Bolger's spellbinding novel is based on a real-life rescue in 1943, when the MV Kerlogue's crew risked their lives to save 168 drowning German sailors.

The story is seen through the eyes of Jack, a boy who followed his father to sea, and finds himself rescuing the men who killed his dad. This is a brilliant portrayal of the unarmed Irish ships that sailed alone through hazardous waters, of young romance, and of a boy encountering a world where every experience is intense and dangerous.