"What really happened on Okinawa cannot be reported in the photographs or the brief outline of 'One Year.' "The picture of a bleak cliff here might appear as just a cliff, but whatever occurred there may be written in histories to be read by generations of the future. And the experiences of the men who crouched in foxholes at that cliff may fill novels in the literature of the future." The above quotation is from a souvenir booklet entitled, ""One Year", April 1, 1945 - April 1, 1946". Edited by Okinawa Base Command, Army Exchange Service. "A Seed Falls On Okinawa" is one writer's humble contribution to the "literature of the future", first envisioned by the officers who produced that booklet. This is the story of a young man torn between seemingly opposing desires. His childhood ambition was to become a missionary, spreading the gospel of Jesus to faraway lands. But before he can fulfill that calling, he first must serve as a soldier in arms. When he faces the enemy in battle, will he be able to overcome his pacifist inclinations and kill for his country? This is the story of a foxhole and a moment in time. Three young men will cross paths there, altering the course of their lives in strangely different ways. Mr. Hewett has constructed a thoughtful and exquisite novella of literary historical fiction; a tale of faith and fate in the midst of a great war; of a battle for a previously unknown island, now immortalized. A portion of both the author and publisher profits from this title will benefit veterans services organizations.
About the Author: Peter A. Hewett (1908 - 1992) was born and raised in the city he cherished, "The Immigrant City", Lawrence, Massachusetts. Married to Marie Francis McNamara Hewett, they were blessed with four children, Mary, Eleanor, Peter Jr., and Ann Marie. Peter was the oldest of ten children. Mr. Hewett's mother was widowed when he was 17 years old, leaving Peter to help her raise his siblings, a responsibility in which he took great pride. He held a number of positions, including mill worker, laborer, salesman, construction worker, grocery store clerk, and automobile assembly line worker, His work history culminated in a profession he loved, serving for several terms as secretary (the equivalent of Chief of Staff) to Lawrence's Mayor, John J. Buckley. Mr. Hewett retired in the mid 70's and spent his remaining years devoted to his first love - his family and friends and to his second love - reading and writing. It was during his time and experiences as a civilian construction electrician working with the Navy Sea-Bees in 1946, building up the infrastructure for the United States Military on the Island of Okinawa that the inspiration for A Seed Falls on Okinawa was first conceived. Mr. Hewett was very much a self educated man. He was a voracious reader who was blessed with the gift of near total recall. A prolific writer of short stories, he was well known to the editors and readers of the Lawrence Evening Tribune for his op-ed and opinion articles. He was active in local civic and religious organizations and was a recipient of a Freedoms Foundation Award for his writing and civic participation. He was beloved by his large extended family of which he was the patriarch. It is his son's assessment that the essence of his Dad's character is well captured in the poem his Dad insisted that he commit to memory as a young boy. The poem is titled "ABOU BEN ADEHM" by James Henry Leigh Hunt. That same essence of the man, the author, is also reflected in the beauty and beautiful simplicity of his novella -- "A Seed Falls on Okinawa".