Showing posts with label Guam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guam. Show all posts

Thursday, April 6, 2017



Historical Romance, Women’s Fiction

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Set in the tumultuous period of Guam history, between the Spanish-American War and World War II, the lives and loves of three Chamorro women unfold amid the changes and challenges around them. Sixteen-year old Amanda falls of a navy seaman who leaves her with child. Her daughter Sylvia grows up an illegitimate orphan. Yet she finds happiness with Tino Camacho, who loves her despite her scandalous background. Life teaches their daughter, the level-headed Vivian Camacho, that falling for an American navy man is futile, like reaching for the moon.

Cultural and racial prejudices increase the distance. Vivian avoids such futility until the handsome Philip Avery, an up-and-coming naval engineer, enters her life as an upstairs tenant newly assigned to Guam. Vivian falls in love with him but knows nothing can come of it. Philip is from a different world, one of wealth, rank, and privilege. Vivian is a simple island girl who lives under naval government rule. Philip is a man well beyond her reach. He is as distant from her world as the moon; he is the mansion there. Philip falls in love also, but his career comes first. Both deny their feelings for each other; their love cannot be. But love knows no distance, sees no differences.

About the Author

C. Sablan Gault, a native born Chamorro, began her writing career in advertising. She holds a BA in Anthropology and studied journalism. She worked as an advertising assistant, newspaper reporter, feature writer, and columnist. She then served as press secretary to a Guam governor, a legislator, and to Guam’s delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. She also worked as a writer and researcher for a Guam political status education commission. She and her husband David, a Vietnam-era Seabee, live in Guam.

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Monday, September 5, 2016

Book Review: Conquered by Paula Quinene

Conquered by Paula Quinene



Publisher & Release: Self-published, June 18, 2016

Time and setting: 1944, Guam

Genre: Historical Romance/WWII

Length:  326 pages

Heat Level: 4 Flames

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Conquered is a passionate love story, as much about its main characters, Guam native Jesi Taimanglo and American GI Johan Landers, as it is about author Paula Quinene’s passion for Guam itself. As her characters try to find a place for themselves amid the war, Jesi’s relatives, and the Chamorro traditions, Quinene charts a path through a seldom told story: Guam’s place in WWII. An original idea written with an original voice that invites readers in to the exotic world of the Pacific, complete with coconut trees, banana doughnuts, dolphins swimming in the ocean, and moonlight on Pago Bay, Conquered also recounts the brutal horrors of the Japanese occupation on Guam, a US territory largely forgotten back in the States. In addition to learning about a singular and little-known culture that has played a part in the world wars of the Pacific, readers will undoubtedly crave the recipe for banana doughnuts.

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Vikki’s Musings

Back in June, I ran a highlight for this book’s release. The book description sounded interesting. I knew very little of Guam’s involvement in WWII, and nothing of Japan’s occupation of this small island. Conquered proved to be an intriguing look at Guam and its unique culture.

The plot definitely pulled me in from the start. I liked both characters a great deal from the start. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the island of Guam. This is a story of not only love, but of loyalty to family and traditions.

I tried to take into account that Ms. Quinene is from Guam and English may be her second language, which explained some of her word usage. While a bit distracting at first, I eventually adjusted to her writing style.

Now, I want to discuss the erotic component of Conquered. While the chemistry is extraordinarily strong between Jesi and Johan, I did not truly enjoy the love scenes. They tended to focus more on the physical description of what they were doing, then the emotions behind the sex. They read more like erotica and were not very romantic. While I have no problem with graphic description and terms, I like the emotions behind the physical to be evenly mixed.


If you are interested in learning more about this fascinating island and its people and their part in WWII, then you will enjoy Conquered a great deal. The romance between Jesi and Johan is enjoyable as well. I am glad I took a chance and read this book. Happy reading!