by H.L. Humes
First published 2007
Lieutenant Everett Sulgrave serves at a Navy ammunitions facility in the Caribbean as World War II approaches. His commanding officer, Commander Hake, earns the nickname "Admiral God" through his intimidating leadership style. Lieutenant Dolfus, Hake's deputy, experiences troubling visions that prove accurate when a devastating blast obliterates the island base. The explosion kills everyone except Sulgrave and five black sailors who harbor their own grievances. Sulgrave must now navigate the psychological wreckage of survival while grappling with his memories of the disaster. His situation grows more complicated when he begins a turbulent relationship with Hake's widow. The lieutenant confronts both his troubled history and an uncertain future as he struggles to make sense of the tragedy that spared his life.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, action
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Caribbean, Navy Ammunitions Facility
Period: World War II
208 pages · Paperback · Random House Trade Paperbacks
Content warnings: death, violence