In Kapoho: Memoir of a Modern Pompeii, her fifth release from Watermark Publishing, Frances H. Kakugawa shares the stories of her life in the town of Kapoho on the island of Hawai'i—a town that no longer exists. From the wartime drama of "The Enemy Wore My Face"—recalling her instant transformation to distrusted "Jap" after the bombing of Pearl Harbor—to the sweet poignancy of "A One Chopstick Marriage"—the story of her parents' relationship—Kakugawa weaves a tapestry of memories drawn from life in a Hawaiian plantation village now buried beneath a blanket of lava.

Kakugawa immortalizes many of those she knew in Kapoho, bringing them to life in a vivid way that causes the reader to stop and contemplate the humanity of good people in tragic circumstances. Many of the anecdotes will haunt you while others will make you burst out laughing, as they capture the hilarious nature of Hawaiian pidgin English and the innocence and naivete of children.

About the Author:
Frances H. Kakugawa, currently a Sacramento resident, was born in Hawai‘i of Japanese descent. Just five years old at the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, her memory and recall of details provides deep insight into not only the suspicions cast upon the Japanese American community, but life in Kapoho, the small village on the Big Island of Hawai‘i where she grew up that was covered by lava in a 1960 eruption. Kapoho is the author’s 10th publication. Her other publications including books of poetry, children’s books, memoirs, and works on caregiving and coping with a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

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Read our interview with author Frances Kakugawa on our DiscoverNikkei.org site >>