Looking for a Ship

Locations
Call Number: 910.45 McP
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	910.45 McP	4-week checkout	On Shelf

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Dated but interesting submitted by srlorand on August 23, 2023, 9:13am This isn’t my favorite of McPhee’s books but it’s still interesting. I picked it up out of curiosity about life aboard US Merchant Marine ships, having had a relative who spent his post-Navy career on them and retired (I believe) before the voyage McPhee took.
The trends toward bigger ships with smaller crews and more cargo seem to have continued since this book was published, with results including greater vulnerability to groundings like that of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal.
As in his other books, McPhee brings a variety of characters to life with relatively few words and sometimes deadpan humor. When he records sexist and xenophobic remarks by officers, it’s uncomfortable reading; likewise when he weaves into the narrative a regrettable incident from his own past. But the human kindness shown by some of the crew to the stowaways—those whose parents had gotten to the US in similar ways—provide a welcome contrast.
I was disappointed that the book ends before the voyage does. The abruptness must be intentional, and is probably a comment on where the Merchant Marine was going if trends continued.