"I am a Survivor"
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Portholes to Life by Gene Dick Trafford Publishing
book review by L.A.Webb
The triumphs and trials of a remarkable family come together in this fascinating historical novel. Following generations of the author's own family, it's an amazing story about survival, never giving up when the going gets rough, and making the tough, but necessary, choices to make the best life possible.
America's western frontier plays a prominent role in the beginning. Both sets of Dick's great-grandparents decide to head west for better opportunities. The excitement of what was ahead drove them, even though heartbreaking decisions had to be made when the money dried up. Their determination and perseverance were traits that future generations of the family would rely on. These traits were not lost on young Gene Dick.
On December 7, 1941, Gene was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor. Working below in the ship's sickbay, he wasn't sure what was happening when the first torpedo hit. Terrified, he didn't let his fear show or panic as the ship began to sink. His composure allowed him to climb through a porthole, 21 inches in diameter, and swim to safety.
The author, a World War II veteran, was on the U.S.S. Oklahoma when she sunk on December 7, 1941. He provides a level of realism that few others can. His harrowing first-hand account of "a day which will live in infamy" makes readers feel as if they are onboard the ship feeling the rivets pop and the decks sink. Dick's novel is a powerful display of determination that his ancestors would be proud of.