Courage

An authentic-feeling ocean adventure, this slim novel is as much about the craft and lifestyle of seafaring as it is of the sea itself. The story involves a cargo ship in distress during a storm 150 miles off the coast of Ireland in the winter of 1950, and a second ship that sends part of its crew on a rescue mission. The protagonist, John Driscoll, overcomes a childhood fear of the water to follow the path of a life at sea. Throughout the book, Driscoll, who is dispatched to save the shipwrecked crew, comes to symbolize an attraction to the sea felt by many of the salty characters. Littell's affection for the lifestyle is palpable, and he's especially adept at turning mariner jargon into sharp-edged if strangely musical prose. Readers lacking at least a nodding acquaintance with the seagoing life will want to take a pass, but those with saltwater in their veins will not want to pass this up. (Dec.)