Today I'd like to welcome Bob and Gail Kaku, a husband and wife writing
duo, whose first historical novel, Cherry Blossoms in the Wind has
just released. I had the pleasure of participating in a critique group with
Bob and I can attest that this story is fascinating. The authors are close
enough to the subject matter that they bring an unmistakeable ring of
authenticity to the tale as they explore the different experiences of
Japanese Americans in World War II.
duo, whose first historical novel, Cherry Blossoms in the Wind has
just released. I had the pleasure of participating in a critique group with
Bob and I can attest that this story is fascinating. The authors are close
enough to the subject matter that they bring an unmistakeable ring of
authenticity to the tale as they explore the different experiences of
Japanese Americans in World War II.
Caught in the
cataclysm of World War II, three Japanese American
brothers find their lives turned upside down. Akira Omura, the eldest,
is trapped in Japan in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and is later forced
to serve in the Japanese army. Complicating matters is a love triangle
brothers find their lives turned upside down. Akira Omura, the eldest,
is trapped in Japan in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and is later forced
to serve in the Japanese army. Complicating matters is a love triangle
between Akira, his beautiful fiancée, Emiko, and her
former suitor,
Hiroshi Yamada.
Hiroshi Yamada.
In the United States, anti-Japanese hysteria runs rampant on
the West
Coast, and the family is forced to evacuate from their home to a
temporary incarceration facility at Santa Anita Racetrack in Southern
California and then later imprisoned in an internment camp at Heart
Coast, and the family is forced to evacuate from their home to a
temporary incarceration facility at Santa Anita Racetrack in Southern
California and then later imprisoned in an internment camp at Heart
Mountain,
Wyoming. Life behind barbed wire is brutal and
de-humanizing conditions. Middle
brother, Tad, believes the only
hope for freedom is to serve in the U.S. Army.
Youngest
brother, Danny, fiercely protests against the government’s plan to
draft Japanese American men while their families are still imprisoned,
and ends
up in a federal penitentiary.
All
three brothers have their spiritual mettle tested. Akira in Japan
introduces
his fiancée to Christianity, which is essentially illegal in
wartime Japan, and
the Kempeitai (secret military
police) persecute
Christians for their faith. Tad prays for the wounded on the
battlefield and leads some
men to the Lord. Danny drifts away from
his faith. When he discovers the woman he loves is dying from
tuberculosis, he desperately cries
out to God. She receives a
miraculous healing and he rediscovers his
faith. The
Omura brothers
traverse oceans and the even wider chasms of prejudice, hatred,
and
separation from loved ones, risking their lives to seek freedom and
hope
for the future.
Genre: Historical Fiction (World War II)
Published by Majesty House 2015
364 pages
Why I wrote this book?
World War II continues to be remembered as a significant epoch in
United States history. Seventy years later, the war continues to evoke
emotional responses from not only those who experienced it, but also
from
succeeding generations who have studied and understood its
indelible imprint on
humankind.
We’re proud of our heritage. We wrote this novel to honor the
Nisei—
second generation—and Issei—first generation—Japanese Americans.
They lived through a time of extreme
prejudice and discrimination,
even before World War II. Unlike immigrants from Western and
Northern Europe, Issei were not allowed to become naturalized
American
citizens. They were also prohibited from purchasing land
in California,
although some got around this restriction by acquiring
land under the title of
their American-born children.
Employment
opportunities were extremely limited as well. Bob knew an
older
Japanese American man who had graduated with an engineering
degree from
MIT in the 1930s. However, this man became a landscape
gardener. No company
would offer him an engineering job, because he
was Japanese American.
While there are many nonfiction books about the lives of Japanese
Americans during WWII, there aren’t many novels. Recently, there
have been a few
published, such as Bridge of Scarlet
Leaves by
Kristina McMorris, whose mother is Japanese.
To my knowledge, we know of no other similar novels written from
a
Christian perspective. Cherry Blossoms in
the Storm is unique. This
is
important, because statistics show that less than 5% of Japanese
Americans are
Christians. So, we thought why not deliver the Gospel
message by subtly wrapping
it within an entertaining novel.
In addition, less than 1% of people in Japan are Christians. I don’t
know whether this book will
ever be translated into Japanese nor
whether it would be well received in
Japan. I’ll have to see how the
Lord leads in this area.
Writing a book with your
spouse
Writing a book with your spouse is not for the faint-hearted. It’s
somewhat akin to trying teach your
spouse how to drive, if you can
imagine that. Cherry Blossoms in the
Storm is the third book we’ve
written together. Giving and receiving
critiques to and from your spouse
can be brutal. When you’re married to your
coauthor, the veneer of
politeness quickly gets rubbed off, and there are some
days when you’re
extremely upset with each other. I’d like to say, “Don’t try this at home,”
but then, where
else would you try it?
All you can do is to try to be honest without being too mean and
try to
praise your spouse when he or she has written something particularly
good.
And, of course, praying and
praying together helps immensely.
Oh, wow. My heart slips just thinking of this. Truly a book worth reading.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when you wrote about writing with your spouse not being for the faint-hearted. Although I have never written with my husband, it's a surety that if we're going to work on a building project together, hammers will fly!
Are there any further writing projects planned?
I've started another novel set in the 16th century Japan when Christianity was first introduced. The faith was brutally stamped out by the government, and many Christians were martyred. I don't know where this story is going yet.
DeleteI've started another novel set in the 16th century Japan when Christianity was first introduced. The faith was brutally stamped out by the government, and many Christians were martyred. I don't know where this story is going yet.
DeleteWhat a sad but interesting setting for a novel. No shortage of conflict and lessons on forgiveness. I interviewed some missionaries in Japan some years ago for a magazine article, so I knew there were very few Christians in the country. I didn't realize the number was so low for Americans with Japanese ancestry, however.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine writing with my husband. He'd be saying, "Men don't really think like that, you know." Maybe if we divided up so that he wrote the parts in male POV and I wrote those in female POV...
I was a Golden Heart finalist with Kristina McMorris and her mother. (I think they were co-writers too.) Kristina is Japanese on her father's side. It was cute to see pictures of KM and her mother together. Kristina looks Japanese but has a European surname curtesy of her husband -- and her mother looks European but has a Japanese surname curtesy of her husband.
Thanks for such an interesting post and the introduction to Bob and Gail. I'd love to read this story. It was a terrible time in our histories, and I have a soft spot for Japan, her citizens and Japanese-Americans.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Bob and Gail. Thanks for stopping by to share about Cherry Blossoms on the Wind. It really is such a fascinating topic. It's interesting too that the main characters are all men, another unusual twist for the CBA.
ReplyDeleteThe correct title is Cherry Blossoms in the Storm.
DeleteThis sounds so interesting. I love books set in WWII. And there are too few male MCs in the CBA. I would like to read this story. :)
ReplyDelete