The Living Boat

About the Book

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Mason leaves his Midwestern farm in 1937, searching for purpose in a world still shaken by the Depression. What he finds in Submarine School at Groton is nothing like the adventure he imagined—it’s hot, loud, claustrophobic, and alive with danger. Under the watchful eye of veteran Chief Hanley, Mason is pushed to his limits through flooded compartments, emergency drills, and long nights tracing systems in the dark.

Aboard the USS Pike, one of the Navy’s newest diesel-electric submarines, Mason discovers a strange sense of belonging. The boat groans and creaks like it’s breathing, the crew becomes family, and the rhythms of submarine life become a part of him. His friendship with Tex McCready and rivalry with Alan Whitmore shape his early growth as he learns what it means to serve beneath the waves.

But beyond the hull, the world is changing. Japan’s aggression spreads across the Pacific, and whispers of war drift through the wardroom. When Pike receives sudden orders after a mysterious enemy sighting, Mason senses something deeper stirring in the sea around them.

The Living Boat is the unforgettable beginning of Daniel Mason’s journey—a story of initiation, belonging, and the moment a young submariner first hears the ocean breathe.