The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor

THE LAST LIFEBOAT by Hazel Gaynor is an enthralling and poignant work of historical fiction based on true events. Most people know that during WWII English children were evacuated to the countryside for greater safety, but not so many know about the 1000’s of sea-evacuees who were transported to places like Canada and Australia. In this story, a widowed mother, Lily Nicholls, makes the difficult choice to send her young daughter (Georgie) and son (Arthur) through a program run by Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB). They travel with roughly ninety other children and several chaperones – in the story, Alice King has decided to take a risk and offered her services.  

I read the entire novel in less than 24 hours and am still curious to learn more about the actual tragedy that occurred when (like the fictional SS Carlisle in the story) a passenger ship (SS City of Benares) was torpedoed in the Atlantic and a stray lifeboat drifted for several days with dimming hopes of rescue. The Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Imperial War Museum have made some relevant photos and documents available online. Gaynor weaves much of this into her writing and does an excellent job of conveying the time at sea. In addition, she probes the feelings of mothers who stayed behind and the “different experience for men responding to the call to do their bit.” A historical note with more details, suggested discussion questions, and Gaynor’s book suggestions accompany this fascinating text. THE LAST LIFEBOAT is highly recommended, especially for readers who have enjoyed other WWII survival adventures like Ruth Sepetys’ Salt to the Sea or works by Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity; Rose Under Fire).