The Horn Book Guide

HISTORY

Heiligman, Deborah

Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of "The Children's Ship"

292 pp. | Holt/Godwin | October, 2019 | Trade ISBN 978-1-62779-554-8 $19.99

(1) 4-6 Heiligman tells the riveting tale of the SS City of Benares. Carrying two hundred passengers, half of them children, the ship was torpedoed on September 17, 1940, in the North Atlantic; many perish in the night from exposure to the cold and stormy weather. Heiligman skillfully juggles various points of view, heightening narrative tension while remaining scrupulously faithful to the historical record. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations are incorporated throughout. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019