A true-life drama of an intense battle for survival on the high seas. The Luckiest Thirteen is the story of an incredible two-day battle to save the super trawler St Finbarr, and of those who tried to rescue her heroic crew in surging, frozen seas. It was also a backdrop for the powerful stories of families ashore, dumbstruck by fear and grief, as well as a love story of a teenage deckhand and his girl that ended with a heart-rending twist. From her hi-tech hold to her modern wheelhouse she was every inch the super ship the great hope for the future built to save the fleet at a record-breaking price but a heart-breaking cost. On the thirteenth trip after her maiden voyage, the St Finbarr met with catastrophe off the Newfoundland coast. On Christmas Day 1966, twenty-five families in the northern English fishing port of Hull were thrown into a dreadful suspense not knowing if their loved ones were dead or alive after the disaster that befell The Perfect Trawler. Complete with 16 pages of dramatic and poignant photographs from the period.
My Thoughts:
The Luckiest Thirteen is an important and poignant account of an event that I had no knowledge of. I found it to be deeply moving and an accessible read that brought events to life in a readable way.
This is the story of St Finbarr, deep sea trawling and those families that were at home worrying about their loved ones. This happened in 1966 and the St Finbarr sailed out of Hull to the Newfoundland cost. The sea is a dangerous place and disaster strikes. The stakes are the costs are high. What is to befall the ship and the people in it and the people left at home wondering what is going to happen.
The author has managed to write a moving tribute with real heart but with all the facts and information you could need, there are also photographs to back up events.
I really felt that the writing was excellent never too weighty and with enough information about the families and lives back in Hull to give this a harsh sense of reality. These were real people with real lives.
For various reasons this is one of the most memorable and important books I have read in a long time. I would recommend anyone to read it so that this story is never forgotten.
The Luckiest Thirteen is an important and poignant account of an event that I had no knowledge of. I found it to be deeply moving and an accessible read that brought events to life in a readable way.
This is the story of St Finbarr, deep sea trawling and those families that were at home worrying about their loved ones. This happened in 1966 and the St Finbarr sailed out of Hull to the Newfoundland cost. The sea is a dangerous place and disaster strikes. The stakes are the costs are high. What is to befall the ship and the people in it and the people left at home wondering what is going to happen.
The author has managed to write a moving tribute with real heart but with all the facts and information you could need, there are also photographs to back up events.
I really felt that the writing was excellent never too weighty and with enough information about the families and lives back in Hull to give this a harsh sense of reality. These were real people with real lives.
For various reasons this is one of the most memorable and important books I have read in a long time. I would recommend anyone to read it so that this story is never forgotten.
About the Author:
Brian
W. Lavery is a former national newsman, whose tales deliver true journalistic
flair. Born in Glasgow, long resident in Hull, he writes with a deep knowledge
of the community and the dangers faced by those working in extremes. He has a
PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Hull.
You can find him of Twitter: @brianlavery59
Please do have a look at some of the other stops on the blog tour.
Thanks so much for this blog tour support Leah. I thought this book was stunning x
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