An Ocean of Courage and Fear ~ Review

An Ocean of Courage and Fear

By Jerry Borrowman

This book opens on December 7, 1941, before word of the attack on Pearl Harbor had reached anyone outside of Hawaii. Word of the utter destruction of the US Naval fleet stationed and docked shocked the world. And those who were serving are about to have their world forever altered, going from a state of peace in the Pacific Ocean to a state of war in mere minutes. 

This book mixes fictional characters with the historical events adding more depth and bringing the reader's emotions into play as the fears and uncertainty pull the Pacific nations into the war. We are introduced to Lieutenant Commander Justin Collier, assigned to the USS Salt Lake City, and his wife Heidi, who volunteers as a nurse following Pearl Harbor. But there are so many more people whose lives are changed as the United States and Japan are drawn into war, a war that will cost many much. 

The title An Ocean of Courage and Fear describes the emotions those onboard the naval ships have to deal with daily during the days of World War 2. I appreciated that the author provided a listing of which characters were fictional and which were historical. The book takes us from December 1941 into June 1945. The USS Salt Lake City along with Honolulu is the main setting, and getting a glimpse of life aboard a heavy cruiser during a time of war is interesting, especially as when the book opens war is mere minutes away though no one is aware of it.

This book would be of interest to those who are into World War 2 or Naval history. This would be an excellent selection for a High School book report when the topic is Historical fiction. Events aren't glamorized but are presented in a way so as to engage the reader's interest throughout.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Based on survivor accounts, this gripping novel opens days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It details three years of sea battles that spanned between Hawaii and the shores of Okinawa with the crew of one of the most decorated ships of the Pacific War.

Onboard the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City, Lieutenant Commander Justin Collier is out to sea when Japan attacks the United States. Upon his return to Honolulu, the gravity of the war begins to change him, as does every subsequent mission, including a rare beach landing with an Army infantry division. He fears his wounds of war, both physical and mental, will be incurable.

Meanwhile, on the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, volunteer nurse Heidi Collier feels overwhelmed by the number of casualties. She watched the bombing as she huddled with her two children in front of their home, hoping that her husband aboard the USS Salt Lake City was safe.

Lieutenant Riley Bracken feels the sudden g-force of his catapult-launched observation floatplane with each harrowing mission. Alerting the USS Salt Lake City of enemy ships gives him purpose, which is why no one can know about his recent bouts of vertigo. He can’t risk losing what he loves most.

Fifteen-year-old Al Jowdy lied about his age in order to join the Navy. Whatever he believed Navy life would be was shot out of the water—twice—when his ships were torpedoed. Now aboard the Salt Lake City, he hopes his luck hasn’t run out.

An Ocean of Courage and Fear reveals the harrowing, true, never-before-told events that surrounded the crew of the USS Salt Lake City as they endured all the major action in the Pacific War.