Cerulean skies. White sand. Festive luaus.

Hawaii is heaven on earth.

Until a sleepy Sunday morning in December…

Elizabeth Wellman, a reserved academic, survives the attack on Pearl Harbor only to flee her Vermont home under a barrage of sensational press. She soon learns long sleeves can’t hide all her scars.

She takes refuge as a teacher in a New Jersey suburb. Invited to a student’s picnic, Elizabeth is shocked to learn Port Johnson isn’t a park, but a prisoner of war camp where local families gather each week. It’s with this unconventional group that she finds security, a sense of belonging —and love.

Dante Montenari, a wounded veteran, is drawn to Elizabeth despite his best efforts to keep her away from the back-alley violence of his world. He has lost women to bloodshed and may again as the couple become pawns in a territorial dispute between the Italian and Irish mobs.

War has already exacted a heavy price from these injured souls. Will they at last find peace, or perish?