The James Library & Center for the Arts Presents Michael Tougias Book Discussion

The James Library & Center for the Arts, Norwell’s historic community arts center and lending library, presents Michael Tougias, The Finest Hours book discussion on Friday, April 8, 7:30 pm at First Parish of Norwell, 24 River Street, Norwell. The event is sponsored by Jackson Ltd. Real Estate, Old Derby Animal Hospital, Axiom Architects, The Cordelia Family Foundation, Norwell Cultural Council, Scituate Cultural Council, and Hingham Cultural Council.

Author Michael Tougias discusses his book The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue, now a major motion picture. Tougias relives the adventure through a slide presentation about the heroic 1952 Coast Guard rescue off the coast of Cape Cod, and share stories about the filming of the movie, which took place around the South Shore in 2014.

On February 18th, 1952 an astonishing maritime event began when a ferocious nor’easter split in half a 500-foot long oil tanker, the Pendleton, approximately one mile off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Incredibly, just twenty miles away, a second oil tanker, the Fort Mercer, also split in half. On both fractured tankers men were trapped on the severed bows and sterns, and all four sections were sinking in 60-foot seas. Thus began a life and death drama of survival, heroism, and a series of tragic mistakes. Of the 84 seamen aboard the tankers, 70 would be rescued and 14 would lose their lives.

Slides of the storm, the sinking tankers, the rescues, the victims, the survivors and the heroes aid Tougias in describing the harrowing attempts to rescue seamen, especially focusing on four young Coast Guardsmen who overcame insurmountable odds to save the lives of 32 crewmen stranded aboard the stern of the Pendleton. Standing between the men and their mission were towering waves that reached 70 feet, blinding snow, and one of the most dangerous shoals in the world, the dreaded Chatham Bar. The waters along the outer arm of Cape Cod are called “the graveyard of the Atlantic” for good reason, yet this rescue defied all odds.

Tickets to Michael Tougias, The Finest Hours book discussion are $18 in advance, $20 at the door, $10 for students. A limited number of free tickets are available to senior citizens thanks to a generous grant by the Cordelia Family Foundation. Some restrictions apply. To order tickets, please contact the James at 781-659-7100, email jameslibrary@verizon.net, or order online at www.jameslibrary.org. For more information, visit www.jameslibrary.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the James Library & Center for the Arts

Since 1874, The James Library has served the South Shore community as a warm gathering place. Housed in a landmark Victorian in historical Norwell Center, The James is dedicated to serving the community by providing high-quality programs, resources and materials through a concert hall, art gallery and the operation of a free lending library. As an independent, non-profit arts center we foster a mission for the creation, appreciation and enjoyment of the arts for residents of all ages on the South Shore, while preserving the historic character of our home. The James Library is located at 24 West Street, Norwell and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 pm and on Saturday from 10 to 1 pm. The library is closed on Saturdays during July and August. For more information, please call 781-659-7100, visit www.jameslibrary.org or follow us on Facebook.