Works in Progress
Kunia Pineapple Fields

The Centipede’s Bite (WIP)

Picture Book for ages 7-10/Historical Fiction

For over a century people came to Hawaii for work on its sugar and pineapple plantations. Those plantations are gone today, but stories of their workers and families live on.

Nine-year-old Carmela hadn’t realized how scary change could be…until she moves from the Philippines to a pineapple plantation in Hawaii. She’d studied English back home and thought making friends would be easy. But Hawaiian Pidgin, the language they speak on the plantation, is beyond her understanding. As children keep their distance and Carmela’s grades tumble, she loses heart. That is, until a teacher convinces her to compete in the school’s spelling bee—even though Carmela is sure she can’t win.

Photo: Kunia Elementary School on Del Monte Pineapple Plantation-Oahu, 1975

Inspiration for the Story

Kunia Plantation Elementary School

In 1973, officials from the Hawaii Department of Education arrived at my college to recruit new teachers. I was hired and assigned to a school at Kunia Camp, a village for workers on a plantation where most residents were Filipino. The plantation was owned by Del Monte. Set among palm trees and pineapple fields, the school was a remnant of old Hawaii and had less than a hundred students. The plantation era in Hawaii has long passed, production being cheaper in other countries. But the spirit of those who lived in it endures. Kunia Camp was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Oahu in 2014.

Photo: Del Monte Planatation - Kunia 1970's

Learn more about Kunia:

Kunia Rainbow

Photo: "The Rainbow" (Photo Credit: Maliz Ong-Public Domain)

In the Elephant's Path (WIP)

Picture Book for Ages 8 and Up/Historical Fiction

Stories of unsung heroes are often overlooked. One such story is that of Bui Tuong Huan, South Vietnam’s last Minister of Defense, and his family during the fall of Saigon in 1975

As North Vietnamese troops advance on Saigon during the Vietnam War, Bui Tuong Huan arranges for his family to leave the country while he stays to complete negotiations for a temporary ceasefire. His nine-year-old son, Quan, expects his father to join them. But Saigon falls two days later and Bui Tuong Huan goes missing in action. Based on a true account, In the Elephant’s Path is a story of hope, renewal, and the lasting bond between a father and son.

Photo: "Elephant Sunset Silhouette" (Photo Credit: Karen Arnold-Public Domain)

Inspiration for the Story

Photo: Bui Tuong Huan, South Vietnam’s Minister of Education - 1964 (Photo Credit: Camera Press Ltd. London)

Quan was a college freshman when I first met him. He was still reeling from the pain of having to leave his father, Bui Tuong Huan. Professor Huan, as he was known in Saigon, was an educator first, a politician second. Having earned his doctorate from the University of Paris, he served as Dean of Law and Rector at the University of Hue before becoming South Vietnam’s Minister of Education. He later served two terms as a senator in the National Assembly. When the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) advanced on Saigon at the close of the Vietnam War (1954-1975), Duong Van Minh, South Vietnam’s newly appointed president, asked Professor Huan to serve as Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Defense to negotiate a ceasefire. He agreed and sent his family to Taiwan for safety until he could join them. But the NVA attacked before negotiations were completed, and South Vietnam surrendered. Trapped in Saigon, Professor Huan was sent to prison for nearly four years. Upon release, he remained under house arrest in Saigon. Although Quan never saw his father again, the bond between them endures and the lessons he taught live on.

Links of Interest

© 2020 Jean Woodbury