all of World War II,' as stated by the creators in an introduction."

"In contrast to the usual run of shipwreck tales built around the simple theme of “heroic survival against the odds,” this account depicts the 1942 torpedoing of the British liner Laconia as a realistically messy mix of confusion, desperation, altruism, cruelty, and extreme hardship.... Focusing on a handful of eyewitnesses who left records of their experiences, the authors tell their grim, brutal tale in matter-of-fact tones, then, close with notes on the subsequent lives of significant involved figures."

"The unbiased narrative follows the personal stories of the real men, women, and children moved to German ships or abandoned in lifeboats on the open ocean.... Tension escalates as the narrative is pared down to just two lifeboats and their occupants’ harrowing struggle to remain hopeful. Ideal for WWII history fans and readers who have graduated from Lauren Tarshis’s 'I Survived' series."

"This powerful account of human resilience and behavior during crises will inspire contemplation of the impact of war....A gripping wartime story that probes moral uncertainties."