The Keeper's Son

Josh Thurlow #1

by Homer Hickam

In 1941, Killakeet Island of the wind-swept Outer Banks of North Carolina is home to a tiny, peaceful population of fishermen, clam stompers, oyster rakers, and a few lonely sailors of the Coast Guard. Dominating the glorious, raw beauty of the little island is the majestic Killakeet Lighthouse, which for generations has been the responsibility of one family, the Thurlows.

However, Josh Thurlow, the Keeper's son, has forsworn his heritage to become the commander of the Maudie Jane, a small Coast Guard patrol boat operating off Killakeet. Josh is still tortured by guilt, seventeen years after losing his baby brother at sea. Then his life is complicated by the arrival of the beautiful Dosie Crossan, who has journeyed to lonely Killakeet to escape the outside world and perhaps find a purpose in life. While Josh's heart is stirred by the often-vexing Dosie, he continues his search for his brother, even after a wolfpack of German U-boats arrives to soak the island's beaches with blood and oil.

One of the U-boats is captained by Otto Krebs, a famed and ruthless undersea warrior. Krebs, a man also scarred by lost love, comes to Killakeet, however, with more than torpedoes and plans for He may also have the answer to the mystery that haunts Josh Thurlow.

The Keeper's Son is a rousing, romantic tale of the power of the human heart forever searching for redemption.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Thriller, Novels

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2003

About the author

Homer Hickam (also known as Homer H. Hickam, Jr.) is the author of many best-sellers including his latest, Don't Blow Yourself Up. An eclectic writer, he wrote the "Coalwood Series," which includes the # 1 New York Times best-selling memoir Rocket Boys, (made into the ever-popular movie October Sky) the World War II-era "Josh Thurlow" series, the juvenile sci-fi "Crater" series, the adult thriller The Dinosaur Hunter, the romantic Red Helmet, and many others. Among his many writing awards are the University of Alabama's Clarence Cason Award and the Appalachian Heritage Writer's Award plus an honorary Doctorate of Literature from Marshall University. For more information on Mr. Hickam and his books and cats and everything else, please go to http://www.homerhickam.com.

Reviews

[Nomanisan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books one might want to give up on in its early stages, but it was my experience that staying with it was well worth it. This novel, based on meticulous research by Hickam of the destruction of US ships (military and civilian) off the East Coast, begins to really carry one along once Hickam establishes his foundations. (The book in fact precedes The Ambassador's Son>u<, another of my favorite books by this author.) Some of the events, especially as the book rushes to its end, border on magical realism; one in particular had my mouth open with delighted surprise (and hope). Hickam is a remarkably good writer, in terms of both mechanics and plot/character development. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Autumn Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Homer Hickam & I love this book! It's beautifully written & suspenseful.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, set on Kilakeet Island just after America entered into WWII with Germany. We follow the lives of Josh Trulow and his fellow islanders. Josh, the lightkeeper's son, left Kilakeet when he joined the Coast Guard, trying to find his way in life while dealing with the tragedy of losing his baby brother to the sea 17 years earlier. He returns when Doc tells him his father is dying; Doc had conveniently forget when, saying a lie isn't a lie until it happens. With German u-boats off the island, and Josh's Coast Guard crew playing cat-and-mouse with a u-boart and its commander Krebs, whose fighting his own demons, Josh and the islanders come to self-realization about themselves, the enemy, and what the sea takes, it will return.

I really enjoyed the book, its great description, and story I will remember for a long, long time.

[Dave Hoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reader is wondering if the book rates a 2 Star and ends giving the book, a 5 Star.. Why, Guess it's the fact I'm a Coast Guardsman, admitting that, yes the lighting of the light house mantle is correct, the CG had these many different types of stations and cutters and yes the Outer Banks produced some awesome and strange Coasties But... Then the action started, Nazi U-boats having free rein over our tankers and freighters, even passenger ships, sinking at will. So unprepared the US was, the CG lacking guns and depth charges. Accepting that the characters are fictional, but it was bad along our Coast, the book became a grabber.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set on the Outer Banks fictional island of Killakeet, this novel chronicles the entrance of the U.S. into WWII, and the slowness of our military to respond to the attackes by German U-boats on merchant and passenger ships traveling the Atlantic sea lanes along the coast. Partly told from the point of view of the U-boat captain, and eventually all the main characters meet on the beach where the Germans have landed. Suspenseful, seemingly improbably, but believably written.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a WWII book anyway, but this one was exceptional. Great story, little known history, vivid descriptions which were not tedious, and it kept me reading four hours straight to finish last night--and I'm not on vacation! Can't wait to read the sequel and others by Homer Hickam.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

5/19/2019.
I read this book several years ago - before I joined Goodreads - so dates etc. are a vague memory...

