Into the Blizzard: Heroism at Sea During the Great Blizzard of 1978 [Young Readers Adaptation]

True Rescue #3

by Michael J. Tougias

A riveting true account of a rescue at sea from Michael J. Tougias, the author of the New York Times bestseller The Finest Hours.

In the midst of the Blizzard of 1978, the tanker Global Hope floundered on the shoals in Salem Sound off the Massachusetts coast. When the Coast Guard heard the Mayday calls, they immediately dispatched a patrol rescue boat. But within an hour, the Coast Guard rescue boat was in as much trouble as the tanker—both paralyzed in unrelenting seas. Enter Captain Frank Quirk who was compelled to act. Gathering his crew of four, Quirk plunged his forty-nine-foot steel boat, the Can Do, into the blizzard.

Perfect for fans of the I Survived series ready for a longer form account, this middle-grade adaptation of an adult nonfiction book chronicles the harrowing journey between Captain Quirk and the Coast Guard as they struggled in the holds of a radical storm. It's an epic tale of heroism and bravery at sea.

Christy Ottaviano Books

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Adventure, Travel, Nature

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2019

About the author

Adventure is the theme that runs through most of my books, from outdoors titles (The Connecticut River from Source to Sea, Exploring the Hidden Charles) to fiction (Until I Have No Country) to nonfiction sea rescues (Overboard! A Storm Too Soon, Rescue of the Bounty).
One of my current adventures is waiting to see if Disney will begin filming a movie-length version of the Coast Guard rescue book The Finest Hours. Another adventure for me is publishing a funny family memoir with my daughter, called The Cringe Chronicles (Mortifying Misadventures with my Dad).
My friends have been asking if I'll write a sequel to There's a Porcupine in my Outhouse (2003 Outdoor Book of the Year) but I think they just want me to revise their characters so they don't look so dumb!

Reviews

[BooksNCrannies · Rating 2 out of 5]

A historical narrative that features incredible heroism, 'Into the Blizzard' gives readers a look at a little-known tragedy that occurred off the Massachusetts coast during the Great Blizzard of 1978. The history examined in this novel is intriguing but at the same time devastating. While the presentation of the historical facts was interesting, I didn't feel engaged in the plot and action for the first half of the book because the suspense and main sequence of the storyline are disrupted quite a bit by several attempts to give a background to the already-lacking characters. These disruptions take the reader to examine several past rescue operations that fill a good portion of the book. These "flashbacks" greatly destroy much of the main sequence and action of the current rescue operation. The characters lack sufficient development which makes them feel impersonal and isolated to the reader. For a young reader's edition, the writing is paradoxical. Except for the transcripts of the original radio broadcasts, the writing is simple but can seem unconnected at times. Yet on the flipped side, the writing contains some morbid details relating to the tragedy and several swear words. Also, the end of the novel contains a few paragraphs describing how the individuals who perished in the tragedy supposedly "appear" from the dead weeks later to grieving friends and family members. At least the historical facts of this novel were interesting and educational. 'Into the Blizzard' is a mediocre account of a tragedy that demonstrates how one simple decision can have profound (and sometimes deadly) consequences.

📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚

📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖
Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3/5
— 📝 Writing: 2/5
— 👥 Characters: 2/5
Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
•a few d-words, one s-word,
and a few uses of h*ll; also
one use of God's name in
vain
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
•prolonged scenes of peril
and some morbid details in
relation to the tragedy
— ⚠️ S*xual: 0/5

[Aileen Dodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memories brought to life.

I lived in Marblehead back in the winter of 1978. And while the tail end of this storm was hitting, I was stuck in the Tar and Feather pub and restaurant for the night. There was a group of I think 15 people from staff to customers. We all just stayed in the pub until someone came the next morning and dug us out. It was really something trying to walk home that morning. I remember watching a friend try to walk over a snowdrift and when she got to the top she disappeared. Freaked me out and I ran to help her as she rolled out of the bottom of the drift laughing her fool head off.

My brother was one of the Coast Guard guys mentioned in this book. I remember when his leave was canceled on the 6th of Feb. The only way he could get to Gloucester from Marblehead was to be transferred from police department to police department all the way up to Gloucester.
It was very concerning to everyone in my family that his leave was canceled because of the storm. No one really considers Service in the Coast Guard to be as dangerous as enlisting in any one of the other 4 branches of U.S. Military. But when you have a family member who is enlisted in the Coast Guard and their leave is canceled and they are called back to duty because of a storm. You do realize that the service they are enlisted into just might be at that point much more dangerous, knowing the element they will be up against is only the MOST POWERFUL in the world. And that is NATURE!

