Book 18 of 2015

Disaster on the Sunshine Skyway by Dale Andrew White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disaster on the Sunshine Skyway by Dale Andrew White is a short story about the Sunshine Skyway disaster that happened on May 9, 1980 when the Summit Venture, a freighter, hit the support piling of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in a blinding rain storm with gale force winds. This resulted in a span of the bridge to fall into the water below taking the vehicles on it, as well as those that couldn't stop in time, with it.

I am at a loss on how to even review this since there really are no characters to develop, no one to connect to, and it was a disaster that claimed 35 lives so it is not a likable story with a great plot and ending.

What I can say is that I found that this story is more personal about the victims. They are not just a number but real people with families and I thought the author did a good job bringing that to life. I also liked that it followed up with the outcome of the bridge and the Captain who hit it.
I didn't notice any format issues and the only typo I found was with the sentence, "For decades, the harbor pilots’ association in Tampa Bay decided who qualified to be one of their number." I believe the author meant for it to read that they decide who is a member not number.

I thought that this was an comprehensive account of the disaster.

*I received a fee copy for my honest review.

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