Writing · a novel in progress
A YA historical novel
Elizabeth Rodgers is completing a YA historical novel inspired by the true story of Exodus 1947, grounded in the historical research behind the 1996 documentary film.
Elizabeth Rodgers
About the book
At seventeen, Cy Weinstein was ready to fight for his country. The Navy rejected him for his polio leg. So he joined the Merchant Marine, hauled supplies through submarine-infested waters, and survived a torpedo attack. When the war ended, none of it counted. His brother came home a decorated Navy man and married the girl Cy left behind.
So when Cy is offered a place on a secret crew that will smuggle Holocaust survivors past the British blockade of Palestine, he takes it. It’s his last shot at becoming the man the war was supposed to make him. But aboard the Exodus, surrounded by people who have survived far more than he has, Cy begins to learn that courage may not be what he thought it was.
A novel inspired by a real crew member of the Exodus 1947, from the filmmaker behind the PBS documentary.
Status
The manuscript is in its final stages. Occasional email updates will be shared when there is substantive news regarding the book’s progress or publication.
where it started
The documentary behind the novel
Exodus 1947, the PBS documentary narrated by Morley Safer, tells the true story of the American volunteers who crewed the ship.
See the filmOther writing
- Screenplays and teleplays for Showtime, Carsey-Werner, and Paramount Pictures
- Essays, including the anthology What Doesn’t Kill Her
- Travel writing
- Content for brands and mission-driven organizations