This was the second Hickam I read after "The Rocket Boys" (later renamed to "October Sky"). I was hesitant about a real-live rocket scientist writing fiction but Hickam pulled it off! Since then, I've always looked forward to an opportunity to read his work and I've never been disappointed.

I don't recall many details about this specific title but when I saw it come up in a social media feed I immediately thought "That was a great book!" I remember it being muted, with subtle character development and culminating in a very satisfying end. Pretty good for a book I read over 10 years ago!

[Anne Kenan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a true story about the people who inhabited the islands along the outer banks of N.C. They were mostly fishermen and their families who had lived there all their life and had never traveled far from these islands. They played an interesting and significant role in the beginning of World War l l. They patrolled these waterways for enemy subs and the islands on horseback. They organized themselves and used what they had available to safeguard their islands and the USA.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is fiction, it takes place along the NC coast around what is most likely Cape Lookout. It takes place during WWII, and reviews the main character's experiences serving on a small boat defending the US coastline against U-boats. It is an entertaining story, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Ann Amadori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I liked the setting along the NC coast, the characters who lived on Killakeet and the mystery of Jacob who was lost. I was interested to learn about the U-boat attacks on the US during WWII and look forward to reading more about that, as well as the sequels to this book.

[Sarahb. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I sterted this book, it felt familiar. I realized I'd read it long ago, but I wanted to finish it again, because it is such a neat book with a great ending! Lots of NC coastal history, a good summer read!

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was historical fiction about events that happened on the Outer Banks during WW II about which I had never heard. U-boats torpedoing our merchant ships! And the story from Josh's childhood that is woven into the story is intriguing. Interesting story

[Janet Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a great novel The author was an aeronautical engineer from West Virgina who also has a passion for writing.
Google Homer Hickam. The first book is his story - Rocker Boys. the movie was October Sky.
I encourage to read his works! He is my age and grew up in McDowell Country WV.

[Beth Stuerman Stuerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up on a recent trip to North Carolina OuterBanks.... I was so captivated by the characters and the storyline that I was up until 4 AM in order to finish the book! I loved it.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for a bookclub, but didn’t get it finished in time before we met. After attending the bookclub where we discussed the book, I spent the next month working to finish reading it. The historical aspect of the book was very interesting and something I didn’t know about—I mean who knew that German U-boats attacked the eastern United States’ coast during WWII?!

For me, the book seemed to drag on and on, but that might have been because I only found specs of time here and there to read it. The characters were fine, but other than Captain Krebs, I wasn’t particularly interested in any of them as they seemed pretty flat. I did enjoye reading about the coast, lighthouse living, and the townspeople.

All in all, I thought it was just okay and wouldn’t recommend it.

[Wil · Rating 3 out of 5]

My colleagues in the book group liked this book, and I didn't really dislike it. I just don't enjoy reading about carnage wrought by U-boats and the detailed description of war deaths. To make matters worse, Hickam humanizes the Germans, so we end up liking them as well as the Americans. It does cover an under-reported aspect of World War II, though, and for that alone, it is worth reading.

[S Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great yarn of a tale, for sartain!
"'Dear Lord,' Preacher said,'on this island, we are ever mindful of your miracles because they are always near us. We go out each day and dodge your storms and try to make a living, hard as it is at times. We fish for your fish and You knock us around to make us earn them. Your clams we go stomping for and sometimes you have a stingray throw a barb in our legs. We catch Your crabs and they pinch us.' Preacher continued, 'We thank You for all of it, don't think we don't, the days of clear skies that you occasionally give us and the days of storms that are Your usual. All of it fits within Your plan, yea, we know that well enough, though we might not understand any of it, including that sometimes an unworthy preacher hits his thumb with a hammer while trying to patch up Your church. All is according to Your design, I'm sure, and we humbly accept it, I swear we do. But we ask You, dear Lord, to bless this assembly as we celebrate something we did pretty much by ourselves some fifty years ago by the piling up of bricks to make a light that shines across Your tossing seas and Your awful shoals. All we wanted to do was keep those ships out there safe. That's not too much to ask, is it, Lord? I hope You don't think so. So bless us, dear Lord, and stave off the other things You like to test us with, at least for this evening. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.'"