But as it was, I was turning 18 and back then when you turned 18 years old in Massachusetts everyone celebrated this rite of passage into the Adult world of being able to LEGALLY PURCHASE and CONSUME ALCOHOL. And there was no way some Storm was going to stop me from Celebrating this birthday. It really didn't take much to convince a couple of friends to meet up at The Tar and Feather. Getting there wasn't bad at all, but at some point the storm must have just open up and let all Hell loose. I think it was someone from the kitchen staff that came in and told the Bar tender that he didn't think anyone was going to be able to go home tonight. And he was right I think it was around 10:30 PM and the only thing that could be seen out side was a moving wall of snow!! I just thank God that we did happen to get stranded with people who were really salt of the earth people.

AND we knew NOTHING about the battle that was happening right off our shores!!!
There is one positive thing that the Storm of 1978 left in its wake for MASSACHUSETTS. And that was an education in emergency and disaster relief. The storm of 1978 finally made a lot of people listen to what Coastal experts and Scientists, and Coastal conservationists had been warning about with the continual development and structural changes that were happening throughout the coastal communities in Massachusetts. That storm made it very clear to those living and building on the coast that the off-shore area of New England is a constantly changing unseen environment that has a very real effect on the physical structure of the New England coast line.
The land that is there today, just might be gone with the next big Nor'Easter!!!

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping account of a true rescue story.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into the Blizzard by Michael J. Tougias, 244 pages. NON-FICTION. Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2019. $20.

Language: PG (6 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Subtitled “Heroism at Sea During the Great Blizzard of 1978,” this story chronicles the courage and selfless sacrifice of those shipmen of both the U.S. Coast Guard and the men on board the Can Do. These seamen responded to a distress signal from a tanker, The Global Hope, just as a storm was coming in. The ensuing storm was something the East Coast had rarely seen, with three story waves and snow that iced rescue ships, weighing them down in dangerous water and causing navigation systems to fail.

An unforgettable story, the heroism of those involved will linger with you long after the story ends and the description of the storm at sea is chilling. The dialogue is taken from actual tapes from ship to shore transmissions. Gripping and suspenseful, this is an inspiring and tragic story well worth reading.

Michelle in the Middle
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a 3.5 for me, and I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be riveted by it. This edge-of-the-seat true rescue story is filled with details about heroism amid a natural disaster. The suspense sneaks up on readers as they might not realize at first the impact a blizzard has on ships trying to move through the sea. In this case, the blizzard of 1978 pounded the coast of Massachusetts and several seaport towns. When Global Hope, an oil tanker, signaled that it needed help, the Coast Guard responded. But the rescue vessel it sent got into trouble, and a local man, Captain Frank Quirk took his boat, the Can Do, out into the waters to help. Relying on interviews and transcripts of messages sent to and from the various vessels, the author puts readers right in the middle of driving snow, freezing temperatures, torrential waves, and into the hearts of brave men determined to come to the assistance of others. Throughout the book, readers are sure to keep hoping that things will turn out okay for Frank and his crew even while knowing how unlikely that might be. The frustration of not being able to determine exactly where he and his boat were due to the weather conditions is made clear throughout the narrative. Par of the True Rescue Series, this book reminds readers just how courageous those individuals are who willingly risk their lives to rescue those in trouble sometimes through no fault of their own. As the book concludes, readers will also be left with a sense of sadness that none of this had to happen had the captain of the Global Hope not made a critical mistake. This story of heroism needed to be told, and I'm glad to have read it. Heroes come in all sorts of forms, and it's clear that Frank Quirk and his stalwart crew were heroes. It will be hard to forget Frank and Charles Bucko.

