SAILOR’S HEART: A STORY ABOUT COWARDICE AND HEROISM IN THE ARCTIC CONVOYS.
This is a novel based on true events in WWII.
1942. The war in the North Sea is being lost.
Over 800 men rated as C(Q) (physically fit and amenable to training, but unreliable and a liability to the Navy in a time of war) are treated at an isolated, experimental psychiatry facility set up by the British Admiralty. Of this number, 162 men never to return to naval service.
Three men fight for their country, then for their sanity and dignity. The details are researched from historical and naval records.
Reviews:
The Herald: “What really strikes home in this compassionate, absorbing novel is how, as they bond in their quiet, phlegmatic way, three men branded as cowards demonstrate a resilience that would put the rest of us to shame. A compelling blend of solid character-work and exhaustive research.”
Historical Fiction Company Award: “This novel is completely different from so many other World War II historical fiction novels, setting it apart in a league of its own.”