East Wind, Rain: A Novel (P.S.) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: yellow sissy, Little Preacher, Pearl Harbor, Old Lord (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the wake of Pearl Harbor, an isolated Hawaiian community realizes new fears and questions old loyalties in this novel based on actual events. A lone fighter plane plummets into the secluded island of Niihau, owned by white American Alymer Robinson, on December 7, 1941. Howard Kaleohano, the village elder, spots the downed aircraft and urges its Japanese pilot, Nishikaichi, out of the cockpit. Since the villagers don't have radios and haven't heard of the bombing (or even the war), they don't know what to make of Nishikaichi. Howard decides they should simply wait for Robinson, the island's owner, to arrive. When he doesn't show, Robinson's beekeeper, Yoshio Harada, and Harada's wife, Irene, both Japanese-Americans, are the only islanders who can understand Nishikaichi's account of Pearl Harbor and his own mission, as well as his plans: he's not significantly injured, and intends to destroy his plane and the papers he carried with him. As the young couple wrestles with a sense of U.S. patriotism that has been wounded by past encounters with prejudice, suspicions overwhelm a once peaceful community. Paul (whose twin sister is Baywatch star Alexandra Paul) wrote a memoir, Fighting Fire, about her time as a San Francisco firefighter; her debut novel moves slowly, but with a lyricism that contributes to her characters' development. It's a promising performance. (On sale Mar. 14)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Obviously, the primary "purpose" of the historical novel is to transport readers from the here and now to another time and place. No fault can be found in that regard with the author of this historical novel, a first novel as well; the transport is successful: authentic and dramatic. The Japanese air force has just attacked the U.S. Navy stationed at Pearl Harbor, electrifying the world. On a far more local level, the small, remote Hawaiian island of Niihau is owned and operated like a private fiefdom by a man named Mr. Robinson, who lives off-island and visits regularly but doesn't want his peaceful islanders disturbed by outside news. A Japanese pilot crash-lands on the island, and the only Japanese-speaking residents, a husband and wife, also keep quiet about the horrible attack; their motive is to avoid any kind of persecution for being the only island residents of Japanese heritage. A big war comes to a small place, making its effect even more . . . effective. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (April 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060780762
• ISBN-13: 978-0060780760
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #674,426 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sensational, June 27, 2006

By	C. Gove - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: East Wind, Rain: A Novel (Hardcover)

i don't often read historical fiction, but i thoroughly enjoyed the experience of "east wind rain." in addition to beautifully detailed scenes of a place that i never before imagined, it has a truly singular cadence that carried me easily through its final, gripping, conclusion. afterward, i realized how sorry i was to part with the story and its characters.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You have GOT to read this book!, June 25, 2006

By	Jason Roberts (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: East Wind, Rain: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book is in a league with MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA and SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS. Really. And if you loved those books, you'll love this one. An exquisite love story, a wonderfully-evoked sense of place, and the backdrop of history--they all unfold, gracefully and vividly, with a style you'll want to savor.

Paul has taken a true story, that of a crash-landed Japanese aviator on an obscure Hawaiian island on December 7, 1941, and wrought a work of fiction that nevertheless remains consistently real. The characters of Irene and Yoshio, the island's sole Japanese inhabitants, torn between wavering loyalties and obligations, are the emotional heart of the book, but one also meets many memorable characters: A boy named Little Preacher. Alymer Robinson, the outright owner of the island, who has his reasons for keeping the islanders out of the mainstream of 20th Century society. And Nishikaichi, the downed Zero pilot at the center of it all. But the most enthralling character is the island of Ni'ihau itself: a place out of time, which gives EAST WIND, RAIN a timeless air.

Highly recommended, particularly for readers in book groups. This is one to read, discuss, and enjoy.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steamy, lyrical yarn from long-ago Hawaii, May 2, 2006

By	David Duncan (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: East Wind, Rain: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a story set in a magical, distant place -- a small, private island in Hawaii where slow, predictable lives are wrenched one day by the crash of a Japanese Zero and its pilot during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The arrival of this warrior from Japan in this isolated place sets in motion a beautifully written tale of love and loyalty, written by a woman who is in love with words and can wonderfully weave in emotions, breathtaking scenery, history, and action. Absorb yourself in the world Paul has created...!