[Laura Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other books in the True Rescue series, Into the Blizzard details a dangerous situation involving brave individuals fighting for survival on the open sea. In this case, it’s the blizzard of 1978 and a foreign oil tanker has radioed for help. The Coast Guard responds immediately by sending out two lifeboats, but both soon get into trouble. Captain Frank Quirk of the Can Do and his four person crew, all of them civilians, attempted to rescue all the imperiled ships, but the blizzard soon proved too dangerous for them, as well. Two more large boats come to attempt to rescue anyone they can, but visibility decreases and the storm worsens, soon all lives are in danger. Frank Quirk kept radio contact through the night with an independent radio operator, so much of the conversations were recorded and kept. Tougias draws on these conversations to emphasize the great bravery and stoicism in the face of danger that Quirk exhibited. Readers will be amazed at the conditions of the sea during the blizzard and at the fortitude of those who attempted to save the crew of a foreign oil tanker (which wasn’t actually sinking). This book reads like a thriller and will be very popular in schools that have the other True Rescue books.
Readers are pulled from the action on a frequent basis to get back story on situations and characters, which interrupts the flow somewhat. In addition, the level of detail is high throughout -- I got confused on a couple of occasions and predict students will, as well.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the True Rescue Series and has been adapted by the author Michael Tougias. He writes numerous books about the U.S. Coast Guard and this is a true story from the Great Blizzard of 1978 set off the coast of Massachusetts.
In the midst of the Blizzard of 1978, the tanker Global Hope floundered on the shoals in Salem Sound off the Massachusetts coast. When the Coast Guard heard the Mayday calls, they immediately dispatched a patrol rescue boat. But within an hour, the Coast Guard rescue boat was in as much trouble as the tanker—both paralyzed in unrelenting seas. Enter Captain Frank Quirk who was compelled to act. Gathering his crew of four, Quirk plunged his forty-nine-foot steel boat, the Can Do, into the blizzard.

Perfect for fans of the I Survived series ready for a longer form account, this middle-grade adaptation of an adult nonfiction book chronicles the harrowing journey between Captain Quirk and the Coast Guard as they struggled in the holds of a radical storm. It's an epic tale of heroism and bravery at sea.
I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction book tells the harrowing tale of a monster blizzard that hit the Northeastern United States in February 1978. It specifically focuses on the Can Do, a pilot boat that set out in the blizzard to help guide a Coast Guard vessel back to safety. Although impatient readers, like myself, can do a quick Google search to find out what happens, I would encourage them to read the book first and let the book reveal everything.

Some parts of the book did frustrate me. There are numerous radio transmissions that help tell the story of what happened on the Can Do as well as other vessels, but the author does sometimes wander into speculation. I also wish the timeline was more linear, rather than jumping around not just to the past, but also to different times during the blizzard. There were more than a few times when I felt like I was rereading something that I fully remembered from just a page or two previously.

These moments aside, I think middle grade readers will enjoy this book, especially fans of the I Survived series. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the adult version of this book several years ago. When I found out that a very recent version meant for middle school and young adults had come out, I wanted to check it out. Mr. Tougias has done a fine job of adapting this exciting and tragic true story for younger readers without compromising or exaggerating any of the drama in the original. This book relates the story of the attempted rescue of the crew of the tanker Global Hope run aground in Salem, MA Sound during the height of the Blizzard of 1978. It is a page turner for adults and kids, and a reflection upon heroism, as well as upon the consequences of a poor decision on the part of a certain sea captain. The story of the pilot boat Can Do, its crew, and their families and friends is treated with great detail and great respect throughout. I marvel that I was in Salem, MA during the Blizzard, tucked in for about two weeks while my father and I shovelled.....and shovelled.....and shovelled some more, and yet I never heard a thing about this crisis at sea going on nearby. I am pleased and impressed that Mr. Tougias followed up on a random hint that he came across about this story, then made the contacts and did the research to write it and share it before it was too late.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the blizzard of 1978 slowly crept across the Ohio Valley and up the Northeast corridor, fishermen secured their vessels, townspeople prepared to hunker down, and everyone tuned into the weather scanners. For safety, the oil tanker Global Hope dropped anchor in Salem Sound, and soon after, the Gloucester Coast Guard Station received word from a shoreline observer that they were dragging the anchor, and from the captain sent an SOS that they are taking on water. Their rescue would test the skill and bravery of al the rescuers, lead to further disaster. Besides the Coast Guard, there was a cohort of former Coasties and Marines who were experts in heavy weather situations, civilian radio operators, and shoreline watchers. Through interviews and memorabilia with family and colleagues, Tougias gives an hour by hour timeline of the disaster. Readers will experience the sense of duty, the nerve wracking danger, and come away with an elevated sense of what a "hero" is. Will definitely appeal to readers of adventure, maritime disasters, and history.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

We always enjoy Tougias' young reader adaptations of at-sea rescues. Even though, logically, you know at the outset things can't possibly end well for all involved, you're never sure who will die (or even *if* they will) and that makes for a can't-put-down, nail-biting read.

