James M. Hawk’s Historical True Story of Love Letters Amidst WWI Is Displayed at the L.A. Times Festival of Books 2023

The 2023 L.A. Times Festival of Books featured dozens of memoirs, biographies, and other historical accounts in its exhibits. For James M. Hawk, the incredible history story he shares came from an unlikely source: letters stuffed in shoeboxes.

These letters were, in fact, love letters between his grandparents during the turbulent times leading to the end of WWI. After some painstaking work, he preserved the best parts of these letters in a book titled “My Dear Mabel: A Grandson’s Lessons in Love, Faith, Patriotism and Courage in Letters from World War I” before donating the physical letters to the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection.

The letters covered in “My Dear Mabel” start around 1917. His grandfather, Roy Hawk, just won the heart of Mabel, his grandmother. Alas, WWI was still raging, and Roy enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army. He was then deployed in the 6^th Infantry Division.

To support him in the best way she knew how Mabel defied her parents’ wishes and went to work as a clerk in the Adjutant General’s Office, War Department in Washington. The letters were not only just filled with sweet words that expressed their romantic hopes but had a genuine historical feel that alludes to events like the battles of the Western Front, the Treaty of Versailles, and the Armistice of 11 November 1918.

It is a book that serves as part love story and part historical account while mixed with the themes of country, family, and Christian values. With the help of ReadersMagnet, a self-publishing and book marketing company, Hawk was proud to have his grandparents’ love letter story exhibited at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

“My Dear Mabel: A Grandson’s Lessons in Love, Faith, Patriotism and Courage in Letters from World War I” by James M. Hawk is available on Amazon.

“My Dear Mabel: A Grandson’s Lessons in Love, Faith, Patriotism and Courage in Letters from World War I”
Author | James M. Hawk
Published date | January 31, 2022
Publisher | Amazon
Genre | Non-Fiction

Author Bio
James M. Hawk is the son of James T. Hawk, who was the second son of Roy and Mabel Thornton Hawk of Cleveland, Tennessee. James attended law school and practiced law in Washington State.

James grew up near saltwater ports, including Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, San Francisco, and Seattle. In the Bicentennial Year, Captain Hawk got his orders to head to Naples, Italy. As a 1970s songs lyrics connoisseur, James finished high school in Naples in 1979. He was in high school when disco music was at its zenith, when Lionel Richie was working for The Commodores, and when the Rumours album was released to a thankful world.

Before returning to Washington State with a retired Captain Hawk in 1980, James spent his first year of college in Munich, Germany (München mag dich!) and one more summer in Southern Italy (Dolce far niente!).

In December 2023, James self-published Advice To Sons, which is a collection of some of the best written wisdom and “Advice” from his grandfather, Roy Hawk, and his dad. James is grateful for the wisdom of his grandparents and his dad, including the wisdom to save the letters written between Roy and Mabel over a century ago.

James lives in Washington State with his wife and three sons.

Contact Information

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