Attacked at Sea

September 1, 2020
The true story of a family caught in a U-boat attack in U.S. waters. In May 1942, the White American Downs family--8-year-old Sonny, 11-year-old Lucille, and their parents--boarded a nonmilitary freighter for a one-week journey from Costa Rica to New Orleans. However, just hours before reaching Louisiana, their ship was attacked by German U-boat commander Erich W�rdemann and his dedicated crew in the Gulf of Mexico. Part of Operation Drumbeat, their goal was to sink as much seafaring tonnage, military or civilian, as possible. When the family was separated during the U-boat attack, it took all of their courage, hope, and luck to survive. A stand-alone book in the True Rescue series, this title is the young reader's edition of So Close to Home (2016). A prologue establishing characters and settings is followed by three parts: before the attack, during and immediately following the attack, and the aftermath. Filled with details from primary sources, including letters, interviews, newspapers, war diaries, and more, the third-person narrative swiftly switches, highlighting different members of the Downs' family and two U-boat commanders. The Downs family's upright wholesomeness and their complete belief in the American dream bypasses many opportunities for authentic emotional exploration. Although the tone feels academic at times, quotes from letters and diaries evoke the historical era. A well-researched account of one American family during a little-known episode of World War II. (authors' note, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 11-16)

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October 1, 2020

Gr 5 Up-The latest installment in the "True Rescue" series will capture the interest of reluctant readers and adventure fans alike. In May 1942, the Downs family boarded an old freighter boat called the SS Heredia to catch a ride back to their home state of Texas from Costa Rica. Ray Downs Sr., a white American, had been employed by the United Fruit Company in South America, but after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was determined to move his family back home so he could join the U.S. Marines. The family boarded the freighter with a few other passengers and a full crew of sailors. One day before their arrival in New Orleans, the Heredia was hit with a torpedo from a German U-boat and sank. The family was separated and spent a harrowing 24 hours at sea, clinging to debris and avoiding attacks from circling sharks. Eventually, they were spotted by a plane and rescued by shrimp boats. Tougias and O'Leary provide a remarkably exciting blow-by-blow account of the family's ordeal. Their tale of the days on the ship before the attack builds tension and is interspersed with stories from aboard the two German U-boats that were patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and sinking any ship they encountered. Readers learn about life inside a stifling submarine and the crew's techniques for hunting and taking down ships. VERDICT This exciting, highly readable story of survival deserves a place on most library shelves. Perfect for young history buffs and older fans of the "I Survived" series.-Kristy Pasquariello, Westwood P.L., MA

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