This one chronicles the attempts to help the oil tanker, Global Hope, as it flounders off the shore of Salem Sound in Massachusetts during the Great Blizzard of 1978.

The U.S. Coast Guard sends its boats and tries to send a helicopter to help on the ferocious seas. A local boat captain who frequently helps the Guard on rescues also responds to the call, Captain Frank Quirk.

Tougias' careful reconstruction, boiled down from hours of tapes of actual radio conversations the night of the rescue, is simply amazing, and the young readers' adaptation the perfect mix of fact and spell-binding suspense.

A fantastic non-fiction read!

Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the version that is meant for high schoolers to read, and I have seen that book on my shelves. I have been wanting to read it, but I just haven't had the chance.
When I saw this title and that it was a youth version, I wanted to try it out and see if it would be a good companion to the other book.
I was highly impressed at how much in-depth we went into and made you feel for the people who were in the path of his horrible storm. When describing the storm, it is something that I have never imagined. I feel that the ones who perished are true heroes because it takes a lot for someone to go out in the weather that is unforgivable.
Overall, a good but heartbreaking account of what happened during that awful storm.

[marcus miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading "Into the Blizzard" reminded me of those stories you find on-line where you click countless times to get to the interesting part of the story. Just when you think you're making progress, the next click takes you to another back story reminding the reader of the respect people had for them, or reminding us of the heroism of the men on the "Can Do." In my humble opinion this would be a much better told story if about 100 pages were axed in the editing process.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived in the northeast at the time this incident took place. I can honestly say that I have no memory of this. We did not have the internet and the vast amounts of news that we have today during the '70s when this happened. I will say that this was a result of someone who called "wolf" (declaring a problem when there was one) and people putting their lives on the line as a result.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in anything related to the ocean, or coast guard - I’d recommend. Hard to read at times due to the severity of the storm and the inevitability ending, however enjoyable writing.

[Donna Dobihal Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's the thing. I started listening to the audio and could not get to the end of the first of five discs, the narration being so monotonous, not a nary of variation in tone. So, in all fairness, it might be a great book but the audio I cannot recommend.

[Robin Fairhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written as you feel yourself drawn into the drama. This is another piece of history that we were unaware of. We lived the Blizzard of '78 but in our own state, very different front the east coast.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The record blizzard of '78 and a boat captain trying to help a Coast Guard cutter.
So sad the results.

[Daniel Farabaugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a solidly written account of the people trapped in the blizzard a sea. It was not spectacular but it was not bad either.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never heard about this story, well narrated audiobook, interesting story. Such bravery!

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book. Some specifics and jumping around with dates can get confusing but good tell of tragic events. Some dark and gory details of some deaths, to be aware of for MS readers

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was traumatizing and inspiring at the same time. I felt jerked between hope and despair, so the author put me in the shoes of those who lived through this mess.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5: I couldn’t stop reading this, despite feeling a little sea sick the whole time. Such descriptive storm/survival writing!

[Jane Bonanni · Rating 1 out of 5]

No one survived! Not much of a survival story.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting and gripping account of an attempted sea rescue during a vicious blizzard. Amazing details and told with utmost respect for the seamen.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, the additional details that were used to add to this story kept interrupting the main story, making it hard to stay focused on what I wanted to learn about.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of the Can Do & Blizzard of 78

[Lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 33%
I just didn't really like this book. It didn't excite me, didn't interest me, and it didn't make me want to know more. I felt that it relied heavily on explicit foreshadowing to try to add tension and excitement into the story, and it kept flashing back to storms of the past-while the storm that the story is about was actually happening! I was very confused, and never knew what storm/sea rescue/time I was reading about...and there was LOTS of backstory on the characters that didn't really feel necessary, lots of telling me how wonderful, brave, and generally good the characters were...
This review is no reflection on the author-I'm sure they are a wonderful writer with great ideas and stories.
This book wasn't my jam.
Maybe it will excite you (whoever you are!) and intrigue you and hold onto you with a tight grip, making you want to know more and letting you enjoy the ride...
But it didn't do that for me.
So, yeah. 2.5 stars.

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to the Can Do. Just like Charlie Bunko's fiancee, I hoped it was going to end up ok even when all the signs pointed the other way. Overall, I thought this was great and think young readers would enjoy the adventure of the boats trying to survive.