A Book Talk, Gallery Showcase, and Signing with Author Brian Kimmel
Join us for a special afternoon of history, resilience, and discovery as we welcome Pacific Northwest local author Brian Kimmel to the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum.
Kimmel will present the acclaimed memoir, Blue Skies, Troubled Waters, the true story of his grandmother, Martha, an American twin girl caught in the crossfire of WWII in Minahasa, Indonesia. While much of WWII history focuses on the European theater or military campaigns, this unique presentation shines a light on the rarely told civilian experience in the Dutch East Indies under Japanese occupation.
A Special Gallery Showcase:
For this event only, Kimmel will unveil a curated collection of recently released, unclassified government maps of WWII Indonesia. These never-before-published documents offer a fascinating, granular look at the landscape of the war in the Pacific, providing a new context for the personal stories of survival.
Through a compelling PowerPoint presentation, Kimmel—an ordained Buddhist teacher and licensed therapist—will weave together these historical maps with his grandmother’s intimate narrative, exploring themes of survival, multicultural identity, and the enduring power of family legacy.
Kimmel will be standing by at our museum for Q&A and book signing, and will make several presentations of his findings from 11am – 3pm. Copies of Blue Skies, Troubled Waters will be available for purchase.
