When Bill is sent to Honolulu to attend Kamehameha Schools at age fourteen, his peaceful days on Kaua'i described in Kaua'i Kids in Peace and War came to an end. The airplane brought him to a confusing city in 1944, filled with soldiers and sailors and a school requiring military uniforms and discipline. The shoes hurt his feet and the ROTC uniform scratches, and his country bumpkin ways are derided. On Kaua'i the soldiers were friendly, but in Honolulu the racism between the military and locals shocked him. Newspapers teach him about world politics and locals talk about "rap the haole". After the war ended, peace soon seemed remote when Berlin is blockaded by the Soviets, Winston Churchill describes the Iron Curtain descending onto Europe, and tsunamis strike. In 1948, Bill's family drives around the continental United States where he witnesses racism against Jews, Mexicans, and African- Americans, making him feel insecure about his place in the world. His parents urge him to attend Stanford University. Despite increasing success as a student, he is uncertain if college is for him. His vivid description of a summer of fishing and hiking adventures makes him waiver between college or becoming a fisherman. A sudden shock makes his decision for him. The book ends as he enters Stanford University in 1949 and meets an Olympic gold medalist, Bob Mathias.
About the Author: Author Bill Fernandez, half Native Hawaiian and retired judge from California, turned to writing after retirement to the home in Kapa'a, Kaua'i, that his mother bought with her pineapple earnings in the 1920s. There he and his wife, Judith, enjoy island breezes and watch the waves as he writes memoirs, novels, creates poetry (chants) in Hawaiian, and gives talks on historical subjects and his books. Hawaiian Sovereignty was the most recent topic. 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 Hawai'i, and is on the board of Hale 'Opio, a social service agency serving families on Kaua'i. Bill is active in the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Stanford University, and Stanford School of Law, Bill practiced law in Sunnyvale, CA, the future Silicon Valley. A former mayor of Sunnyvale, CA, Bill was appointed judge to the Santa Clara County, CA, courts. He and his wife enjoy world travel, opera, the ocean, history, and writing. They feel very blessed to live on this special island. Bill's interest in world history arose from his youth when he grew up under United States military occupation during World War Two. He turned into an entrepreneur running errands for the GIs, delivering cigarettes and candy. He branched out into shining shoes while he listened to GI stories. These war years created a strong interest in seeking the answer to why wars start and why people want to kill each other. At a young age he devoured books while ill with asthma, beginning with history books about ancient Greek wars. All of this led to a lifelong interest in military history continues to today. Military museums are among the highlights of his travels. A new novel, John Tana, describes the ancient Hawaiian martial art of lua.