Sole Survivor

Tells the story of a ship's steward who, after his vessel was torpedoed in 1942, survived for 133 days alone on a wooden raft

YA The British merchant ship Benlomond was torpedoed by a German U-Boat off the coast of Brazil on November 23, 1942. Of the 55 crew members on board, only a 24-year-old Chinese second steward survived. To this day, Poon Lim holds the Guinness world record for survival at sea. McCunn, who interviewed Poon Lim in 1982, 40 years after this remarkable ordeal took place, presents an exciting account of how Poon Lim stayed alive from the time his ship was sunk until 133 days later when he was picked up by fishermen just off the coast of Brazil. Because of the time lapse, McCunn has written his story in the form of a novel. There are black-and-white photographs of Poon Lim's tools, raft and of him just after his rescue. A vivid account of how one man used his intelligence and ingenuity to survive against incredible odds. Pat Royal, Prince George's County Public School System, Md.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is a fictionalized account of the true story of Poon Lim, a second steward and the only survivor of the British ship Benlomond, which was torpedoed on November 23, 1942 off the coast of South America. McCunn beautifully recounts Lim's 133 days of survival on a wooden raftthe longest recorded survival story in modern history. Even though Lim was unfamiliar with life at sea, he managed to become self-sufficient and emerged healthy and fit when he was finally rescued by a Brazilian fisherman. McCunn based her story on wartime documents and interviews with Lim, and claims that the facts and their sequence have not been altered though the book is written as a novel. Fictional or not, this book should become a classic in sea survival. Highly recommended for most public libraries. Dolphin Book Club alternate. John Kenny, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.