The Lethal Shore: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:30, 28 October 2024

The Lethal Shore (working title) is the possible first book in the Eden Pond Series.

Overview

In February 1942, a fisherman finds a blood-soaked coat on an isolated Oregon beach not far from a secret U.S. Army defense project. But there’s no sign of its owner, Harry Pond, who had neither means nor reason to visit that beach. With war nerves wound tight in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, some locals think he fell prey to—or fell in with—collaborators laying the groundwork for Japanese incursions of the American mainland. The U.S. Army captain in charge of the investigation seems more interested in protecting his defense project than learning what happened to Harry.

Eden Pond, Harry’s twin sister, fears the worst. Childhood polio had left him with a chip on his shoulder and a desperate need to prove himself, no matter the consequences. She’s also worried about Harry’s best friend, Jonah Shibuya. The grandson of Japanese immigrants, he’s been in hiding for weeks as pressure ramps up on the government to address the “problem” of the west coast Japanese population.

With the official investigation going nowhere and Eden faced with growing hostility over her own fraught history with Jonah, she sets out to learn what happened to her missing brother and his friend. In the process, she risks the wrath of Army officials, a civilian militia with grand visions of repelling invasion, and an anxious community still coming to grips with life in a nation at war.

Chronology
The events of the novel take place in February and March 1942, with the denouement in May. The Lethal Shore is followed by "The Railroad Job" and Murder at the Shipyard.

Historical Note
In the early months of 1942, residents of the Oregon Coast formed a number of citizen militias out of fear of a Japanese invasion of the mainland. U.S. military presence was minimal, though a small unit posted at Oceanside, Oregon was involved in building a radar station. Both of these historic elements figure prominently in the story.

Characters

Points of Interest

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 ==Overview==
-On February 23, 1942, a man gathering shellfish finds the blood-soaked coat of [[Harry Pond]] on an isolated Oregon beach. But there’s no sign of Harry himself, who had no reason or means to visit that beach—the location of a secret army defense project. With war nerves wound tight in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, some locals think he fell prey to, if not fell in with, collaborators helping lay the groundwork for Japanese incursions of the American mainland. The [[Damian Nesmith|U.S. Army captain]] who takes over the investigation from local authorities seems more interested in protecting his defense projects than finding out what happened to Harry.
+In February 1942, a fisherman finds a blood-soaked coat on an isolated Oregon beach not far from a secret U.S. Army defense project. But there’s no sign of its owner, [[Harry Pond]], who had neither means nor reason to visit that beach. With war nerves wound tight in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, some locals think he fell prey to—or fell in with—collaborators laying the groundwork for Japanese incursions of the American mainland. The [[Damian Nesmith|U.S. Army captain]] in charge of the investigation seems more interested in protecting his defense project than learning what happened to Harry.
-But [[Eden Pond]], Harry’s twin sister, is determined to find him. Childhood polio left Harry with a chip on his shoulder and a desperate need to prove himself, with little concern for who he pissed off along the way. There’s also Harry’s best friend, [[Jonah Shibuya]], the grandson of Japanese immigrants who himself disappeared a couple of weeks before Harry, perhaps because of intensifying pressure on the government to address the “problem” of west coast Japanese. Rumors fly that Jonah had a hand in Harry’s disappearance—and deeds far worse.
+[[Eden Pond]], Harry’s twin sister, fears the worst. Childhood polio had left him with a chip on his shoulder and a desperate need to prove himself, no matter the consequences. She’s also worried about Harry’s best friend, [[Jonah Shibuya]]. The grandson of Japanese immigrants, he’s been in hiding for weeks as pressure ramps up on the government to address the “problem” of the west coast Japanese population.
-With the investigation going nowhere and hostility mounting toward Eden over her own fraught history with Jonah, she sets out to learn what really happened to Harry Pond, risking the wrath of Army officials, a newly-formed civilian militia with grand visions of repelling invasion, and an anxious community still coming to grips with life in a nation newly at war.
+With the official investigation going nowhere and Eden faced with growing hostility over her own fraught history with Jonah, she sets out to learn what happened to her missing brother and his friend. In the process, she risks the wrath of Army officials, a civilian militia with grand visions of repelling invasion, and an anxious community still coming to grips with life in a nation at war.
 '''Chronology'''<br />
-The [[Eden Pond Chronology|events]] of the novel take place in February and March 1942, with the denouement in May. ''The Lethal Shore'' is followed by [[Murder at the Shipyard]].
+The [[Eden Pond Chronology|events]] of the novel take place in February and March 1942, with the denouement in May. ''The Lethal Shore'' is followed by "[[The Railroad Job]]" and [[Murder at the Shipyard]].
+'''Historical Note'''<br />
+In the early months of 1942, residents of the Oregon Coast formed a number of citizen militias out of fear of a Japanese invasion of the mainland. U.S. military presence was minimal, though a small unit posted at Oceanside, Oregon was involved in building a [[Radar Station B-25|radar station]]. Both of these historic elements figure prominently in the story.
 ==Characters==