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On September 17, 1940, the SS City of Benares, a passenger ship traveling from England to Canada with one hundred children on board, was struck by a torpedo fired from a German submarine. It was 10:00 pm, in a raging storm. Within thirty minutes the ship sank, leaving passengers struggling to survive until rescue arrived. For some that would be late the next day; for others, not for more than a week. For many, help did not arrive in time.

In Torpedoed, award-winning author Deborah Heiligman provides a deeply moving and true account of the attack and sinking of “The Children’s Ship,” for middle-grade readers. On the anniversary of the sinking we’re remembering the lives lost and shining light on this often overlooked tragic event from WWII history.

A note from the author:

A few years ago, my editor showed me a photograph of a custom-made child’s life jacket, bright red silk. Do you want to look into this story, she asked? I did! And what a story it turned out to be–one full of drama and despair, triumph and joy. It’s a tale of people who survive against the odds. The stories of heroism, bravery, altruism and community astonished and inspired me. Everything is true—culled from interviews, reports, letters, autobiographies. I even met and interviewed the last two remaining survivors.

Although this is a story of war, I hope readers will find it life-affirming. And I pray my telling it will lead to less war and more peace.

Learn more about Torpedoed by Deborah Heiligman here.

Vincent and Theo: The van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman came out today! 🎉 To celebrate the release of this critically acclaimed non-fiction book, Team Fierce Reads asked Deborah a few questions about the book and life as an author.

Team Fierce Reads: What’s your favorite part of being an author? Deborah Heiligman: Getting the idea for a book. Those first few days, weeks, months, are exhilarating. It’s exactly like falling in love.

TFR: What’s the most challenging part of being an author? DH: Staying married. (Not in real life; that’s actually been pretty easy so far.) The most difficult part of being an author is staying with a book even when it’s impossible and maddening and you are so angry at it you wish it would just go away.

TFR: If you’d met Vincent when you were a teen, would you have been friends? DH: I think so. He might not have been in my main circle of friends, but I would have admired him from afar. I might even had had a crush on him. He was brilliant, stormy, mysterious. Yes, definitely crush material.

TFR: Which 3 historical figures would would you want to have on your apocalypse squad? DH: 1. Vincent van Gogh: He was fearless, fought for what he believed in, and championed the underdog. Plus he could walk for miles and miles without eating much.  2. Emma Darwin: She said what she thought, called it like it was, was fiercely protective of those she loved, and was very good at bribing people to make them do what she wanted.  3. A woman whose nickname was Molly. I haven’t written about yet, so I’m keeping her real name a secret. But she was a homicide detective in NYC over 100 years ago. For reasons I cannot yet divulge, I definitely want HER on my squad.

TFR: Describe your book in 3 words. DH: Vincent AND Theo.

Guest post written by Deborah Heiligman, author of Vincent and Theo: The van Gogh Brothers

I always wanted siblings close to my age. My sister was 15 when I was born, my brother 13, and although they were very important in my life, we did not grow up together. I very much wanted someone to grow up with, but my parents did not comply with my wishes. So I spent a lot of time at my friend Sherry’s house. She lived next door and was the oldest of five girls. Not surprisingly, she preferred to spend time at my house. We went back and forth, and often, when we were at my house, I convinced her to play a game I invented called Susie and Judy. Susie and Judy were twins, of course.

When I had my first son, I knew I didn’t want to wait a long time to have another child. Benjamin was born three years after Aaron, and so I had a front-row seat to a close sibling relationship. It was almost always a joy to watch them together, to witness their closeness, their shared experiences. When it wasn’t a joy, it was still interesting!

Like Vincent and Theo van Gogh, my sons are very different, and also like the van Gogh brothers, they are very close. Fortunately neither one is as “high maintenance” as Vincent was. While I was writing the book, I kept asking myself, why did Theo put up with so much from Vincent? Why did he support him even when Vincent was angry, difficult, demanding? After reading all the letters, thinking about this question over and over again, I decided I had to ask an expert. So I asked one of my sons. “Why did Theo support Vincent even though it was so hard on him?” Benjamin answered immediately: Because they were brothers! To him that answered it all.

I know for certain that Benjamin would support Aaron, no matter what, and Aaron will always be there for Benjamin. But I also know not all brothers would do this for each other. So I kept asking myself that question. Why did Theo…?

The more I researched and wrote, the more I understood.

This book, Vincent and Theo: The van Gogh Brothers,  is the answer to that question. I hope you enjoy it.   

Happy birthday to Vincent van Gogh!

Happy birthday to Vincent van Gogh!