The Lethal Shore: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:30, 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

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-''Tillamook Guerillas'' (working title) is the possible first book in the [[:category:Eden Pond Series| Eden Pond Series]].
+''The Lethal Shore'' (working title) is the possible first book in the [[:category:Eden Pond Series| Eden Pond Series]].
 At present, it is a [[:Category:Works-in-Progress|work-in-progress]].
 ==Overview==
-On February 23, 1942, a [https://aoghs.org/petroleum-in-war/wwii-sub-attacks-oilfield/ Japanese submarine shells an oil field] in southern California. The next morning, the body of [[Harry Pond]] is found near the planned site of a U.S. Army radar station at Cape Meares, Oregon. Though a thousand miles from the oil field, many locals believe Harry’s death is connected. They argue he was bayoneted when he interrupted a group of Japanese commandos, part of a coordinated scouting mission in preparation for a full-scale invasion of the U.S. mainland. With “war nerves” wound tight all along the West Coast in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, interest in investigating the young man’s death as a murder quickly fades.
+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, isn’t so sure her brother is a casualty of war. He’d had run-ins with a number of locals through his work as a volunteer air raid warden. These older men—many veterans of the Great War—thought they knew better than the callow cripple whose childhood polio had left him with a chip on his shoulder and a desperate need to prove himself. There’s also Harry’s best friend growing up, [[Jonah Shibuya]], the grandson of Japanese immigrants who disappeared after learning of [http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5154 President Roosevelt's executive order] that would lead to the internment of Japanese-Americans. Rumors fly that Jonah served as guide for the commandos who killed 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.
-Soon, the only person who believes Eden is [[Tillie Larkin]], a barnstorming lady pilot who helped raise Eden and Harry after their parents died. With Tillie's help, Eden tries to learn what really happened to Harry, 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 through May, 1942. ''Tillamook Guerillas'' precedes [[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]].
-'''Alternative Titles'''<br />
+'''Historical Note'''<br />
-The following are other possible titles under consideration. Over time, this list is likely to expand until a final title is chosen.
+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.
-* ''The Lethal Shore''
-* ''Let Us Speak of the Sky''
 ==Characters==
@@ Line 31: / Line 29: @@
 * [[Fred Turley]]
 * [[Arf Walker]]
-* [[Verner Getty]]
+* [[Val Getty]]
 * [[Una Rapp]]
 * [[Lillian Zweifel]]
 * [[Nanette Howard]]
-* [[Quesnel Sisters]]
+* [[Quenelle Sisters]]
+* [[Ragin' Ratto]]
 ==Points of Interest==
 * [[Short Beach]]
 * [[Pond Salvage and Repair]]
+* [[Happy Day Bakery]]
 [[Category:Books]]
 [[Category:Eden Pond Series]]
 [[Category:Works-in-Progress]]