At the Library
The Acushnet Public Library is pleased to welcome author and journalist Rachel Slade on Wednesday, January 22 at 6:30 pm to discuss her new National Best Seller Into the Raging Sea.
On October 1, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin barreled into the Bermuda Triangle and swallowed the container ship El Faro whole, resulting in the deadliest American shipping disaster in thirty-five years. No one could fathom how a vessel equipped with satellite communications, a sophisticated navigation system, and cutting-edge weather forecasting could suddenly vanish — until now.
Relying on hundreds of exclusive interviews with family members and maritime experts, as well as the words of the crew members themselves — whose conversations on the bridge were captured for a remarkable 26 hours leading up to the sinking by the ship’s data recorder —journalist Rachel Slade unravels the mystery of the sinking of El Faro. As she recounts the final hours onboard, Slade vividly depicts the officers’ anguish and fear as they struggled to carry out Captain Michael Davidson’s increasingly bizarre commands, which, they knew, would steer them straight into the eye of the storm. Taking a hard look at America’s aging merchant marine fleet, Slade also reveals the truth about modern shipping — a cut-throat industry plagued by razor-thin profits and ever more violent hurricanes fueled by global warming.
A richly reported account of a singular tragedy, Into the Raging Sea takes us into the heart of an age-old American industry, casting new light on the hardworking men and women who paid the ultimate price in the name of profit.
With a degree in political science from Barnard College and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Rachel Slade began her journalism career as the design editor at Boston magazine and moved up the masthead to executive editor. In October 2016, Yankee magazine ran her long-form narrative about the sinking of the container ship El Faro, a CRMA finalist for reporting, which led to the national bestselling book, Into the Raging Sea.
This free event will be held in the Library Community Room at 232 Middle RD, Acushnet, MA 02743.
Books will be available for sale and signing. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Acushnet Public Library.
Our Centennial Committee Needs Your Help
The Marie S. Howard School building, now the Acushnet Public Library, turns 100 this year. A key to the success of this celebration will be pictures and memories of the building throughout its history as a school, a community center, and now, a library. If you have class pictures or any memories you’d like to share, the Committee can be reached at acupl@ sailsinc.org or acushnetfriends@ gmail.com or call the library at 508-998-0270
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