Lifeboat 5

SS City of Benares

by Susan Hood

In the wake of Lifeboat 12 comes a World War II novel-in-verse by author Susan Hood about two very real girls who clung together for dear life when their evacuee ship was torpedoed, their lifeboat capsized, and they spent nineteen hours in the Atlantic Ocean, waiting for rescue. When Nazi bombs begin to destroy Bess Walder’s hometown of East London, Bess convinces her parents to evacuate her and her younger brother, Louis, to Canada aboard the SS City of Benares. On the journey, she meets another evacuee, Beth Cummings. Bess and Beth have a lot in common—both strong and athletic, both named for Queen Elizabeth, both among the older kids on the ship, and both excited about life in Canada. On the fifth day at sea, everyone starts to relax, but trouble is right behind them. That night, a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the Benares. As their luxury liner starts to sink, Bess and Beth rush to abandon ship aboard their assigned lifeboat.

Based on true events and real people.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Survival, Novel In Verse, Poetry, Audiobook, Young Adult

259 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2024

About the author

Susan Hood is the award-winning author of many books for young readers, including Ada's Violin; Lifeboat 12; The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics; Shaking Things Up; Titan and the Wild Boars: The True Cave Rescue of the Thai Soccer Team; and We Are One: How the World Adds Up.

Susan is the recipient of an E. B. White Read-Aloud Picture Book Honor, the Christopher Award, the Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, the Golden Kite Award, and the Bank Street Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, given annually for “a distinguished work of nonfiction that serves as an inspiration to young people.”

COMING IN MARCH, 2022!
Susan's newest book is Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis. Co-authored with Anna's (a.k.a. Zhanna's) son Greg Dawson, this biography in verse celebrates the life-saving power of the arts.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve learned a lot about the sinking of the ship, City of Benares, largely due to the wonderful writing of author Susan Hood. Along with other works focusing on WW2 events, Hood has written two books of poetry about this tragedy, Lifeboat 12 and Lifeboat 5. The end notes and photographs included are a wonderful touch to both books; they would be wonderful tools to use in classrooms.

[Diana Strand · Rating 5 out of 5]

A companion novel to Lifeboat 12, Hood's verse novel Lifeboat 5 tells the story of two girls named Elizabeth (nicknamed Bess and Beth) who survive because of the bond of their friendship formed on their evacuee ship during the dark days of World War II. When the Nazis torpedo their boat, it is the strength and encouragement that they give each other that enables them to survive 19 hours in the North Atlantic.

This book is a tragedy in that the lives of so many were lost, but it is also a testament to faith and strength of the human mind. Yes, it was sad, but it was also an uplifting read in the girls' determination to live. Definitely a 5-star read that will be a great addition to my shelves. Aside from the emotional burden of the true story, there are no content warnings for teachers seeking clean reads for their classroom libraries.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lauren Acosta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style threw me for a loop but it was a good story. 3.9 ⭐️

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bess Walder is tired of the Blitz, and tired of the girls who tease her about her size and looks. She thought she would get away from them with school closing, but they also go to the same air raid shelter. When she hears about the government offering evacuations to Canada for children (for which she just barely still applies at 15) she encourages her parents to enter her and her brother Louis in the lottery. They find out they are both chosen, and Bess is excited about her new life in Canada and the trip on the SS City of Berens. She meets another girl her age who is named Beth, and the two become fast friends as the trip begins. Beth is a little worried because she can't swim. Bess is concerned because her father told her to keep an eye on her little brother Lous, but the boys are put in a completely different part of the ship. They all breathe a sigh of relief when they pass the Nazi's range and can take off their itchy life preservers. But the all clear may have been too soon, as they are woken in the middle of the night by a torpedo hitting the boat, stormy winds make loading life rafts challenging, and the waves capsize many of them. Soon Beth and Bess are struggling for their lives together in the frozen Atlantic waters. Can they keep each other alive long enough for rescue? Did Louis make it in a life raft?

This is based on a true story and is a companion book to Lifeboat 12 about the same disaster. This one focuses on different kids who were on the boat sunk by the Nazis. Most of the details are factual, Hood just reimagined dialog and such. It's an inspirational story of survival and friendship under crazy circumstances, and also honors some of those who gave their lives to save some of the children. It didn't feel like Hood wrote this just because Lifeboat 12 was popular, but because Beth and Bess's and others' stories deserved to be told and remembered too.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Many people die of drowning or hypothermia, only a few on page.
Ethnic diversity: Most of the children were from England, but different parts. Beth is from Liverpool and Bess from London area. The book mentions the Lascars who worked on the boat and were often from Asia or the Middle East.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Bess is facing bullying from peers because of her looks.

