TITLE DESCRIPTION: SYNOPSIS: The Southern Cross is a historical fiction novel about WWII that initiates from a true tragedy-and-rescue mission in a small, shipbuilding harbor in Maine, into the shadowy auspices of the spy world in Washington D.C. The story winds its way through the vast Pacific during the pre-war stages under Roosevelt's astute guidance, and into the far reaches of Australia, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and a full-on Japanese invasion of the Philippines. PREMISE: The first soldier's death marks the place where war begins, but the first deaths are often not found on the battlefield. They are civilians caught up in the mire of human strife and angst created by the insatiable drive for man to conquer man; and, in some cases, by simple unfortunate casualties, for good to outlive evil. They are the unsung heroes of war; this novel is an indelible imprint of the lives of their families as they learn to cope with horrific losses and rise above the ashes of very personal fires. THEME: General Douglas MacArthur conducted much of the war in Australia, after his famous escape from the Philippines. This is the story of five young codebreakers, doctors, and spies whose lives were dramatically changed by war, and whose military careers were intertwined with MacArthur as this embattled country faced imminent invasion by Japan. After Pearl Harbor, these two countries- America and Australia- were compelled to joined forces to fight the war "Down Under". It was a marriage of Aussie ingenuity and determination with the American audacity and spirit... a marriage not without significant growing pains and tremendous pressure. The facts surrounding the codebreaking efforts are both fascinating and filled with intrigue. (At its heart, the story arc is a coming-of-age tale of twin sisters from Maine... their innocence swept away as they faced horrific family tragedy as civilians, and rose to the call to serve their countries. They are separated prematurely by this pre-war tragedy... one sister becoming intertwined with MacArthur's team of spies, and the other supporting the war efforts with medical researchers in the United States.)