Book review: ‘Without a Penny in My Pocket’

Marie Castro’s fascinating book, Without a Penny in my Pocket, takes the reader back to a period on Saipan long ago swept away on the waves of time. Recalling the days of her youth she provides vivid and rare insight of bygone days of a peaceful Saipan before the ravages of war destroyed much but not the memories of what used to be.

The author’s vivid description of island life and its cultural traditions takes the reader’s heart and mind back to another era as she describes the Spanish influence on the lives of the people, much of which still remains dominant in daily life.

Her early life was one of an idyllic time on a peaceful tropical island until falling under the control of Japan’s military and civil influence, including the educational system of which the author received her early schooling. She provides a lasting benchmark as a measure of change in a life both sweet and tragic that once was—never again to be experienced.

She gives the reader a glimpse of daily life on Saipan recounted before, during, and after the war of an island that years later freely chose to become a member of America’s political family.

When attending elementary school before the war, she recalls the stern discipline and occasional cruelty meted out to some young students by several of her Japanese teachers for the most innocent infraction of rules.

Her account of life during the Battle of Saipan is vividly recalled, from that of seeking shelter to hide from the bombs and shells to the lifesaving rescue by U.S. Marines. She reminisces of life in Camp Susupe where the local people were interned until the island was fully secured from enemy stragglers.

As a result of the conflict that erupted around her, the proverb—”When two giants fight the grass under their feet is trampled”—has added meaning for the innocent people of the Northern Marianas.

Her book, Without a Penny in my Pocket, is an engaging story of carefree days of youth before the terrifying devastation of the island. Following the conclusion of hostilities she describes the unexpected circumstance of her first introduction to Americans and later being befriended by a group of American Seabees who accompanied the United States military’s invading forces to the island in 1944.

After years of partial reconstruction, the author describes her life-changing experience when undertaking a courageous journey from Saipan to the United States. After having boarded a transoceanic aircraft and flying almost halfway around the world with a series of island stops she reached to her destination in the middle of the United States to attend college. She arrived penniless and hungry.

It was Marie Castro’s vow of poverty as a nun that resulted in her not having any money in her pocket during her long travel. Being unaware that airline food was free and thinking there was a charge, when offered her meal she unknowingly refused. Thus the inspired title of her book.

While in the United States for the first time to further her education, the author describes her impressions of life in America through the eyes of a person from a small island. We view her adventurous encounter through the fresh eyes of an awestruck youth. She provides the reader with a view of America as experienced through the lens of innocence and a determination to succeed.

As the author writes of her experiences in war and peace, on Saipan and in the United States, she shares one of her most treasured and unforgettable emotions that has remained locked in memory’s treasure chest down through the distance of many years—her first American-style Christmas in 1944. Organized by her beloved Seabees, the warm reminiscences gave her a lifelong appreciation for a group of lonely Americans who shared the spirit of the holiday with all the children of a devastated island. The author provides lasting testimony that acts of kindness toward a child will never be forgotten.

Today’s youth would be well-advised to learn from the experiences of the author, and her family and friends, of the heartbreak and suffering the people of Saipan endured and the faith they all exhibited to overcome such adversity. It was their strength of determination to go forward and contribute toward the island’s reconstruction, which took years of sacrifice.

From being without a penny in her pocket to a rewarding life of service to God and community, Marie Castro, as a former Catholic nun with the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz and a teacher on both Saipan and in Kansas, she has recorded good times and bad in her book. She is an inspiration for all who aspire to make a contribution by helping others through education and good deeds.

Interested individuals may purchase this book from the Northern Marianas Humanities Council at its office in Gualo Rai. The purchase price is $20.