­LONGMEADOW – As an involved member of the Longmeadow community, both civically, in business and with his family, Dr. Andrew Lam has published his third book, “Repentance,” which highlights the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit of Japanese Americans who fought in Europe during World War II.

As a history major at Yale University, Lam explained to Reminder Publishing that his love of history compelled him to write books. While at Yale, he specialized in WWII history, and in particular, the war in China.

“A lot of people do not know that tens of thousands of Americans served in China during the war. Many do not realize that 15–20 million Chinese died in the war,” Lam explained.

The following is a lightly edited question and answer interview with Lam on “Repentance.”

Reminder Publishing: Thinking back to when you wrote your first book – what inspired you to become an author?

Lam: It appeared to me that China was like an un–mined aspect of WWII that people didn’t know that much about, but probably would like to. So in my spare time during my residency training in ophthalmology, I wrote my first novel, “Two Sons of China,” which later won a Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Award and a few other awards as well.

Once you have written a book you end up spending a lot of time trying to think of other books you might write. As it happened, I’d long been enthralled by the stories of medical innovators who invented our modern techniques in ophthalmology like LASIK surgery, cataract surgery, and even retinal microchips that we are now implanting to return sight to the blind. These were stories of incredible serendipity and perseverance. So I wrote “Saving Sight” which blended these riveting stories of ophthalmology’s heroes with my own experiences as a surgeon­–taking readers behind the mask and into the operating room to show what it’s like to save sight, encounter complications, or even to fail. I think this honesty about what it’s really like to be a surgeon is probably what helped it find success as an Amazon bestseller after it was released.

RP: What was your inspiration for “Repentance?

Lam: I wanted to highlight the history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was, per capita, the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. The 442nd was a segregated unit of Japanese American soldiers who fought with uncommon valor in Europe while many of them had families unjustly incarcerated in internment camps, like Manzanar, at home. They fought ferociously to prove they were just as loyal as other Americans. They won 21 Medals of Honor, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 560 Silver Stars. The 14,000 men who ultimately served in the 442nd won 9,486 Purple Hearts. One of their most famous members was Daniel Inouye, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor and was the second longest-serving U.S. Senator in history.

But, a lot of people actually already know about the 442nd. Many books and movies pay homage to these heroes, and almost everyone knows about Japanese internment. I did not want my novel to simply glorify the soldiers and victimize the internees. My goal was to humanize the Japanese American WWII experience. So, instead of writing a novel about a “hero,” I wrote one about a coward.

RP: How would you describe your book to someone who is picking it up for the first time?
  

Lam: “Repentance” is story about the lengths to which a remorseful man will go to set things right. It’s about a Japanese American war hero who has a secret. A secret so awful he’d rather die than tell anyone—one so entwined with the brave act that made him a hero that he’s determined never to speak of the war. Ever.

Decades later his son, Daniel Tokunaga, a world-famous cardiac surgeon, is perplexed when the U.S. government comes calling, wanting to know about his father’s service with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Something terrible happened while his father was fighting the Germans in France, and the Department of Defense won’t stop its investigation until it’s determined exactly who did what.

Wanting answers of his own, Daniel upends his life to find out what happened on a small, obscure hilltop half a world away. As his quest for the truth unravels his family’s catastrophic past, the only thing for certain is that nothing­ – his life, career, and family – can ever be the same again.

RP: How long did the process of when you first came up with the idea to write “Repentance” up until the date of the book was published take? Did you feel that it was a long process, or fairly smooth sailing?

Lam: Six years. Yes, it was a long process. It’s always a long process! There were certainly gaps in that period when I did not work at all on the book, because I was promoting my other books, or because I got too busy with work, community activities, or raising my kids. But the nice thing about being a writer as a second career is that there really is no “deadline.” It just takes a very long time to write a book—which then inevitably gets “re-written” (sometimes multiple times) to improve it to the point where you and your agent are happy with it. And then it can also take a while to land a publishing deal. Finally, it takes another year from signing a contract to the actual book launch. During that year the book is edited further, then copy-edited. A cover is designed, the book interior is designed, advance copies are sent to famous authors who read it and hopefully endorse it, and then the publicist does a months-long promotional campaign.

RP: Tell me about your “process” as a writer.

Lam: I only write when something inspires me to do so. If I am not passionate about a story or subject, then my writing will not be very good. But if I have a great idea, then it’s like I can’t help but write on and on, and it almost feels effortless. The good news is that, this way, writing never feels like work. The bad news is that good ideas are not often easy to come by. For me, the best idea incubator is to talk to, and learn from, other people. To talk to others about what THEY are passionate about. Inspiration also comes from books, films and travel. I think constantly striving to learn and inquire are what put us each in the best position to discover new inspirations.

RP: What would you say your favorite and perhaps least favorite part about writing the book was?

Lam: My favorite part is meeting readers who felt my books stirred some genuine emotion in them. My least favorite part is getting rejections from publishers.

RP: As someone who is clearly quite involved in the community as well as a slew of your own projects, how did you find the time to complete such an enormous task?

Lam: This is the question I get more than any other. The simple answer is that when you are passionate about something, you just make time for it. If you’re passionate about a story, you write whenever you can: during lunch, during your kids; sports practices, before going to bed.
    

Lam will be giving a few book talks in May and June, one at the Storrs Library in Longmeadow on May 7 at 6:30 p.m., the next at Odyssey Bookstore in South Hadley on May 11 at 4 p.m. and the third at the Enfield Library on June 5 at 6:30 p.m. “Repentance” will be available for purchase on May 1 on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and AndrewLamMD.com. For more information on his book, go to www.AndrewLamMD.com

Lam is a Yale University graduate and retinal surgeon, and is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. When he isn’t working, Lam can be found spending time with his four kids, reading, watching movies, or being civically engaged. Currently, he is the vice chair on Longmeadow’s Finance Committee, a trustee of Bay Path University, and a partner with the Longmeadow Historic Preservation Partners, the group that is working to restore the Brewer–Young Mansion.