The First Casualty of War

About the Book

This novella is a compilation of stories based upon historical events that occurred prior to and following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Territorial Hawaii. The situations, issues, themes, and outcomes are partly derived from the experiences of the people who lived through those times and whose lives were either directly or indirectly affected by social, military, political, and economic fortunes. The main focus examines issues of discrimination, fate, determination, community versus the individual, charity versus greed, and the sheer will of ordinary people to transform a hostile environment into a fertile land of productivity, inclusion, and opportunity. It is hoped that this work might possibly provide a fresh window of insight into developing a more constructive future.

About the Author

Dr. William Kazarian is an Assistant Professor of English with the faculty of Hawaii Pacific University. He earned his Master’s Degree in English and a “Life” Secondary Teaching Credential at Santa Clara University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. These "stories" have their genesis in the lore told to me as a child by my father and grandparents as I was growing up in the San Joaquin Valley of California. My sole purpose in writing this was to help understand the significant historical events that shaped my family's - and my own - life and how these themes constructed and continue to act as agents that develop my personal values both as an individual and as a teacher. If anything, I pray this will stand as a respectful remembrance of human history and how truth and reality can sometimes become collateral damage in times of fear, peril, and ignorance - what has often been referred to as "the first casualty of war".