China Sailor

<p>Times are tough in 1938 during the Great Depression when eighteen-year- old Leslie Charles hears that the navy shipyard in Norfolk Virginia is hiring college students. A talented musician endowed with exceptional math skills Leslie believes he's a good candidate for work now that he has one year of college under his belt at Mars Hill College in Marsh County Virginia.</p><p>Leaving his parents siblings and the rest of his family behind in Asheville North Carolina Leslie becomes a welder's helper at the yard and soon the lure of the navy snags him. He becomes an enlisted man endures basic training and begins his journey both as a sailor and as a man. </p><p>A novel of military fiction <i>China Sailor</i> narrates the story of Leslie's coming-of- age including his life as a sailor his experiences in China during its civil war and its war with Japan and his personal relationships with women. It provides a glimpse into this exciting time in history leading up to the start of World War II. </p>