Book Description:
Based on survivor accounts, this gripping
novel opens days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and details three
years of sea battles that spanned between Hawaii and the shores of
Okinawa with the crew of one of the most decorated ships of the Pacific
War.
Onboard the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City, Lieutenant Commander Justin Collier was 230 miles west of Pearl Harbor accompanying the USS Enterprise
on a secret mission when Japan attacked the United States. Upon his
return to Honolulu, the gravity of the war begins to change him, as does
every subsequent mission, including a rare beach landing with an Army
infantry division. He fears his wounds of war, both physical and mental,
will be incurable.
Meanwhile, on the day of the
attack on Pearl Harbor, hundreds of wounded men lay scattered in cots
and stretchers in and around the naval hospital, and volunteer nurse
Heidi Collier feels overwhelmed by the number of casualties. She had
watched the bombing by Japanese planes as she huddled with her two
children in front of their home, hoping that her husband aboard the USS Salt Lake City was safe wherever he was. In her prayers, she feels he is still alive.
Lieutenant
Riley Bracken feels the sudden g-force of his catapult-launched
observation floatplane with each harrowing mission. Alerting the USS Salt Lake City
of enemy ships gives him purpose, which is why no one can know about
his recent bouts of vertigo. He can't risk losing what he loves most.
Fifteen-year-old
Al Jowdy lied about his age in order to join the Navy. Whatever he
believed Navy life would be was shot out of the water—twice—when his
ships were torpedoed. Now aboard the Salt Lake City, he fears his luck
may have run out.
An Ocean of Courage and Fear
reveals the harrowing, never-before-told events that surrounded the
crew of the USS Salt Lake City as they endure all the major action in
the Pacific War.
Review:
This is a fictional book, based on true events. I typically enjoy
stories like this, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. While I
did enjoy the story, in several places, the author has whatever
character is speaking give basically a textbook explanation for
something instead of a normal conversation. If I were reading a
non-fiction book, that would fit in perfectly, but it would take me out
of the story each time he did it. The information was interesting, but I
think it could have been presented in more of a story-telling way to
make it flow with the novel better.
Other than that, I enjoyed the story, and enjoyed learning about what the USS Salt Lake City took part in during the war.
Title: An Ocean of Courage and Fear
Author: Jerry Borrowman
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Published: May 2024
ISBN: 1639932364
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.
Purchase: Amazon Deseret Book
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