Description

A longtime favorite of several generations of Tar Heels, Taffy of Torpedo Junction is the thrilling adventure story of thirteen-year-old Taffy Willis, who, with the help of her pony and dog, exposes a ring of Nazi spies operating from a secluded house on Hatteras Island, North Carolina, during World War II. For readers of all ages, the book brings to life the dramatic wartime events on the Outer Banks, where German U-boats turned an area around Cape Hatteras into "Torpedo Junction" by sinking more than sixty American vessels in just a six-month period in 1942. Taffy has been enjoyed by young and old alike since it was first published in 1957.

Praise for Taffy of Torpedo Junction

"The history and the sense of place that Nell Wise Wechter conveys in the novel makes it not only an exciting story for youngsters but an interesting one for adults also."
—Island Breeze

"The best piece of children's literature ever produced in this state."
—Dennis Rogers, Raleigh News & Observer

Extended Copyright Information

Copyright 1996 by Marcia Wechter Kass. All rights reserved.

New foreword copyright 1996 by The University of North Carolina Press.

Previously published by The University of North Carolina Press.

Originally published in 1957 by John F. Blair.

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher.

Cover illustration by Ed Lindlof.

About the Author

The late Nell Wise Wechter, an Outer Banks native, was a widely admired author, storyteller, historian, and journalist. As a schoolteacher near Cape Hatteras during World War II, she could look out her classroom window to see ships being sunk by the Germans. Her story of Taffy was inspired by these real events and the courage of the people who lived through them. Her other books include Swamp Girl, Betsy Dowdy's Ride, and Teach's Light.

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Opening Lines (Experimental)

This story is based on many events that actually happened, and the line between fact and fiction is rather thin at times. The characters are entirely fictional. Gramp Morgan and Sal Oden never existed except in the imagination of the author. Taffy and her island friends exemplify the daring courage ...

Copyright

Copyright 1996 by Marcia Wechter Kass.

All Rights Reserved.