THE RIVETER

A debut novel of love, culture, and war.

In Kamloops, British Columbia, a young Chinese Canadian man wants to fight for a country that does not accept him. Josiah Chang is a lumberjack, or “faller,” with his father, until the father is killed in an accident. Josiah then finds a job as a riveter building cargo ships at the beginning of World War II, and he falls in love with Poppy Miller, a white woman. Poppy wants to marry him and settle down, though if she does, Canada will strip her of her citizenship. Over her objections, Josiah also wants to fight for his country, but Chinese Canadians can’t join the military. He persists, heading east to another province and eventually finding a recruiter who accepts him because of his obvious physical fitness. He trains as a paratrooper, the only Chinese Canadian in his unit. Across the miles, Poppy and Josiah exchange letters and remain faithful to each other despite temptations. He feels he has a lot to prove to himself and to a country that rejects him as an equal. Paratrooper training is demanding, and many trainees wash out, but Josiah is determined to be the best of the best. His unit, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, is assigned to land at Normandy as part of the great invasion of Europe, and survival is a matter of chance: “If you lived, you were glad and carried on.” Paratroopers are shot to death on their way down or get snagged in trees before they can defend themselves. The bravest of men can be gone in a heartbeat, but Josiah and his unit fight on. “Stay alive for her,” he muses during a lull in combat. He kills as he must while trying to retain a sense of honor, which doesn’t stop him from shooting a rapist between the eyes. But this novel is about more than war; it is about love and loyalty, acceptance, and clash of cultures. Will Josiah survive the war? Will Poppy wait for him? They are both sympathetic characters readers will root for. The tale has its roots in history: There was in fact only one Chinese Canadian in that battalion, although many more fought in other units. Josiah is fighting for more than simply defeating Hitler, as African American soldiers also did with distinction. All Josiah wants from Canada is full citizenship and the right to vote.

A compelling and emotional read.