Lecture: "So Close to Home" by Alison O'Leary
June 21st, 2018
Alison O'Leary presents "So Close to Home: A True Story of an American Family's Fight for Survival During World War II"
Discover more at www.alisonoleary.com
About the Book: A hard working blue collar family from Texas was trying to get ahead in the lean post-Depression years. But when war broke out they unknowingly entered the cross hairs of a German U-boat on a killing spree right off America’s shores. A heartbreaking true story, So Close to Home takes you into both the struggle to get ahead as experienced by the Downs family and the U-boats’ race against the American war machine. Neither won. Read More at alisonoleary.com/about-the-books
About O'Leary: Author Alison O'Leary is a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers from Austin, Texas to Reno, Nevada; Bath, Maine and suburban Boston. She was a correspondent for the Boston Globe for several years before completing her B.A. at Emerson College and becoming editor of The Boston Parents' Paper magazine and skirt! Boston magazine.
Writing So Close to Home was sealed the moment Alison heard survivor Ray "Sonny" Downs' sweet South Texas drawl. The intersection of a struggling American family and the German U-boat crew that would soon become desperate and hunted was a challenging proposition for these storytellers. O'Leary and Tougias combined their years of interviewing and research skills for a roller coaster tale of striving, success and setbacks.
Alison has won awards for writing and editing over the years: a 2017 Charlie Award (silver) for history writing from the Florida Magazine Association and numerous awards from the Parenting Publications of America organization for her work at The Boston Parents' Paper 2004-2007, including for travel writing in 2007.
Reception begins at 6:00pm
Lecture begins at 7:00pm
Tickets are $10 for Members and $18 for Non-Members
Purchase tickets at http://www.herreshoff.org/programs/lecture_series.html or by calling 401-253-5000
The 2018 Herreshoff Lecture Series is Proudly Sponsored by: Points East Magazine, Gowrie Group, PURE Insurance, Cisco Brewers
