Inspiration Behind Shannon’s Journey
Inspired by Lalani and Jim’s characters and life in Hawaii, I felt compelled to continue their family story, but this time with the next generation.
After visiting Oahu to trace Lalani’s childhood places, I took time to explore where Shannon would have grown up on the east side of the island. Her parents Jim and Lalani Baker returned to the Crocker Ranch, which they rebuilt and renamed Mau Loa meaning “forever” in Hawaiian.
Shannon, from the time she was three, grew up on the cattle ranch, roaming its hills and swimming in its ponds and lagoons. Mau Loa, nestled near Ahuimanu (now a residential area), stretched up against the mountains and halfway down the valley. Kane’ohe Valley, the setting for this part of the story, is an actual narrow valley between the mountains and the ocean. Steep rugged mountains created by the ancient (now inactive) Koʻolau volcano border the rich tropical vegetation of the valley which leads down to Kane’ohe bay.
The shoreline is dappled with ancient fish ponds and shallow lagoons. Towards the south, Kane’ohe Bay has wetlands and fish ponds, and towards the north, sandy beaches with shallow lagoons and strong surf.
Ko’olau Ridge near the town of Kane’ohe
Kahau’u Pond with Kahalu’u in the background
Further up the coast, shallow surf crashes against the rocky lagoons
The first Christmas that Matt and Shannon are apart, at midnight Shannon rushes out onto the lawn and looks to the moon, knowing that Matt is doing the same at that moment wherever he is in France. The lawn at Mau Loa would look something like this.
And at midnight a full moon loomed overhead
While Matt is off fighting the war, Shannon returned to Oahu to excavate ancient ruins she found on the ranch. These old abandoned walls lost in the vegetation, found on Oahu’ east coast reminds me of Shannon’s ruins.
Shannon searches for those who built the blind and where they came from, believing they may have come from the Marquesas Islands. At the Bishop Museum on Oahu, one can find the route the ancient Polynesians took to get to the Sandwich Islands, later named Hawaiian Islands by Captain Cook in 1778. (A museum worth visiting!)
Shannon searches for those who built the blind and where they came from, believing they may have come from the Marquesas Islands. At the Bishop Museum on Oahu, one can find the route the ancient Polynesians took to get to the Sandwich Islands, later named Hawaiian Islands by Captain Cook in 1778. (A museum worth visiting!)
When the war ends and Matt is missing Shannon goes to France to find him. She retraces his platoon movements through the Argonne Woods stopping at small villages and graveyards along the way. When writing this section, the small town of Morlaix, west of Paris, came to mind. Pictured here is Morlaix’ town center shop with homes above.
Finally, discouraged, she turns back to Paris only to check one last path through the woods, much like this one.