by James A. Michener, 1946 (won Pullitzer Prize in 1948)
Norfolk Island: an island in the South Pacific near Australia and New Zealand. The Norfolk Pines were planted by the Mutiny of the Bounty people who ended up there. They had to cut them all down to make a landing strip during WWII.
Bill Harbison-yuck! Womanizer, snot, arrogant, coward. When it finally came time to fight, he chickened out and got himself sent home to New Mexico.
Tony Fry rigged up a radio in a cave on Tulagi-near Guadalcanal-and picked up the Remittance Man-some mysterious Englishman who transmitted weather and Jap movements to the Americans. He lasted a couple of months before he was found. Tony Fry heard him being attacked and they went to try and find him – it was too late.
Nurse Nellie Forbush, used by Bill Harbison, ends up going north (to Efate?) to nurse and meets M. DeBecque, a French plantation owner, falls in love, they get married, but not until she learns he fathered 8 daughters, Javanese and Tonkinese, and she must overcome her Southern prejudice to be able to marry him.
Bloody Mary – an old Tonkinese woman who chewed Betel nuts, sold grass skirts and other trinkets to the Navy men. Marine Joe Cable is ordered to stop her. Instead, he becomes her friend. He ends up going to Bali Hai, an island where they keep all women safe, and falls in love with her daughter, 17 year-old Tonkinese girl, Liat, but for some reason he wouldn’t marry her. Broke his and her heart. Bloody Mary curses him for not marrying her daughter. Joe Cable died on Konora; talked about in “A Cemetery at Hoga Point.”
Segi Point – “my favorite spot in the South Pacific,” southern end of New Georgia.
Airstrip at Konora – used live coral to pave it. Totally destroyed trees and dug up coral! Commander Hoag killed by a Jap madman with a grenade.
The Strike – described in detail the battle of Kuralei. Very bloody. Lt. Col. Hyaichi foiled their plans and knew what they were going to do.
Very interesting book. Were the commanders real people? (Admiral Kester, Commander Hoag – doubtful.)
Some islands he mentions: Guadalcanal, Bouganville, Vanicoro, fiction-Bali Hai, Efate, The Solomons, Rendova, Munda, Kolombangara, Vella, Espiritu, Luana Pori, Konora, Kuralei, Truk, Noumea, Tulagi. No Kuralei in Google search.
Tony Fry – really interesting, fun-loving, wise, brave, good man. He had courage. Ended up dead on Kuralei.
Luther Billis – colorful character, never wore a shirt, tatoos, earrings, made friends with all the natives, wounded building the runway on Konora.
The Frenchman’s Daughter – Latouche Debecque Barzan, beautiful girl, 3 sisters, all beautiful. Tony Fry steals her away from pilot, Bus Adams – marries her. Tony ends up getting killed on Kuralei.
Bus Adams – hot shot Navy pilot. Loved to fly. Went with Tony Fry a lot.
Loved his descriptions of Bali Hai (fictional) and Segi Point (true place). Loved his description of the sailors singing – beautiful – silent night even.