1942

About the Book

It is 1942 and the war has heightened the risks of shrimping. As coast watchers keep a lookout for German U-boats along the Louisiana shoreline and in the Gulf of Mexico, eighteen-year-old Rene Dugas works alongside his father on a shrimp trawler. Unfortunately, they are not only finding shrimp in the water, but also the bloated bodies of young mariners. Still, it seems Rene is more determined than ever to ignore his father’s misgivings and join the Navy. When his father’s boss warns Rene that his father will lose his job if he enlists, Rene sets aside his dream and marries. Although the love for his wife soothes him, it is impossible to ignore the war. Rene must obey nightly blackout laws, witness dead and wounded crewmen in the water, watch his friends become casualties, and worry about a possible German invasion. Desperate to do something, Rene joins a clandestine group organized by his father’s boss and a mysterious government agent. But it is only after he embarks on series of secret nighttime rendezvous, that he realizes he is immersed in something more dangerous than any of them ever planned. In this historical novel that explores longtime rumors, a young Louisiana shrimper unwittingly becomes involved in World War II espionage, ultimately transforming the course of his life—and others—forever.

About the Author

Roger Gallagher is a retired pilot and the author of Rotors: A Novel of the Vietnam War. He lives in Norman, Oklahoma.