“Paul’s graceful, objective tone may be the book’s greatest strength. She is at her best describing the sheer physical sensation of being on the island. Sunsets, heat, and dust are rendered in tactile detail. The island becomes a force in its own right. When it’s over, we don’t want to leave.”
—New York Times Book Review
“A compelling psychological drama.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“With elegant prose and an eye for the telling detail, Caroline Paul illuminates a small Hawaiian island caught—for seven spellbinding days—between the future and the past. The characters who inhabit East Wind, Rain ache with yearning and desire…they captured my heart.”
—Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Sleep Toward Heaven and How to Be Lost
“A debut novel that tackles the complex issue of national allegiance…East Wind, Rain, which is based on an actual event, rarely disappoints.”
—Associated Press
“If you thought there was little new to say about December 7, 1941, Caroline Paul has proven you wrong. East Wind, Rain depicts a Pacific Island world isolated from the conflict between the United States and Japan, and yet smack-dab in the middle of it. This is a complex and beautifully imagined story of evolving meanings and shifting allegiances. An intelligent and impressive debut.”
—Tom Barbash, author of The Last Good Chance and On Top of the World
“Authentic and dramatic…. A big war comes to a small place, making its effect even more effective.”
—Booklist
“I read East Wind, Rain in a single day. It’s a very beautiful and remarkable book, peopled by characters motivated by their weaknesses and their strengths, to tragic consequences. The premise flowed with moment-to-moment precision. I was awed by the depth of Caroline Paul’s rendering and the extent of her imagination.”
—Po Bronson, New York Times bestselling author of Why Do I Love These People?
“Paul offers a refreshing and interesting vantage point from which readers may reconsider the episode in history…. [A]n excellentjob of bringing complex questions to the forefront.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“East Wind, Rain is a lyrical adventure based on the true events of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances…. A wonderful parable on our notions of paradise, faith, and, ultimately, love.”
—Holly Payne, author of The Virgin’s Knot and The Sound of Blue
“Moves…with a lyricism that contributes to [Paul’s] characters’ development. It’s a promising performance.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This is wonderful, captivating writing about one of Hawaii’s most intriguing historical events. Caroline Paul’s storytelling clearly evokes the nuances of Island life as her characters grow in realism and complexity.”
—Keola Beamer, author of The Shimmering—ka ‘olili