The Story of the Samson

by Kathleen Benner Duble

A young boy climbs upon his grandfather’s bed and snuggles in next to him. He eagerly awaits grandpa to tell him the story that he has heard many times before, but can never get enough of. It is the story of grandpa’s house, a house that is made from pieces of a ship that grandpa worked on during his sailing days. The ship is named Samson.

Samson is a one hundred forty-nine foot schooner whose rich historical past spans over sixty-five years. Its exploits include encounters with the Titanic, the polar explorer Admiral Byrd and the Chicago World’s Fair. Each escapade encapsulates an emotion for grandpa that does not go undetected by his young grandson.

In true historical fiction style, this book is filled with loads of information for the reader.

The author, Kathleen Benner Duble, weaves the tale back and forth from Samson’s seal-trapping history to the present retelling of the story between grandpa and child. She captures the excitement and wonderment of the young boy who so lovingly admires his aging grandfather.

This review was originally written for Armchair Interviews