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ship gets torpedoed. A girl lands in a lifeboat. And suddenly, 13-year-old Beth is in a real-life survival story.

Told in fast, emotional verse, Lifeboat 5 is gripping, gut-punching, and based on a true WWII event. Think high seas, big courage, and zero time to panic. If you loved Lifeboat 12, this is your next must-read.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book mesmerized me. I had never before heard of this tragedy. It is just horrific. The way it is written from the little girl’s pov made it even more heart wrenching. Her words were just so full of emotion. It has prompted me to investigate into history and read more about the bombing and sinking of this rescue boat. Just sickening!!!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great addition to Susan Hood’s growing catalog of WWII stories told in verse.
I appreciate the variety of poetry used in this book on particular. I can see much potential in using this and her other books for reading groups in a poetry unit.
Well done!

[Laura Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another installment/aspect of the fascinating and harrowing Benares sinking. The fortitude of these people still astounds me. This is a great rec for those shy to read.

[Kim Bahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing story! Love how friendship saved the girls!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Bess Walden, who is fifteen, and her brother Lewis, who is 10, are sent out of East London by their parents during the Blitz. After a brief stay in an orphanage, they are lucky enough to get passage on the SS City of Benares. Bess meet another girl, Beth, who is also a bit heavier and has had trouble making friends, as Bess has. They become close friends, and spend time together on the very fancy ship, although each girl has a couple of younger roommates to help take care of. Bess is concerned because her brother is with boys on the ship, and she can't watch him as closely as she would like, although he seems to be in good hands with Ken, an older boy (whose story is told in Lifeboat 12), and chaperone Michael Rennie. Aside from a bout of seasickness, Bess and Beth are generally doing well until the ship is torpedoed in the middle of the night. Trying to escape with their roommates, they find that the stairs have collapsed, and Bess is frantic to be separated from Louis. The girls manage to get into a lifeboat, but it capsizes. The water is freezing, and all around them people perish, including Michael Rennie, who had managed to save many of the boys in his care. The girls encourage each other to hold on, and are eventually rescued by a British ship. Bess is reunited with her brother after he sees her green bathrobe hanging up. There is some additional information about various aspects of the ship, including the lack of information that remains about the Indian Lascars who were working on the ship and perished.

The characters in the book are based on real people who were involved in the historical event. Heiligman's 2019 Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of "The Children's Ship" is great nonfiction coverage of the SS City of Benares, and would make a great companion for both of Hood's books. The little boy in the red silk life jacket that his mother had custom made for him so that he would wear it all of the time appears in both the fiction and nonfiction accounts.

The verse format is what sets this book apart from other novels set during this time period, and Hood employs several different formats, which are described in the back of the book. The alphabet poem written from the sea's perspective is especially effective; there is something haunting about the list of all of the items that are consigned to the deep.

Readers who want the pairing of World War II and verse format will want to pick up Hood's Lifeboat 12 (which doesn't necessarily need to be read first) or her 2022 Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis, and would be well advised to seek out Borden's His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg: Courage, Rescue and Mystery During World War II (2012) or LeZotte's T4: A Novel in Verse (2008).

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very different than I expected but it was written very well. This book is all about two young girls waiting to be saved after their life boat tips as they are fleeing from WWII. The young girls must try their best to survive everything as they spend hours in the ocean waiting to be saved. What I didn't expect was a book with this serious of subject to be written in verse. This was perfect for the reader because it took would could be a very dark topic and gave it a little light. What I loved the most was that this story was based on true events so it made it that much more tragic. This was a very fast read but I loved every minute of it. While I think it might have made a little bit more sense it I had read the first one to give it more backstory I don't think that it was necessary because it was very well explained and straight forward. Cute read however I found parts of it to be a little jumpy and I wasn't a huge fan of the back and forth in perspectives it made for some parts to be amazing and others almost like it was a completely different story. I'm glad I got to check this out and can't wait to read the first one.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last fall during our novel-in-verse book club unit, my 5th graders were enthralled when they were introduced to Ken and the other characters of Susan Hood’s Lifeboat 12. Fast forward to February’s World Read Aloud Day, where students virtually met with Susan Hood to talk about her writing (and research) process for her novels. They found out then about her latest project, another WWII story entitled Lifeboat 5! We were thrilled to read and ARC to read and review.

Told from multiple points of view, Lifeboat 5 shares the stories of two girls aboard the SS City of Benares who are headed to Canada, leaving England behind to avoid the war. Bess and Beth form a quick bond, and the girls are excited about what lies ahead for them in Canada.

When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes their ship, the girls must find the strength and courage to persevere while hoping for rescue in the Atlantic Ocean.

