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East Wind, Rain
A Book About Niihau and Pearl Harbor
Carolyn Paul's novel is historic fiction based on a little
known true event. It is the story of a Japanese
pilot who, during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor,
crash lands on the tiny isolated Hawaiian island
of Niihau, where the residents have no idea what has been
happening in the outside world. The only people who can
understand the pilot's account of the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor are a husband and wife who are Niihau's only
Japanese residents. They are reluctant to share their
knowledge the with other Niihau residents because they fear
enflaming local prejudices against the Japanese. They are
torn between that emotion and their loyalty to the United States.
Buy It at Amazon.com
TITLE: East Wind, Rain
AUTHOR: Carolyn Paul
PUBLISHER: William Morrow
DATE PUBLISHED: April 25, 2006
DIMENSIONS: 8.3 x 6.0 x 1.1 inches
NUMBER OF PAGES: 272
Available at
Amazon.com
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Publisher's Book Description
Off the lush coast of Kauai sits the almost unknown island of Niihau.
Its inhabitants -- mostly Hawaiian natives -- lead a quiet, simple
life. They work the ranch of the island's owner, Aylmer Robinson,
an eccentric haole who insists that Niihau remain isolated from
the outside world; no phones, cars, electricity, or other conveniences
are allowed. According to Robinson's Christian view, his people
must be protected from modern evils, and his island haven kept
as pure as Eden before the Fall.
Then a plane crash-lands on Niihau. The Hawaiians have no idea that
it's a Japanese Zero, and that the pilot -- who survives the
landing -- has just taken part in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Concerned primarily with the fact that visitors aren't allowed,
Niihau's residents await Mr. Robinson's monthly visit from Kauai.
But unknown to them, the outside world is now at war.
Only the island's one Japanese-American couple, Irene and Yoshio Harada,
realize the significance of the downed soldier. Convinced that Japan has
successfully invaded the United States, and pressured by the desperate
pilot, the Haradas face a growing dilemma. Are they loyal to America,
their country, but one that has bruised them with prejudice? Or should
they help the pilot, betraying their Hawaiian neighbors but saving
themselves? As the Zero smolders in the Niihauan soil, and the
Niihauans slowly figure out that the modern world has encroached on
their remote island whether they like it or not, the Haradas see
cracks in their own shaky marriage beginning to widen. Paradise,
once within reach, slowly falls victim to its own isolated innocence.
Based on a little-known true event, East Wind, Rain is a provocative
and compelling debut novel of people thrust unwittingly into a
war -- not only of nations, but of American identity -- with
devastating and irrevocable consequences for them all.
Reviews of "East Wind, Rain"
From Publisher's Weekly:
"In the wake of Pearl Harbor, an isolated Hawaiian community
realizes new fears and questions old loyalties in this novel
based on actual events. A lone fighter plane plummets into the
secluded island of Niihau, owned by white American Alymer Robinson,
on December 7, 1941. Howard Kaleohano, the village elder, spots
the downed aircraft and urges its Japanese pilot, Nishikaichi,
out of the cockpit. Since the villagers don't have radios and
haven't heard of the bombing (or even the war), they don't know
what to make of Nishikaichi. Howard decides they should simply
wait for Robinson, the island's owner, to arrive. When he doesn't
show, Robinson's beekeeper, Yoshio Harada, and Harada's wife,
Irene, both Japanese-Americans, are the only islanders who can
understand Nishikaichi's account of Pearl Harbor and his own
mission, as well as his plans: he's not significantly injured,
and intends to destroy his plane and the papers he carried with
him. As the young couple wrestles with a sense of U.S. patriotism
that has been wounded by past encounters with prejudice,
suspicions overwhelm a once peaceful community. Paul (whose
twin sister is Baywatch star Alexandra Paul) wrote a memoir,
Fighting Fire, about her time as a San Francisco firefighter;
her debut novel moves slowly, but with a lyricism that contributes
to her characters' development. It's a promising performance."
From Booklist:
"Obviously, the primary "purpose" of the historical novel
is to transport readers from the here and now to another time
and place. No fault can be found in that regard with the
author of this historical novel, a first novel as well; the
transport is successful: authentic and dramatic. The Japanese
air force has just attacked the U.S. Navy stationed at Pearl
Harbor, electrifying the world. On a far more local level,
the small, remote Hawaiian island of Niihau is owned and
operated like a private fiefdom by a man named Mr. Robinson,
who lives off-island and visits regularly but doesn't want
his peaceful islanders disturbed by outside news. A Japanese
pilot crash-lands on the island, and the only Japanese-speaking
residents, a husband and wife, also keep quiet about the
horrible attack; their motive is to avoid any kind of
persecution for being the only island residents of Japanese
heritage. A big war comes to a small place, making its
effect even more . . . effective."
See also:
More About the Island of Niihau
More About Pearl Harbor
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Related Links
All Books About Hawaii
Islands of Hawaii
Hawaii for Visitors
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