So Close to Home, Michael J. Tougias
So Close to Home, Michael J. Tougias
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So Close to Home
A True Story of an American Family’s Fight for Survival during World War II

Author: Michael J. Tougias, Alison O’Leary

Narrator: Elijah Alexander

Unabridged: 7 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/03/2016

Synopsis

A true story of men and women pitted against the sea during World War II―and an unforgettable portrait of the determination of the human spirit. On May 19, 1942, a U-boat in the Gulf of Mexico stalked its prey fifty miles away from New Orleans. Captained by twenty-nine-year-old Iron Cross recipient Erich Würdemann, the submarine set its sights on the freighter Heredia with fifty-nine souls on board. Most of the crew were merchant seamen, but there were also a handful of civilians, including the Downs family, consisting of the parents, Ray Sr. and Ina, along with their two children, eight-year-old Ray Jr., nicknamed “Sonny,” and eleven-year-old Lucille. Fast asleep in their berths, the Downs family had no notice that two torpedoes were heading their way. When the ship exploded, Ina and Lucille became separated from Ray Sr. and Sonny.An inspiring historical narrative, So Close to Home tells the story of the Downs family as they struggle against sharks, hypothermia, drowning, and dehydration in their effort to survive the aftermath of this deadly attack off the American coast.

About Michael J. Tougias

Michael J. Tougias is the author of many true rescue stories for young readers and adults, including the New York Times bestselling The Finest Hours: The True Story of a Heroic Sea Rescue; A Storm Too Soon: A Remarkable True Survival Story in 80-Foot Seas; and Into the Blizzard: Heroism at Sea During the Great Blizzard of 1978. A frequent lecturer at schools, colleges, and libraries, Tougias divides his time between Massachusetts and Florida.

About Alison O’Leary

Alison O’Leary is a former reporter for the Boston Globe, a magazine editor, and a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in publications across the country.

About Elijah Alexander

Elijah Alexander has worked professionally as an actor for over fifteen years. He has worked and lived in New York, where he performed in numerous productions, including the Tony Award–winning play Metamorphoses. He worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company for two years and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for two seasons, as well as regionally at various other theaters. In Los Angeles, he has worked on critically acclaimed productions of Sleuth, produced by Garry Marshall, and other works. His film and television credits include Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Emily’s Reasons Why Not, JAG, Summerland, So NoTORIous, and Guiding Light. He was the voice of Vayne Solidor in Final Fantasy XII and has done several commercial voiceovers. He is currently the voice of Kenmore and has narrated more than ten audiobooks, including James Jones’ acclaimed novel From Here to Eternity.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews on May 05, 2016

A very well written and thoroughly researched historical account of The Heredia that was bombed and sunk by the Germans in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II that had civilians on board. Mr. Tougias and Ms O'Leary detailed the military aspects and described all scenes so vividly that you could fe......more

Goodreads review by Nancy on February 22, 2016

So Close to Home is a fascinating, well-researched book about an American family who survived a torpedo strike to the merchant ship they were traveling on in 1942. The family's story is interwoven with that of the German submarine captains that were trawling the Gulf of Mexico looking for targets. I......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on April 16, 2016

This was a thrilling and surprising true account of German U-boat warfare in American waters. Researched with detailed accounts from submarine commanders' war diaries and interviews with survivors, this story reads like historical fiction. Mr.Tougias and Ms. O'Leary treat the reader to detailed pers......more

Goodreads review by Doreen on July 24, 2016

Review to follow......;) And here it is.....07/23/2016 This book presents an event of WWII, close to American shores. German U-boats lurked, eager to sink American vessels. The 'Heredia', a merchant ship carrying coffee and bananas, is torpedoed in the Gulf of Mexico. Aboard ship is the Downs family;......more

Goodreads review by Samantha on May 15, 2019

Won in a Goodreads giveaway. I love when authors tell history in a entertaining way, and that's what this book did. Similar to Devil in the White City, the each chapter alternates between two perspectives, happening in the same timeline. There's the Downs family who is just a regular American family......more

Quotes

“Through their meticulous research, Tougias and O’Leary take you where few historians dare, into the dark sea where an American family is floundering to stay alive, and onto the steel-planked deck of the German U-boat that put them there. This is priceless history―two hundred pages of ‘you-are-there.’”

“They don’t come any better than Michael J. Tougias. His latest, So Close to Home, is a truly gripping, deeply affecting saga of undersea warfare and an extraordinary American family caught in the crosshairs of history.”

“Tougias, a writer who specializes in survival stories, and journalist O’Leary impressively render the grim early period of US involvement in WWII, when U-boats wreaked havoc in American waters…Readers will enjoy learning about a half-forgotten incident from the early months of WWII.”

“Gives a solid perspective of the hardships endured by ordinary people.”

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