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy World War II as a setting, you will enjoy this one. Some may want to throw in the towel after the first few chapters, but if you stick with it I promise you won't be disappointed. A fictional story that takes place along the Outer Banks in a fictional town called Killakeet, this endearing read lets the reader experience life while defending the coast line from German U-boats. The action is comparable to a Clive Cussler novel only written in a more refined way. Aside from being a historical read, there's also plenty of adventure and romance. The romance feels solid and real, for it develops at a believable pace. Josh Thurlow is a coast guardsman who is haunted by the death of his brother (which he is still struggling with seventeen years later) and is undoubtedly the best character in the book. You follow him through the pages and ride along as he solves one of his family mysteries. I thought Hickam was ingenious for adding the subplot of Krebs, a U-boat commander who is at work attacking the coast. It's great to break up the story by getting to read from his point of view and that of Thurlow.

An intriguing summer read that will make you wish you were at the beach, long after you've left.

[Cheryl Licata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel about World War II as seen through the eyes of the sailors who lived through it and the memories of those who didn't. There are strong American men and tough German submariners off the coast of North Carolina. Besides their fighting, the reader also gets to observe their kindness and caring for their women, for each other and for their country. One of the most interesting characters is Willow, a girl with sight and senses beyond others. Even though the men are the main characters, it is Miriam's voice that I want to remember -- " there is so much in life that we take as common, yet when we think about it, we realize it isn't common at all. This day, for instance. We shall never know another like it. No matter what we do, even though we might retrace our steps exactly, another day would not be the same. We therefore must make the most of it..." Good words to remember during WW II and during our current Pandemic.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Homer Hickam tells a wonderful story of people caught up in a war along the US coast in 1942. As the German Navy seeks to knock the US out of the war early by unrestricted submarine warfare, the people of the outer banks begin to rouse themselves to fight back. A few brave and foolhardy heroes take on the submarines operating off their coast. Josh Thurlow struggles with a personal crisis stemming from an event from 17 years ago. Otto Von Krebs commands the U-Boat 560 seeking to destroy as much shipping as possible. They become rivals seeking to destroy one another. The tale includes a look at life along the outer banks before they developed as a tourist mecca. Hickam's first of three books featuring Thurlow is at his best.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy Hickham’s writing and this tale (first in a series) did not disappoint. While a work of fiction, he gives extensive references at the end of the book to his historical sources. The WWII era is a favorite of mine and this story is focused on a perhaps less often featured branch of the military, the United States Coast Guard and its role in defending the east coast of the United States in the years after Pearl Harbor. I would recommend this book and I now look forward to reading the next in the series “The Ambassador’s Son”.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good read set during World War II and based on true events involving German U-Boats and the East coast of America. Great characters and complex and believable interactions. Looking forward to the other two in the trilogy which I actually own so I can read them at my leisure. Recommend to any who like a great story with lots of action and characters who make you feel like you are right there with them.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read, that shows in the details, it was well researched.
I recommend this to anyone interested in subject of World War I and II, Lighthouses and war fought along America's East Coast. Life on the island beaches of OBX
Books written by author Homer Hickam deserve a place in my home library so I can share with my family.

[Nancy Strack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Adventure,romance and history. Setting is on the outer Banks coast during the time of WWII and brings that time to life with adventuresome exploits of coast guard defending our shores from the German U boats.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt it was very slow to get started but glad I stayed with it. Loved the characters in the story and although it was fiction it was based on a lot of historical information that I was never aware of. Want to read more by his author.

[Penny Jansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great historical fiction novel set during WWII off the coast of North Carolina. Great writing, believable characters, and a good story. I got bogged down in some of the boating description and battles but was complelled to finish because of an interesting plot twist.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lightkeepers son, Josh Thurlow, does not take up the family business of lighthouse keeping. Instead he commands a coast guard patrol boat that hunts Nazi U boats off the Outer Banks during World War II. He is still searching for the brother he lost at sea 29 years before.

[Hilary Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed everything I've read of Hickam's so far, and The Keeper's Son was no exception. Hickam weaves historical fact and fiction beautifully to create compelling characters and an engaging story.

[ssigmonc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had seen October Sky and decided to read this based on how much I enjoyed the movie... It was very good. Based on that book, I've picked up another of his books, Dinosaur Hunter.

[Jim Brohard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great book by my favorite author.