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The Lost Boys of Montauk
The True Story of the Wind Blown, Four Men Who Vanished at Sea, and the Survivors They Left Behind
Table of Contents
About The Book
An immersive account of a tragedy at sea whose repercussions haunt its survivors to this day, lauded by New York Times bestselling author Ron Suskind as “an honest and touching book, and a hell of a story.”
In March of 1984, the commercial fishing boat Wind Blown left Montauk Harbor on what should have been a routine offshore voyage. Its captain, a married father of three young boys, was the boat’s owner and leader of the four-man crew, which included two locals and the blue-blooded son of a well-to-do summer family. After a week at sea, the weather suddenly turned, and the foursome collided with a nor’easter. They soon found themselves in the fight of their lives. Tragically, it was a fight they lost. Neither the boat nor the bodies of the men were ever recovered. The downing of the Wind Blown has since become interwoven with the local folklore of the East End’s year-round population. Its tragic fate will never be forgotten.
In this “riveting man-vs.-nature story and compelling tribute to those who perished” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), journalist Amanda M. Fairbanks seeks out the reasons why an event more than three decades old remains so startlingly vivid in people’s minds. She explores the ways in which deep, lasting grief can alter people’s memories. And she shines a light on the powerful and sometimes painful dynamics between fathers and sons, as well as the secrets that can haunt families from beyond the grave.
In March of 1984, the commercial fishing boat Wind Blown left Montauk Harbor on what should have been a routine offshore voyage. Its captain, a married father of three young boys, was the boat’s owner and leader of the four-man crew, which included two locals and the blue-blooded son of a well-to-do summer family. After a week at sea, the weather suddenly turned, and the foursome collided with a nor’easter. They soon found themselves in the fight of their lives. Tragically, it was a fight they lost. Neither the boat nor the bodies of the men were ever recovered. The downing of the Wind Blown has since become interwoven with the local folklore of the East End’s year-round population. Its tragic fate will never be forgotten.
In this “riveting man-vs.-nature story and compelling tribute to those who perished” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), journalist Amanda M. Fairbanks seeks out the reasons why an event more than three decades old remains so startlingly vivid in people’s minds. She explores the ways in which deep, lasting grief can alter people’s memories. And she shines a light on the powerful and sometimes painful dynamics between fathers and sons, as well as the secrets that can haunt families from beyond the grave.
Excerpt
Chapter 1: The Last Voyage
The Wind Blown sitting in Montauk Harbor.
The Wind Blown sitting in Montauk Harbor.
Why We Love It
“Amanda M. Fairbanks’s dogged determination to get at the true heart of her story will have readers in her thrall. She ventures beyond the details of a fishing boat lost at sea to explore an entire community’s collective grief about such a tragic loss of life—and reveals shocking secrets held for more than a generation.”
—Jackie C., Senior Editor, on Lost Boys of Montauk
Product Details
- Publisher: Gallery Books (May 17, 2022)
- Length: 336 pages
- ISBN13: 9781982103248
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Lost Boys of Montauk Trade Paperback 9781982103248
- Author Photo (jpg): Amanda M. Fairbanks Photograph by Sharon Suh(0.1 MB)
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