The Sea in the Morning
My grandfather’s war memories
A true story of World War II, passed down through generations, retold for readers young and old.
At just twenty-one years old, as a young Japanese soldier, Sutezou Kawabata was sent to fight in World War II, enduring four years of brutal battles, starvation, disease and the heartbreaking loss of his friends.
Fifty years after returning home, he gifted his war memoir, a personal record of survival against impossible odds – to his grandchildren.
A further thirty years on, his granddaughter has translated and rewritten his memoir for her children to keep his story alive.
ISBN: 978-1-7643114-0-3 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-7643114-1-0 (e-book)
About the book
My Japanese grandfather gave me his war memoir when I was a teenager.
Decades later, I translated and rewrote his story so my own children could read it. But as I worked through his words, I became compelled to share his stories with other young readers, so I published it into a book - suited from upper primary school age.
One thing to note is that my children are half American — the country my grandfather once fought against. If the war had continued, my children would never have existed. So, in a way, this book is also a story of hope.
All profits from the book will be donated to a cause to help people currently affected by war.
I hope his story will live on for many generations to come.
Inside the book
Original war memoir by my grandfather