Acknowledgments
There are many people who have made this book possible.
Trish Lee, who is from Hawaii, first told me this incredible story.
John Boyle, professor of Asian history at California State University, Chico, combed the manuscript for accuracy and spelling and kindly contacted friends who supplied me with important details.
My fellow Grotto member, writer Lisa Margonelli, volunteered early on to read a draft and I took her up on it. She gave me wonderful advice and even a pom-pom cheer. Michelle Tessler, whom I’m lucky to have as an agent, is the perfect combination of business savvy and compassion. Thank you for your unwavering belief in this story.
Jennifer Brehl took all the stress out of the final edits by being perceptive and kind at once. Thank you for your work. Elaine Pfefferblit read an early version and gave me invaluable advice that set me on the right path, as always. Zoe Rosenfeld was wise and patient and made me a better writer. Alan Holbrook was generous with his time and advice (and savvy about guns and radios).
Allan Beekman, Ruth Tabrah, Gavan Daws, Chris Cook, Rerioterai Tava, and Moses Keale Sr. wrote some of the many books I consulted for my research.
Eric Martin and Melanie Gideon struggled with me through every incarnation. If there were medals for that, you’d both get the one for valor AND the one for wounded in action. Thank you for all your help.
The Grotto continues to be a major force in my life. It was an inspiration to write in an office filled with such great talent. Thank you for the camaraderie during the dark days. And please keep the roof deck neat.
Mom never stopped telling me how proud she was of me and this work, which made all the difference. My brother Jonathan clued me in to the Zero’s fatal flaw, as well as made me laugh way too hard during our title brainstorming (thanks also to Ian Murray and Bill Britt for that). My twin sister, Alexandra, has the kind of absurd faith in me that makes me think I can do anything, and as always was the first reader I relied on. My father lived only long enough to see me struggle with the writing of the book, but if there’s a bookstore where he is, I know he’s first in line.
Mindy Ross found me a vintage warplane to fly, so I could better understand its magic. Thank you, Mindy, for all your faith in my writing, in East Wind, Rain, and in me.
About the Author
CAROLINE PAUL is the author of Fighting Fire, a memoir of her time as a firefighter in San Francisco, where she still lives. This is her first novel.
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PRAISE FOR
East Wind, Rain
“Paul’s graceful, objective tone may be the book’s greatest strength. She is at her best describing the sheer physical sensation of being on the island. Sunsets, heat, and dust are rendered in tactile detail. The island becomes a force in its own right. When it’s over, we don’t want to leave.”
—New York Times Book Review
“A compelling psychological drama.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“With elegant prose and an eye for the telling detail, Caroline Paul illuminates a small Hawaiian island caught—for seven spellbinding days—between the future and the past. The characters who inhabit East Wind, Rain ache with yearning and desire…they captured my heart.”
—Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Sleep Toward Heaven and How to Be Lost
“A debut novel that tackles the complex issue of national allegiance…East Wind, Rain, which is based on an actual event, rarely disappoints.”
—Associated Press
“If you thought there was little new to say about December 7, 1941, Caroline Paul has proven you wrong. East Wind, Rain depicts a Pacific Island world isolated from the conflict between the United States and Japan, and yet smack-dab in the middle of it. This is a complex and beautifully imagined story of evolving meanings and shifting allegiances. An intelligent and impressive debut.”
—Tom Barbash, author of The Last Good Chance and On Top of the World
“Authentic and dramatic…. A big war comes to a small place, making its effect even more effective.”
—Booklist
“I read East Wind, Rain in a single day. It’s a very beautiful and remarkable book, peopled by characters motivated by their weaknesses and their strengths, to tragic consequences. The premise flowed with moment-to-moment precision. I was awed by the depth of Caroline Paul’s rendering and the extent of her imagination.”
—Po Bronson, New York Times bestselling author of Why Do I Love These People?
“Paul offers a refreshing and interesting vantage point from which readers may reconsider the episode in history…. [A]n excellentjob of bringing complex questions to the forefront.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“East Wind, Rain is a lyrical adventure based on the true events of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances…. A wonderful parable on our notions of paradise, faith, and, ultimately, love.”
—Holly Payne, author of The Virgin’s Knot and The Sound of Blue
“Moves…with a lyricism that contributes to [Paul’s] characters’ development. It’s a promising performance.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This is wonderful, captivating writing about one of Hawaii’s most intriguing historical events. Caroline Paul’s storytelling clearly evokes the nuances of Island life as her characters grow in realism and complexity.”
—Keola Beamer, author of The Shimmering—ka ‘olili
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
EAST WIND, RAIN. Copyright © 2006 by Caroline Paul. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub © Edition DECEMBER 2008 ISBN: 9780061977657
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