"Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers" by Sara Ackerman

I have to say, right up front, that I completely fell in love with the world author Sara Ackerman  has created in Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers! It is a charming and heartfelt story of family, girlfriends and soldiers stationed on a lovely Hawaiian island during WWII, after Pearl Harbor, and brings that time period to vivid visual life so realistically  you can picture all the characters coming alive on the page. 
Violet Iverson is a young woman who is the Mom of Ella, a troubled 10 year old girl. One day, a year previously, Violet's husband, and Ella's father, Herman, mysteriously disappeared. Despite all the sheriff's investigations, there is not a trace of this good family man and Principal of the local school. At the same time, Ella began shutting down and exhibiting signs of stress. Is it just a young girl's sadness at the disappearance of her father? Or something more?
Trying to move on with life, Violet, who is also a teacher at the school her husband had been Principal of, has invited Jean, another teacher to share her home and the two women create a warm and loving space for Ella, as they try to comfort the girl. Other friends include a Japanese family who run a small school and the problems they face during this time period. And, of course, there are the soldiers who are stationed on the island. Jean's brother surprises her by showing up at the house the women share and brings along some soldier buddies... one of whom seems to take a shine to Violet. These soldiers also have a rather unusual mascot... a lion cub named Roscoe. Will Roscoe help Ella come out of her shell? Grab a copy of  The Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers and enjoy finding out for yourself! Thank you, Edelweiss for the DRC!
This book should come with a warning because if you don't live in Hawaii... the descriptions of the locale may make you want to relocate!
And, here's a link to the pie recipes the author shares
Pies
This is a link to a story about the real Marines stationed on the island during WWll and their real mascot: Roscoe, and a photo of a combat photographer, Richard "Dick" Stotz: Marine Corps Combat Photographer at Iwo Jima stationed there with Roscoe: