"Not too late for Paradise" is loosely based
on my travels through Micronesia in the 1960s and 70s. It is a coming-of-age
story that includes Pirates, Buccaneers, slavery, ghosts, a magic notebook, and
buried treasure. Richard, the main character, does not want to be traveling
with his archaeologist mother and her colleagues through the South Pacific. He
gets terribly seasick, and would much rather be home with his friends and
modern conveniences. While scuba diving a submarine shipwreck in Chuuk Lagoon,
he discovers artifacts left by the notorious Captain William Henry
"Bully" Hayes and his cabin boy, Daniel.
Intrigued, Richard and his Kosraean brother,
Tolenna, decide to investigate further. With the help of a six hundred-year-old
spirit uncle and several other unique island characters, they reach the
conclusion that Captain Hayes has left buried treasure for his cabin boy on the
island of Kosrae. They find clues left by the captain, but they are too
difficult to decipher until Richard finds a magical journal that allows him to
communicate with Daniel, living one hundred years earlier. Daniel, unintentionally
abandoned by his captain, knows nothing about the treasure or the clues. Richard,
having the advantage of hindsight, solves the puzzle and shares his knowledge
of the location of the treasure with Daniel. Together they search for the captain's
buried treasure, fall in love with beautiful island girls, and learn the true
meaning of paradise.
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