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Event
Bill Fernandez: Hawai'i in War and Peace
Presented by Peninsula Arts & Letters and Kepler's Books
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
7:30pm
Kepler's Books
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
"Hawai'i in War and Peace" completes the memoirs of Hawaiian author, Bill Fernandez, but can also be read as a standalone. The first in his memoir series, "Kaua'i Kids in Peace and War", covered the years 1931 to 1944, and ends as Fernandez flies to Honolulu to school at age 14. Hawai'i in War and Peace begins when his airplane lands in Honolulu as he reluctantly heads to Kamehameha Schools.
At this boarding school for children of Native Hawaiian ancestry, he is thrown into a city and school dramatically different from his sleepy Kapa'a on Kaua'i. The ROTC uniform scratches, the shoes squeeze his feet, and his country bumpkin ways are derided. He abruptly encounters military discipline and a city filled with World War II military and racism. Newspapers teach him about world politics and locals talk about "rap the ha'ole". Peace seems remote when Berlin is blockaded by the Soviets, Winston Churchill describes the Iron Curtain descending onto Europe, and tsunamis strike.
As his family drives around the United States in 1948, Bill witnesses racism. A summer fishing adventure makes him question his parents desire for him to go to college, but a sudden shock makes his decision for him. The book ends as he enters Stanford University in 1949 and meets Olympic gold medalist, Bob Mathias.
Bill Fernandez, half Native Hawaiian, former mayor of Sunnyvale, CA and retired judge, had a robust legal career culminating in his appointment to a judgeship in Santa Clara Country, CA. He's the author of Kaua'i Kids in Peace and War and Hawai'i in War and Peace. While President of the Kaua'i Historical Society, he actively promoted preservation of history, education, and research of island history, including its cultural diversity. Bill also serves on the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Commission for the state, representing Kaua'i, and is on the board of Hale 'Opio, a social service agency serving families on Kaua'i.
The event is free - please register today.
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LocationKepler's Books (View)
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: Yes! |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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