Play Book Tag discussion

I love when an author can shed light on a little known corner of history. That is exactly what Brian Payton has done here. Following the death of his younger brother over the North Sea, John Easely is determined to make a difference. Few know about the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian islands, it is certainly not discussed in any of the history books I have read. As a reporter for National Geographic, Easely was there when it happened. The government is determined to keep the occupation quiet, but Easley sneaks back to the islands, with a plan to tell the American people the truth. He leaves behind his young wife, Helen. Scared and desperate to bring her husband back home, she conceives her own plan to sneak into the Alaskan territory, in an effort to find him.

This book was both a moving story about the lengths we will go for those we love, and a tale of survival in a war torn land. Told in alternating chapters, we are shown Easley's bid for life, hiding in a cave on a island occupied by Japanese soldiers, and Helen's hopeless search for a man that no one knows is missing. I personally found Easley's story to more interesting, but Helen's search provided a nice counterpoint to the darkness and emptiness. I did find myself wishing for more detailed information on the Japanese invasion and what happened to the Aluets, but given how little is known about this part of the war, I am not surprised that it felt lacking. The love story, however was fully fleshed out, and if that is your thing, you are sure to love this book.

I think we felt the same way about this book. The writing wasn't bad, just a little uneven. The little known history held my interest and made me want to know more.

Because of the Japanese invasion, many of the Aleuts were evacuated to other parts of Alaska, including here in Ketchikan. There were "camps" set up for them - not unlike the camps for the Japanese that were "evacuated" from all along the west coast. The climate and food were horrible for them and many of them died.

The Wind is Not a River was one of my favorite reads of 2015. I, too, liked Easley's story better, but Helen's story of joining the USO to find her husband was a good one.

Elizabeth, do you know of any non-fiction books that deal with this part of the war? I would love to read more.

There are 3 that I know about. I have read none of them, so I can't say which is better - or even that any of them are good.

The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians
The Capture of Attu: A World War II Battle as Told by the Men Who Fought There
Alaska at War, 1941-1945: The Forgotten War Remembered

My husband has a copy of The Thousand Mile War - maybe I should see if I can find it!

Thank you! I will definitely be looking into these.

As a quick-read follow-up to your question about what happened to the Aleuts, is this article.

http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/AleutWar...

I link this one because it is from our online "newspaper" and is in reference to the Ward Lake camp here. But I see there are quite a few articles if you google "evacuation of aleuts wwii" so there may be a bit more for you as a quick followup to this book.

I came across Alaska at War while I was in Alaska last year and added it to my TBR. I definitely plan to read it soon.