Book Review: The Finest Hours
By Devin B.
The Finest Hours by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman is an edge of your seat thriller about the rescue of a shipwreck in New England and is a historical fiction story based off of real events. On February 18, 1952 an enormous nor'easter slammed the coastline near New England ports, wreaking havoc on any ships in it’s way.
In the midst of this deadly storm there is an oil tanker by the name of the SS Pendleton sailing for Boston. Trapped in the middle of the storm, the crew's attempts to fight the winds and waves are futile and the ship splits in half. The story focuses on the thirty sailors in the stern of the SS Pendleton, which is sinking into the monstrous waves at an alarming rate.
While the crew struggles to keep the ship afloat as long as possible, Captain Bernie Webber and four other Coast Guard members are sent on what is seen as a suicide mission. The odds stack against these volunteers as they sail into a storm of 60-foot tall waves and hurricane strength winds in a wooden lifeboat.
Despite the non-fiction aspect of this book, the authors recount the events in a way that make it seem as if it is a story. The intense descriptions of the storm and indirect characterization of the Coast Guard sailors help to develop the idea of a hopeless mission turned possible by teamwork, confidence, and problem solving. Although the book is meager in it's length, no content is lacking and the plot progresses at an exquisite pace that keeps the reader engrossed but still promotes suspense. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates suspenseful stories filled with dangers and risks.