- "Like Mom, he wanted me to tell him that it was okay, so I did, although I wish Mom hadn't gone to the hospital, or Dad to play golf, and that he would just come home and that we had never left Washington in the first place."
- —Amber Billows[3]
Amber Billows (born May 9, 1929) was the daughter of Anne and Al Billows. She had one older brother, Andy. Her family often moved because of her father's job as a journalist. In November 1941, they moved to Oahu, Hawaii where they witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Amber was born on May 9 1929[1] in New York City to Al and Anne Billows. She had a brother, Andy, who was three years older. The family moved from New York when Amber was two years old.[2] They moved periodically due her father's job as a reporter. The family had also lived in Washington, D.C., Boston, and Baltimore.
Life in Hawaii[]
In late October 1941, her father announced to the family that they were moving from Washington to Oahu, an island in Hawaii. Amber was upset at first and voiced her feelings to her family. She quickly accepted it though since their moving was inevitable. Her best friend, Allison became angry when she informed her about it. She refused to talk to Amber for several days. Just before they left for Hawaii, Allison came to her house and the two were able to make up.
The Billows' flew from Washington to San Francisco then from there to Hawaii, taking over eighteen hours. They settled in their new home located near Honolulu in early November. On Amber's first day at school, she made friends with Kame Arata, a girl of Japanese descent. The two quickly became close, despite Amber's decision to have more than one best friend this time. They spent a lot of time together over the next few weeks, making plans to audition for a school play and to attend a dance together.
On December 7, 1941, Amber and her family witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor. She and her mother began volunteering at the local hospital as nurses for several days afterwards. Amber later visited Kame and learned that her father had been taken away. Kame's family was invited for Christmas dinner, though only she and her aunt came. During the dinner, Amber's father announced that they were being evacuated the next day since their mother, a pregnant woman, was among the top priority evacuees.
Later life[]
After leaving Hawaii, Amber immediately lost contact of Kame, who was taken to an internment camp with her family. Her father helped her in a years long search of Kame's whereabouts. She eventually learned that Kame and her husband had died in a car accident, leaving behind a daughter named Grace. Amber and her husband, a documentary filmmaker, adopted Grace and returned to their home in Boston. She was their only child.
Personality and traits[]
At twelve years old, Amber was a typical young girl of her age. She was not exactly shy but nervous about making new friends whenever her family moved. For this reason, she hated that the family had to move so often and that never did so during the summer. Amber liked to keep busy as she disliked being bored, which was one reason she liked Kame. She was also a avid reader and read every night before going to sleep.
Family tree[]
Al Billows | Anne Billows | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Andy Billows (b. 1925) | Amber Billows (b. 1929) | Husband | Sibling (b. 1942) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Grace (b. 1950) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes:
- Grace is the biological daughter of Kame Arata and her husband who both passed away in 1951.
Behind the scenes[]
- Amber is the main character of Early Sunday Morning by Barry Denenberg.
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Early Sunday Morning, Barry Denenberg, page 106
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Early Sunday Morning, Barry Denenberg, pages 12-13
- ↑ Early Sunday Morning, Barry Denenberg, page 90
See also[]