Beyond Nakina: A World War Two Story of Hardship, Survival, and Love

1936-1945. The sweeping terror of World War II in the Pacific. Garland Stokes finds his life in turmoil when his mother dies suddenly in Nakina, North Carolina. He never expected his first love Grace to deceive him and Garland definitely never expected to be among the Army troops strafed by Japanese planes on December 7, 1941. His second love, Ruth, a nurse is deployed to England as Garland remains in Hawaii. When Garland's Infantry Division gets orders to Camp Caves, Australia, Garland never expected to fall passionately in love with an Australian girl, Lily Federsen, whose life and culture is completely different from his and whose family opposes their wartime romance. Will Garland survive the torturous tropics while fighting the embedded enemy? Will Garland be able to sort out loss and hopelessness for a life that holds promise? Will Garland find something to hold tightly to--something he can call his own, perhaps even happiness?