With extensive back matter including an author’s note, photos, sources, and facts about Lifeboat 5, this middle grade novel is not to be missed!

Favorite line p 221-222:
If bad things happen
all you can do
is try to help.
And…hold on
to your friends.

Publishing October 8th…preorder now!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: It's not safe inside.
It's not safe outside.
I close my eyes
and try to turn off the noise
in my head.
Stop!

Premise/plot: Lifeboat 5 is a companion novel to Susan Hood's Lifeboat 12. (I believe). Bess Walder, our heroine, is one of many child refugees fleeing England for the safety of Canada during the Second World War. Joining her is her younger brother. But new friends are easily made on board the ship Benares. But while the promise of safety provides much hope, the ship has to arrive before all is well....

You can [easily] deduce from the title that all does not go well aboard the ship. It is war time, and, though the ship has many escorts, anything can happen during war time. Will Bess survive? How many will lose their lives in their pursuit of safety?

My thoughts: I am so glad this one was a verse novel. This one was an intense read, and the format helped keep the pages turning. I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy survivor historical books. Or for those that seek out all things world war II.

[Sally Kruger]

I just finished Susan Hood's LIFEBOAT 12 and decided to jump right into LIFEBOAT 5. She discovered that Ken Sparks and the group aboard Lifeboat 12 were not the only ones to survive after the sinking of the Benares. Two girls also survived clinging to a Lifeboat 5 for nineteen hours.

Bess and Beth met when they boarded the ship bound for Canada. They quickly became best friends. They enjoyed the splendid accommodations, meals, and fun on the luxury liner until the torpedo hit. Together, they ended up in Lifeboat 5, but like many of the other lifeboats, it capsized, throwing them into the freezing water.

Even though Bess couldn't swim, the two girls found a way to hang on and encourage each other as the tragedy unfolded. They were eventually rescued and reunited with their parents.

If you are looking for some historical fiction based on true events, check out LIFEBOAT 5 and LIFEBOAT 12 by Susan Hood. Both are quick reads written in verse that are packed with historical adventure.

[Librariann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Had to round out the story of the City of Benares with Hood's companion book to Lifeboat 12 . The child and I listened to the audiobook, which came in at a slim 2 hours with an excellent narrator. However, I'm a bit peeved that the audiobooks do NOT come with the authors note or the historical facts that are included in the epilogue. Both are the perfect complements to the verse novel and kiddos who are ONLY listening (instead of reading print) miss out of the crucial context. Not cool.

(I downloaded both book titles from Libby and read the notes for each to Will, who appreciated the information but didn't really care about the photos. I, however, was impressed to see the actual photo of Lifeboat 12)

[Stacey Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a companion novel to Lifeboat 12, but it is not necessary to read Lifeboat 12 first. Set at a time when Britain was being bombed and many families were sending children to safer areas, some to the rural countryside and others to other countries like Canada. This story, told in verse follows two young girls (Both named Elizabeth, one Beth and the other Bess) through the embarkment onto the ship, the torpedo, and the subsequent move into lifeboats. It tells the harrowing survival story through the lens of friendship and family. It is definitely a middle grade read, but these characters are older, (15) so there would be students who could still connect to their experiences.

[Noreen Holt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best for kids ages 10 to 14 who enjoy stories of friendship and perseverance. I got this novel in verse with great anticipation, as I loved its predecessor, Lifeboat 12. That book had lots of action and lots of information about World War II. This book is a companion and is based in the same event—the torpedoing and sinking of a British ship evacuating children from London to Canada—but the scope is much more limited. It seemed like the same ideas of friendship and determination were repeated over and over. The author does write a few actual poems in this book, and some readers might find those interesting.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this companion to LIFEBOAT 12, Susan Hood tells the story of two girls onboard a ship leaving England for safety in Canada during WWII. Beth and Bess become quick friends during the journey. After the ship is torpedoed by a German U-boat, the girls must do their best to survive against all odds as they await rescue in the middle of the ocean. The novel in verse based on true events and people is a quick and riveting read that speaks to the power of the bonds of friendship amidst hardship and challenge.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an eARC of the book with me.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was beautifully written in verse. I guess I don't really understand why we had Louis's POV a few times, while the story was about Beth and Bess. Personally, I just don't feel like it added anything and took away from the girls' story. I'm curious to read Lifeboat 12 now, to see if that helps add to this one. I didn't feel 'lost' or unable to follow along, but since it was short there were a lot of things that didn't get into depth, so maybe Lifeboat 12 would add some depth where it was lacking.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book documents the unbelievable true account of 2 girls who clung to each other and a lifeboat for 19 hours in the icy North Atlantic after Nazi U-boats torpedoed their ship during WWII. The novel is written in verse and uses various poetry techniques to tell this extraordinary account, which adds to the power and intensity of the story. This was a beautifully written account of real heroes in the middle of tragedy. I loved it!

