Black Duck

Audiobook

This YA novel, written by Janet Taylor Lisle, is based on the actual story of the Black Duck, a famous rum running speedboat in the 1920's that was gunned down by the Coast Guard, killing the men on board. Many lives were lost in that tumultuous time, when liquor was sold illegally and many wanted part of the action.

In this present day story, David, a soon-to-be freshman, is vying for a job at the local paper. He does some research and locates the story of the Black Duck. Intrigued and hoping a new spin on the story would help him get the job, he interviews Ruben Hart who was a boy himself in 1929. In a series of interviews, David discovers that Ruben had not only heard the story but had witnessed more than the papers ever revealed: dirty cops, a dead body washed up on shore, murderous thugs, crime bosses, the crew of the Black Duck, and a ticket worth millions.

Historical fiction at its best!