SOLVED. Nuns on a boat during World War [s]

[Cindy]

A friend of a friend posed this to us last night at our book club but none of us were able to come up with anything so any help would be amazing. The person looking for the book lives in another country and all I have to go on is the email he sent to my friend. Thanks in advance!

***possible spoilers***

The story plays in the world war and is about amongst others about a group of German nuns trying to return to Germany from South America on an old boat. What I remember vividly is the part where the ship is stranded on an island somewhere around England in a heavy storm and is breaking up. The small island community is setting out on a rescue mission with their life boat. The first attempt fails and the life boat is manually moved around the island to launch it from a calmer area. The nuns and their ship perish.

[Feliks]

perhaps The Sea Wife? Possible basis for the Richard Burton movie? Audrey Hepburn also starred in such a film, I think. 'The Nun's Story'. Can't recall if that involved a sea voyage.

You may even be referring to the tragedy of the SS Deutschland, a liner which sank off the coast of England in the Victorian era and which famously carried nuns.

Not sure why a ship traveling from South America to Germany would be stopping at Britain, but..

[Anna]

It sounds as though it might be Storm Warning by Jack Higgins.

[Feliks]

Hey! good one. Sharp memory, there.

[Cindy]

That may be it, Anna. I'll have my friend email her friend. Thanks so much!

[Dee]

FWIW - the Audrey Hepburn movie was based on the book by Kathryn hulme - The Nun's Story - ship voyage but not South America /africa(the Congo) - its one of my favorite movies

[Feliks]

aha, my powers of recollection not as bad as I thought! thx! Hepburn..way better than Joan Collins

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Cindy--be sure to let us know if that is it or not.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Cindy, was your book "Storm Warning"?

[Cindy]

Sorry, I forgot about this thread! Yes, it was.