Kailua Historical Society presents readings from December 7, 1941: Letters from Hilltop House “O’ahu has been attacked!” compiled by Cosette Morrison Harms. Performers from KOA Theater will perform a selection of letters which have been interwoven with historical interviews and news reports, to bring to life the dark days of uncertainty that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor and the fortitude of Hawaii’s citizens in the face of the unknown.

Through a series of letters to her son on the mainland, the compiler’s grandmother, Anne Powlison, describes witnessing both the bombing of Kaneohe Naval Air Station (which was concurrent with the bombing of Pearl Harbor) from the family home overlooking Lanikai and the frenetic weeks which followed. As the family and territory itself copes with the ensuing confusion of blackouts, paranoia, and an expected imminent invasion, Mrs. Powlison finds herself cut off from reliable communication with the mainland and her son at university in Washington state. Her steady stream of letters help to bolster not only her own courage, but those of her son’s as well, and bear testament both to life on Oahu during wartime, as well as the enduring resilience of the human spirit.

Program is subject to change. Contact the library 10 days in advance to request a sign language interpreter or if special accommodations are needed.