Book Details:
Book Title: The Sand Pounder – Love and Drama on Horseback in WWII by M. J. Evans
Category: Young Adult Fiction (Ages 13-17)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Dancing Horse Press, 284 pages
Release date: September 2021
Content Rating: Rated G – Completely clean
“The Sand Pounder is one of those rare historical novels with a charm that appeals to both young and old readers.” – Vincent Dublado for Readers’ Favorite
“M.J.
Evans does an excellent job of winding the era’s history and the
lesser-known job of the Sand Pounders into a realistic story of a mature
teen’s determination to make a difference in her world.” – Diane Donovan for Midwest Book Review
“A gripping YA historical novel packed full of twists, turns and memorable characters. Highly recommended!” – The Wishing Shelf Book Review (UK)
Book Description:
Fearing
an invasion by German and Japanese forces during World War II, the U.S.
Coast Guard enlisted horsemen to patrol the beaches along the east and
west coasts. The unit was called “The Sand Pounders” and they rode their
horses up and down the beaches from 1942 to 1944.
In Tillamook,
Oregon, a young equestrian decided to join them. There was only one
problem…they were only accepting men. That didn’t slow her down.
”The Sand Pounder” is a Young Adult historical fiction set during World War II.
Why I referred to the Japanese Internment Camps During WWII as Concentration Camps
I was born in Oregon in 1951. That was just a few years after World War 2. My father was only slightly involved in the war as it ended just after he enlisted, thank goodness! However, Fort Steven on the Oregon Coast was the only place in the continental U.S. that was shelled during the war. He would take me and my siblings to see the fort and tell us about the war. However, one element of the war that he never told me about was the rounding up of the Japanese Americans on the west coast and shipping them in cattle cars to Internment camps inland.
I learned about the internment camps when I became friends with Japanese kids whose parents and/or grandparents had been sent to them. I learned even more when I went to visit a college friend who lived just a few miles over the Oregon/California border from the camp at Tule Lake.
When I started researching for my book, “The Sand Pounder,” I read a book titled, “Beyond the Camps,” written by an author friend by the name of Denny Dressman. His book detailed the personal experiences of numerous Japanese Americans who, once released, settled in Denver where I now live.
As I added together all the stories that I was told from these various sources, I was shocked and saddened by how our government treated these people. While the Japanese families that I wrote about in my book are fictional, the experiences I relay through my writing really did happen to others. The Internment camps were supposed to be designed to keep the Japanese safe but that certainly wasn’t the way it was handled. I realize that fear can make people do strange and horrible things.
I hope we can learn from history. As Winston Churchill paraphrased the famous quote from Santayana
“Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
Meet the Author:
Award-Winning,
Best-Selling author, M.J. Evans grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and
graduated from Oregon State University. She spent five years teaching
junior high and high school students before retiring to raise her five
children. She is a life-long equestrian and enjoys competing in Dressage
and riding in the beautiful Colorado Mountains.
connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~ facebook ~ goodreads ~ pinterest
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Enter The Giveaway:
THE SAND POUNDER Book Tour Giveaway
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