Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2023 In contrast to the usual run of shipwreck tales built around the simple theme of “heroic survival against the odds,” this account depicts the 1942 torpedoing of the British liner Laconia as a realistically messy mix of confusion, desperation, altruism, cruelty, and extreme hardship. The German captain of the U-boat that sank the ship was moved to surface, despite the dangers, to pick up survivors; on the other hand, American planes were directly ordered to bomb the overcrowded sub, and they destroyed at least one nearby lifeboat (which is why details of the incident were long suppressed by the Allies). Meanwhile, other passengers in widely scattered lifeboats slowly died of thirst or, in multiple cases, were ruthlessly pitched overboard to drown. In the end, less than half of the 2,732 people aboard the Laconia survived. Focusing on a handful of eyewitnesses who left records of their experiences, the authors tell their grim, brutal tale in matter-of-fact tones, then, along with comprehensive lists of resources, close with notes on the subsequent lives of significant involved figures. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/03/2023 Gr 5 Up—On September 12, 1942, the British ship Laconia was sunk by a German submarine off the African coast. The attack quickly became a rescue mission when the German sub-commander learned that nearly 1,800 Italian POWs—his allies—were aboard the Laconia and faced drowning. The rescue then became an unprecedented moment in wartime history: the German commander decided to rescue everyone on the Laconia, whether allies or enemies. He radioed for help from any craft nearby, from any country, and asked to declare the area neutral waters. The recovery mission was not understood or trusted by the U.S. military who flew over the site and bombed the humanitarian effort. While providing fascinating facts on this remarkable but little known incident, the book is primarily an account of survival after the U.S. bombing. The unbiased narrative follows the personal stories of the real men, women, and children moved to German ships or abandoned in lifeboats on the open ocean. Readers will need the list of characters and vessels to keep track of these alternating players and locations as people reach safety—or literally die off. Tension escalates as the narrative is pared down to just two lifeboats and their occupants' harrowing struggle to remain hopeful. Back matter includes an epilogue completing the character biographies, an extensive bibliography, and glossary. VERDICT Ideal for WWII history fans and readers who have graduated from Lauren Tarshis's "I Survived" series.—Marybeth Kozikowski - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 03/03/2023 Gr 5 Up—On September 12, 1942, the British ship Laconia was sunk by a German submarine off the African coast. The attack quickly became a rescue mission when the German sub-commander learned that nearly 1,800 Italian POWs—his allies—were aboard the Laconia and faced drowning. The rescue then became an unprecedented moment in wartime history: the German commander decided to rescue everyone on the Laconia, whether allies or enemies. He radioed for help from any craft nearby, from any country, and asked to declare the area neutral waters. The recovery mission was not understood or trusted by the U.S. military who flew over the site and bombed the humanitarian effort. While providing fascinating facts on this remarkable but little known incident, the book is primarily an account of survival after the U.S. bombing. The unbiased narrative follows the personal stories of the real men, women, and children moved to German ships or abandoned in lifeboats on the open ocean. Readers will need the list of characters and vessels to keep track of these alternating players and locations as people reach safety—or literally die off. Tension escalates as the narrative is pared down to just two lifeboats and their occupants' harrowing struggle to remain hopeful. Back matter includes an epilogue completing the character biographies, an extensive bibliography, and glossary. VERDICT Ideal for WWII history fans and readers who have graduated from Lauren Tarshis's "I Survived" series.—Marybeth Kozikowski - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/15/2023 In contrast to the usual run of shipwreck tales built around the simple theme of “heroic survival against the odds,” this account depicts the 1942 torpedoing of the British liner Laconia as a realistically messy mix of confusion, desperation, altruism, cruelty, and extreme hardship. The German captain of the U-boat that sank the ship was moved to surface, despite the dangers, to pick up survivors; on the other hand, American planes were directly ordered to bomb the overcrowded sub, and they destroyed at least one nearby lifeboat (which is why details of the incident were long suppressed by the Allies). Meanwhile, other passengers in widely scattered lifeboats slowly died of thirst or, in multiple cases, were ruthlessly pitched overboard to drown. In the end, less than half of the 2,732 people aboard the Laconia survived. Focusing on a handful of eyewitnesses who left records of their experiences, the authors tell their grim, brutal tale in matter-of-fact tones, then, along with comprehensive lists of resources, close with notes on the subsequent lives of significant involved figures. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/03/2023 Gr 5 Up—On September 12, 1942, the British ship Laconia was sunk by a German submarine off the African coast. The attack quickly became a rescue mission when the German sub-commander learned that nearly 1,800 Italian POWs—his allies—were aboard the Laconia and faced drowning. The rescue then became an unprecedented moment in wartime history: the German commander decided to rescue everyone on the Laconia, whether allies or enemies. He radioed for help from any craft nearby, from any country, and asked to declare the area neutral waters. The recovery mission was not understood or trusted by the U.S. military who flew over the site and bombed the humanitarian effort. While providing fascinating facts on this remarkable but little known incident, the book is primarily an account of survival after the U.S. bombing. The unbiased narrative follows the personal stories of the real men, women, and children moved to German ships or abandoned in lifeboats on the open ocean. Readers will need the list of characters and vessels to keep track of these alternating players and locations as people reach safety—or literally die off. Tension escalates as the narrative is pared down to just two lifeboats and their occupants' harrowing struggle to remain hopeful. Back matter includes an epilogue completing the character biographies, an extensive bibliography, and glossary. VERDICT Ideal for WWII history fans and readers who have graduated from Lauren Tarshis's "I Survived" series.—Marybeth Kozikowski - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.