At 14, Alec knows what he wants to be: a seaman. Instead of working at his family’s inn, he prefers roaming through the busy streets and docks of Dover. When the captain of the Britannia, one of the fishing vessels in the Channel, asks him to be a galley boy, he seizes the opportunity in spite of his father’s objections. On his first day at sea, he weathers a severe storm similar to the one that took the life of his cousin and best friend, Georgie, months earlier. Alec still feels guilty for having not been able to save Georgie. England is at war with Germany, and soon Alec is doing more than swabbing the deck and handling the ropes of the fishing vessel. He wonders why shadowy figures are disappearing into the tunnels under the old stone castle and who the special soldiers being billeted at the inn are. Then comes terrible news: hundreds of thousands of British forces are trapped on the beach at Dunkirk. All ships in the Channel, large and small, are ordered to undertake a massive evacuation. Alec’s transformation from galley boy to courageous seaman is a riveting journey in this dramatic novel.Faced with the largest rescue mission in history, can a guilt-ridden boy find his courage at sea? A Story of Bravery: From a fishing boat’s galley boy to the deck of a rescue ship at Dunkirk, Alec must confront his deepest fears to help save thousands of stranded soldiers. Guilt and Redemption: Haunted by the death of his cousin Georgie, Alec’s journey across the Channel is not just a mission to save others, but a chance to forgive himself. Authentic Historical Adventure: Set against the backdrop of wartime Dover, this meticulously researched novel explores the real-life mysteries of castle tunnels and the impossible odds of the Dunkirk evacuation. Family and Conflict: As war looms, Alec must defy his father’s wishes to follow his dream of a life at sea, testing the bonds of family when his country needs him most.
