Saipan native Marie S.C. Castro released a novel describing her experiences during and after the Japanese occupation of the island during World War II. “Without a Penny In My Pocket: My Bittersweet Memories Before and After World War II”  was published by the Northern Marianas Humanities Council through funding received from the National Endowment for the Humanities in June and was released by Dorrance Publishing Co. Inc. in Pittsburgh on Dec. 1. The novel is available in hardcover on Amazon or at dorrancebookstore.com. Castro is a nun who served as vice principal in a school in Saipan for two terms and then taught public school for 25 years in Kansas City, Mo.