Warriors in the Crossfire by Nancy Bo Flood
Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 10:47PM 
How in the world can an author encapsulate the destructive brutality of war, the fascinating nuances of island life, the tenderness of familial loyalty, ancestral honor and tradition, a boy’s coming-of-age awareness of life, and the underpinning themes of integrity, loyalty, and honor in one small book? That’s a pretty big order to fill, wouldn’t you say? Well, I’ll tell you how Nancy Bo Flood did it…through the mesmerizing detailed use of incredible poetic prose. This book reads as rhythmically as waves lapping upon the shoreline, like the steady back and forth of a kayak in the sea, like a baby being rocked in its mother’s arms. Poignant and powerful, Warriors in the Crossfire propels the reader into a harsh awareness of devastating effects of war upon a tender community of indigenous people. Perhaps the Flood’s thoughtful lulling is what is needed to make this terrible message palatable.
Each chapter begins with a poem that not only introduces the chapter’s theme, but adds layering depth to the story. One of my favorites is entitled Journey (54). It reads:
Geckos chirped,
Kingfishers squawked,
Dogs barked.
This is home.
War cannot come here.
Cannot.
Can you feel that rhythmic wave-like motion in her words? Back and forth, back and forth, only to come to a crashing halt with the final word ‘cannot’. Geckos…kingfishers…dogs…home… all colorful symbols of charmed island living. And then BOOM, a harsh foreshadowing of things to come…war…here…cannot, twice repeated. Dear reader, the entire book is laced through and through with astounding prose just like this!
How about one more? War reads (102):
Moonlight
Shines silver
Across breadfruit leaves,
Broken shards of light,
Broken dreams,
Broken.
Get the picture? All is beautiful – the silver light cascading across the breadfruit tree, the primary source of sustenance for the tropical island people of Saipan. And a turn transforms moonlight into glass-like shards slicing, ripping destroying all that was once cherished, sabotaging dreams, and shattering souls. Flood’s words certainly tear to heart, don’t they?
Putting poetics aside, in addition to creating believable, multi-dimensional characters, Flood manages to muster up a tidal wave of action, intrigue, and suspense, enough to keep even the most reluctant reader engaged. It is because readers easily connect with primary characters Kento and Joseph they are willing to wade through the wages of war … page after page after suspenseful page. I asked Nancy how was she able to inhabit the psyche of her primary characters, two very different boys, so effectively. She answered:
“Joseph and Kento were as different to me as their families and cultures. Once I identified, “what did they want. What did they live for…what would they risk death to achieve?” then I could anticipate their decisions, their reactions to obstacles, their choices of how they would succeed. Kento was quiet, careful, precise but also timid, unsure, hesitant. Joseph was action. Cross him and he would fight back. Joseph had a lot to learn but he was determined, stubborn, persistent and loyal. They were the best of friends until they each had to decide between family and friendship.”
When asked how she was able to write a compelling story as Warriors in the Crossfire, yet remain completely culturally convincing Nancy answered, “Years of research, I am embarrassed to admit how much or how long…Research is a lot more than just reading. I swam with turtles - and the sharks. I paddled out across the reef, got scared to death as shark circled our kayak. I tipped over my kayak in the deep sea beyond the reef and was terrified. That’s what Kento felt and it was no fun. Havin the shadow of a shark slide over you is terrifying. It was also part of research. Read it, live it, ask it. Then listen, listen, listen. Keep collecting images, sounds, smells, ideas, information. Remember the joy, kindle the passion, and begin writing.”
Regarding being culturally accurate Nancy states, “Who can write about another time in history, about another culture? Someone who can write with accuracy, authenticity, and respect. Someone who can see from a child’s point of view, who can relate historical events to children’s contemporary experiences. For example, the betrayal of friendship is historical and contemporary, as is the death of a parent….We all share universal challenges and experiences – birth, growth, relationships, change, and the ultimate change, death. We all experience bigotry, betrayal, prejudice, misunderstanding, discrimination, bullying as well as triumph and compassion.
“I wrote Warriors in the Crossfire not thinking about genre, if it was historical, multicultural, or multi-racial. It was an important story that was shared with me. I could not write about Joseph without writing about who he is, what makes up this person, Joseph – his people, family, traditions, navigators, the sea, the sea, the importance of Dance. I could not write about survival without writing about dance, spirituality, and family. That is how we all survive, with the strength given to us by traditions, beliefs, and family.”
In conclusion, Nancy left me with two words. One being Kanji – the power of the written word, and the second being Haiku – the power of poetry. I would add Warriors in the Crossfire – the power of Nancy Bo Flood’s poetic prose, a book that raises difficult ethical questions regarding the use of atomic weapons, considers the conflicts of cultures, and the ultimate loss of innocent lives, all the while caressing the reader in the comforting rhythmic poetic rocking motion of the sea.
Bo Flood, Nancy. Warriors in the Crossfire. Honesdale: Frontstreet, 2010.
Nancy Bo Flood, Warriors, reading in Reading
Reader Comments (13)
Warriors in the Crossfire is a fictional account of the invasion of Saipan in the south Pacific during WWII as told through the eyes of a native boy and his half-Japanese cousin.
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