That Once Was I is a trilogy telling the story of two girls, Olga and Tata, who escaped the Russian Revolution. Book 3, This Above All, follows Olga to the United States at the beginning of World War II.
Olga's dreams of coming to America were almost realized. Her husband's last few months would be a desk job in Hawaii, and then he would retire from the military to San Diego where they would buy a house and enjoy their freedom. That was the plan. Instead, she would find herself in Washington, DC. She would also reunite with the three people from her past who would force her to make the biggest decision in her life.
As for enjoying her Hawaiian paradise, Olga would find her surroundings unsophisticated. Shanghai was far more interesting, but she had at least escaped the Japanese control of that fabulous city, and she would finally be safe. She was surrounded by sailors, Marines, ships, planes, and guns in her new nest in Pearl Harbor.