[Holly Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sits neatly with several similar books about the evacuation of children during world war 2. Yet, it has hints of Pearl Harbor by Gratz too. What stood out was how closely it depicts the real terrifying survival of Bess and Beth who spent 19 hours hanging onto the underside of a lifeboat (Lifeboat 5) before they were rescued. I missed Lifeboat 12 and now want to read it. I don't think you needed to read it before Lifeboat 5. Very compelling.

[Elly Swartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story of hope, resilience, and the bonds that save us. In Lifeboat 5 author Susan Hood shines a light on the darkness of war, reminding the reader that friendship is life’s real hero in this powerful telling. An absolute must-read!

*I received an arc of this story from the author. The opinions in this review are mine.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel-in-verse companion to Lifeboat 12 is a beautiful testament to our need for connection in order to survive. Another incredible story of survival featuring two girls who were escaping the London Blitz to Canada on the ship City of Benares, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat a week after sailing. This story is tragic, but hopeful and uplifting. It never felt too scary or heavy, though it was clear that the girls truly saved each other by holding on to one another, both literally and figuratively. The power of friendship, especially between these two girls who had been bullied and ostracized by schoolmates, was able to overcome the hardships they faced.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Lifeboat 12 so this is a welcome (and tragic) return to the SS Benares. When the Benares was sunk by a German U-boat , only 13 of 90 British children trying to escape Hitler’s bombs survived. Lifeboat 5 is the story of 2 girls who spent 19 hours clinging the the hull of their overturned lifeboat. Readers will enjoy this page-turning/heart-thumping verse novel.

[Kayla Stearns · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is written in free verse, which means no set meter or rhyme scheme. I didn’t know that when I started the book. I really did not like that. The retelling of this true even was exactly that. A retelling of an event. It wasn’t thoroughly detail or plot driven. Overall the story itself wasn’t bad but the way it was written ruined it for me.

[Barbara Whynot-Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

YA book about real children aboard the SS City of Benares, headed for Canada from England. The children were part of a group leaving London to escape the bombing by the Germans. Unfortunately their ship is torpedo by the Germans out in the Atlantic ocean. This story, written in poetry, tells their story of survival.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked Lifeboat 12 and how it made this event accessible to younger readers, and I enjoyed this one also! Some overarching themes about friendship and how much Bess appreciated finally having a friend after being made fun of at school. I think it does a good job expressing a young woman's life changing experience, that will be once again be easy for younger readers to connect with.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the wake of Lifeboat 12 comes a “gripping, harrowing” (Publishers Weekly) World War II novel-in-verse by acclaimed author Susan Hood about two very real girls who clung together for dear life when their evacuee ship was torpedoed, their lifeboat capsized, and they spent nineteen hours in the Atlantic Ocean, waiting for rescue.

[Jamie Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's WWII, and the Nazi's are bombing London. In her desire to escape, 15 year-old Bess convinces her parents to sign her and her 10 year-old brother, Louis, for a lottery that would send them to Canada for safe keeping until the war ends. It is not only the Nazi's Bess wants to escape, but also school bullies that prey on her because she is bigger than they area. When they went the lottery, Bess is esctatic to board the SS City of Benares luxury ship with 90 other children plus their chaperones and the crew. This also gives her a break from having to always watch over her brother and makes a friend in Beth who sees Bess for who she is. They love the ship, the food, the luxuries they are given despite the need to always wear their lifevest and do life boat drills so they never forget the danger, even with the escort of naval ships that surround them. Then, they get hit by a torpedo from a German ship and the boat is sinking. Bess can't find Louis, but she and Beth end up in the same Lifeboat. They aren't safe, however, as the ship flips over, plunging them into water and leaving them clinging to the upturned flating boat in freezing water. Beth fears she won't survive, the she abandonded her brother, and that she'll lose Beth though they never let go of each other. This book is based on a true event with clear historical data woven into the short, stoccato verse Bess uses to tell her stories and with pictures of the real humans, Bess, Beth and Louis included, that were part of this event. This book is a standalone companion to Lifeboat 12 - where Louis was - and tells of little known historical naval event that is sure to get millitary and WWII drawn into the story.

[Melinda Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bess decides she wants to leave home and be evacuated from London to Canada to escape the Nazi bombings of her hometown. Bess and her brother Louis are sent to board the SS City of Benares. When a torpedo hits their ship Bess has to fight for her life to escape the sinking ship along with her best friend Beth. Exciting story that has you on edge till the end.