Japanese Americans imprisoned

This writer is looking for an agent.

January 27, 2007

Historical Novel

Subject:“The Gathering Darkness"
War, hatred, and love are examined through the lives of one family’s struggle to survive in a world of a narcissistic general and a population searching to feel empowered at the expense of its Japanese American citizens.

1919
Having survived the Great War under the leadership of DOUGLAS MACARTHUR, MARK’S father, SETH MILLER, returns home a young widower and marries MAE, his son’s Japanese American nanny, challenging the entrenched social norms of a quiet rural town in Washington State. Seth Miller’s mission is to raise Mark as a man of peace. However, as Mark matures through sadness and humor, his focus is on finding a girl to love who does not care that his stepmother is Japanese American. Meanwhile General MacArthur’s mother PINKY presses the War Department and the White House to give her son the glory and adoration she feels he rightly deserves. The two challenge everyone including Major Dwight D. Eisenhower, MacArthur’s aide from 1931-1939.

Unlucky at love, Mark graduates from college and enters the Army intelligence program which eventually sends him on an unforgettable mission to the Philippines in 1941. A young Army nurse named VIOLA, forced by her family to leave Mark while in college, makes it her quest to find Mark, the man she loves and travels halfway around the world to find. They meet again on December 8, 1941, near a dark peninsula called Bataan, where MacArthur and the start of a new war are waiting for them. End of book one

SAMPLE

Seattle
April 14, 1941

Mae had finished cleaning up the dinner dishes, when she heard a knock at the door. Seth, sitting just a few feet from the door reading the paper, went to answer it. “Were you expecting anyone, Mae?”
“I don’t think so.”
Seth opened the door and froze.
Mae came up behind him. “Who is it Seth?” She looked and came to a standstill.
Viola stood in the evening light in an Army’s officer’s uniform. “May I come in please?”
“Of course … I … we were not expecting to see you again. This is a nice surprise,” Mae said stumbling for words.
“There are a few things I think you should know.”
“Certainly, let’s go to the kitchen table. I’ll send Sis upstairs.”
“No. She needs to hear what I have to say.”

Mae looked at Seth, who shrugged his shoulders.
“Would you like some coffee? I made some just a few minutes ago.”
“That would be nice.” Viola noted a rose-colored enameled range in the kitchen. A simple home, simple people, and more love than she had ever seen in a home. “I need to tell you what happened and what is going to happen.”
Sis glared at Viola. “You dumped my brother, that’s what happened.”
“Sis, please, where are your manners?” Mae said while thinking the same.

Sitting down, Viola folded her hands on the table, bowed her head and looked up. “I expected to be engaged to Mark at the beginning of January. I knew he loved me and I loved him.” She explained what happened over Christmas.
“That must have been a horrible thing to choose between a man you love and your own family.”
“It was. And I wasn’t strong enough to follow my heart and then Easter came.” When she was done she stopped. She took a sip of coffee and then a deep breath. “Now this is the hard part.” Her face looked different from the last time they had seen Viola. She looked like a stronger person, matured and confident. “Tomorrow I will request an assignment that has become vacant due to a sick nurse. I will request the Philippines. I know Mark's in Asia or will be going there somewhere, and I think the Philippines is a safe bet. If he’s not in the Philippines, I will go wherever Mark is stationed, regardless of a war. I am partly responsible for his joining the Army and I plan to find him.” She had made up her mind and nothing would stop her. Not even a war.

“That’s also a dangerous bet,” Seth said. “We’re heading for war with Japan in the near future and the Philippines are in their way. They sent the dependents home last month. You’re going into a war zone.”
“I don’t think you understand, Mr. Miller. I did a horrible thing to your son, regardless as to why. I will never forget the look on his face when I told him goodbye, and I will never rest until I find him. And I am going to find him, and if he accepts me back I will marry him wherever that maybe and if we can’t find anyone to marry us then we will consummate our relationship which will bond us to each other until…death.” She looked at them and added, “And if that offends anyone here, I’m sorry, but one way or the other we will live as husband and wife.”
“I think Mark was going in the Army anyway. You really didn’t have anything to do with it,” Mae said in an attempt to persuade Viola from going on this dangerous journey. Seth watched Viola and wondered how many women or men would have chosen like she had. Sis was thinking how many girls would go into a war zone for any reason to find a man they had hurt.

Seth said, “Viola, I thought I had a tough time when I married Mae.” He touched Mae’s hand. But after what you just told us I have to change my mind.” Reaching out he took Viola’s hand and reached for Mae’s, and Sis took Viola’s and the family joined hands as if for a dinner prayer. “From this day forward, you are now our daughter-in-law of which we are extraordinarily proud of. If you find him, he will marry you. You are a part of our family now, and we will be here for you and help you anyway we can.”
Mae sat up straight. “That’s not a token dear, you ask and we will try to make it happen for you.” Mae looked at Seth.
Seth still had his hand in Viola’s. “When you get to the Philippines, write to us as family. And if for some reason, Mark doesn’t make it home…you have a home here with us.”

“You’re staying here tonight, daughter, and that’s the end of it,”
Sis looked at Viola. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier Viola. I’m le.rning every day that it ain’t easy to be a woman in a man’s world.”
Viola smiled. “You’ve learned a very important lesson in life at a very young age. You remind me of my little sister, Judy. She is strong willed for a thirteen-year-old and stood up for me when I left. She told me to go find your brother, giving me the strength to do what I needed to do. If it’s okay with you, I would like to give you her address so you can help her understand if things,” she hesitated, “if we don’t come home. According to Mark, it’s going to be a very long war.” Viola smiled. “Will you pray for me that I will find your brother?”

CHAPTER ONE
Kirkland, Washington
1917
Soldiers around the country were saying their goodbyes to families or girlfriends as they prepared to ship overseas to France and an unknown future. For many it would be the last time they would see them alive. West of the Gilbert Hotel, a soldier stood on the front porch with his pregnant wife. An early spring rain fell as the doughboy said goodbye.

“It won’t be long dear. Why, before you know it the war will be over, and I’ll be home before the baby is born.”
“That’s only six months Seth. Are you sure you’ll be home?”
“From what Captain Kelly says, it’ll be over shortly after we get there. He seems to know everything, so I suppose he knows about that too. Anyway, I plan on being here when Mark or Eleanor is born.”

“I don’t want you to go Seth,” she said while clutching his right hand. Millions have died already, and I don’t know what I’ll do if something were to happen to you.”
Mark pulled her close putting his chin on top of her head. She could feel a slight tremble within him.

“I’ll be careful, beautiful.” Looking down he caressed her face. “I’m a corporal now, so I get to tell everyone else what to do. And don’t worry, I’ll let the other guys play hero. I like living too much. My brothers will help you out with the store so you won’t have to worry about a thing.”

He wrapped his arms around her, dropping his campaign hat on the porch, and gave her a long kiss and hug, knowing how much he hated to leave. Neither one realized that it would be the last time they would feel each other’s warmth.