Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of "The Children's Ship" by Deborah Heiligman (review)

On September 17th, 1940, a German U-boat torpedoed the British passenger ship SS City of Benares, killing over two hundred people, including children that were being sent away to Canada by their loved ones through the Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB) to keep them away from the dangers of World War II. Heiligman tracks the events leading up to, during, and after the tragedy with meticulous research and a narrative style that balances the tension and drama of a wartime tale with respect and compassion for the lives lost. The book focuses on the experience of the ship's children, both CORB and wealthier kids, lending a compelling immediacy with you-are-there details, like their utter delight at the variety of ice creams available on the "floating palace" to the rocking horse that's a favorite toy in the ship's playroom and is then seen floating away to sea when disaster strikes. Heiligman's use of primary sources and oral interviews makes for riveting accounts of terror, death, heroism, and sacrifice, and foreshadowings of either doom or rescue give the pace a breathless urgency. Photographs and illustrations add further atmosphere; perhaps the most haunting image is the one that opens the book, that of a tailor-made life vest, a gift from an overprotective mother that saved her son from death. There's no avoiding the terrible endings here, but it's nonetheless a fascinating look at the intersections of "fate, human, error, accident, and bad luck" that so often bring about tragedy. Readers who've been absorbed by fictional retellings such as Hood's Lifeboat 12 (BCCB 9/18) will appreciate the factual take here.