The Voyage of Their Life: The Story of the SS Derna and its Passengers by Diane Armstrong
In August 1948, 545 passengers boarded an overcrowded, clapped-out vessel in Marseilles to face an uncertain future in Australia and New Zealand. They came from displaced persons camps in Germany, death camps in Poland, labour camps in Hungary, gulags in Siberia and stony Aegean islands.
There were those who had been hunted by the Nazis and those who had welcomed them; those who had followed the Communists and those who had fled from them. The epic voyage lasted almost three months and was marked by conflict and controversy until it seemed as though this hellship had absorbed the traumas of its passengers.
As the conditions on board deteriorated, tension and violence simmered above and below decks. But romances and seductions also flourished, and lifelong bonds were formed. Diane Armstrong set sail on the Derna with her parents when she was nine years old.
Like a detective searching for clues, she has located over a hundred of the passengers. Through their recollections and memorabilia, as well as archival documents, she has recreated the voyage and traced what became of their hopes and dreams. The result is the unique portrayal of a migrant ship and its passengers.
Format: Paperback | 624 pages
Dimensions (cm): 19.8 x 12.8 x 4.1 | 636g -
Publication Date: 25 Sep 2002
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Imprint: Flamingo
Publication City/Country: Pymble, SYD, Australia
Language: English
Illustrations note: b&w photos
Edition Number: 1
ISBN10: 0732275075
ISBN13: 9780732275075
Condition: Good
A vintage book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including very minor scuff marks and very minor creasing along the edges, but no holes or tears. The majority of pages are undamaged with no creasing or tearing, no pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text and no writing in margins. No missing pages. (The cover for this edition does not have the round stamp on the bottom-half of the book).