In World War II Hawaii, experience the untold stories of Hawaii at war where children worked the pineapple fields and women served in armed volunteer units. Makeshift bomb shelters were constructed, trenches dug around public buildings, and barbed wire strung on beaches. This tropical paradise transitioned into an active war front where over one million servicemen and tens of thousands of civilian defense workers came through and changed Hawaii forever.

Within hours of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, martial law was declared in Hawaii. Schools were taken over by the military, and neighborhoods were evacuated. All communication was censored, and every citizen was fingerprinted and registered. The US government burned over $2 million and replaced it with newly minted currency that had Hawaii stamped on it in case of invasion by the Empire of Japan.

Dorothea N. Buckingham is a librarian, author, and World War II historian. John C. Buckingham is a retired US Marine Corps officer, author, and active docent with Pearl Harbor museums. Through this collection of rarely seen images, taken mainly from the Hawaii War Records Depository, they present daily life in Hawaii during World War II as it has never been seen before.

2024 Silver Moonbeam Award

It keeps the reader hooked and on the edge of your seat. - Komal Hashmi, Reviewer, NetGalley

With its richly imagined world, Dorothea N. Buckingham has crafted a timeless tale of courage, redemption and the enduring power of promises kept. - Book Commentary

A delightful mix of historical, fantastical, and adventurous. - Independent Book Review

This blend of thrilling narrative and thoughtful cultural representation makes for a consistently engaging and edifying read. - Kirkus

Noah couldn't recall ever looking into the face of a Night Marcher, nor did he know the act was punishable by death. After all, he was only four years old when it happened. He also couldn't believe the family legend about his grandfather making a pact with a Night Marcher to save Noah's life. If Noah swore an oath to protect the life of the Night Marcher's descendant, the Night Marcher would let Noah live.

Years later, during a sixth-grade service project at an abandoned cemetery, Noah found himself transported to Hilo in 1834, where he must prove the innocence of both himself and the Night Marcher's descendant, who stands accused of murder. Desperate to return to his own time, Noah tricks his guide into sending him back to the present, vowing never to return.

But when Noah confides in his cousin, Blaise, he is branded a coward and accused of abandoning their grandfather. If the oath is not fulfilled, Noah will die the same day the descendant will hang, and his grandfather's spirit will never find peace.

With time running out and the boundaries between the past and present blurring, will Noah risk everything to keep his promise?

2024 Silver Moonbeam Award

It keeps the reader hooked and on the edge of your seat. - Komal Hashmi, Reviewer, NetGalley

With its richly imagined world, Dorothea N. Buckingham has crafted a timeless tale of courage, redemption and the enduring power of promises kept. - Book Commentary

A delightful mix of historical, fantastical, and adventurous. - Independent Book Review

This blend of thrilling narrative and thoughtful cultural representation makes for a consistently engaging and edifying read. - Kirkus

Noah couldn't recall ever looking into the face of a Night Marcher, nor did he know the act was punishable by death. After all, he was only four years old when it happened. He also couldn't believe the family legend about his grandfather making a pact with a Night Marcher to save Noah's life. If Noah swore an oath to protect the life of the Night Marcher's descendant, the Night Marcher would let Noah live.

Years later, during a sixth-grade service project at an abandoned cemetery, Noah found himself transported to Hilo in 1834, where he must prove the innocence of both himself and the Night Marcher's descendant, who stands accused of murder. Desperate to return to his own time, Noah tricks his guide into sending him back to the present, vowing never to return.

But when Noah confides in his cousin, Blaise, he is branded a coward and accused of abandoning their grandfather. If the oath is not fulfilled, Noah will die the same day the descendant will hang, and his grandfather's spirit will never find peace.

With time running out and the boundaries between the past and present blurring, will Noah risk everything to keep his promise?