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Showing posts with label Japanese-American Internment (WWII). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese-American Internment (WWII). Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Japanese-American Internment Novel Heartbreaking, Thought-Provoking
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Before Pearl Harbor is bombed in 1942, the Takeda family is living in Los Angeles and doing very well for themselves. Afterward, they start receiving the same distrustful sideways glances as every other Japanese-American in the U.S. It's not long before suspicion turns into paranoia. The Takedas, along with many of their friends and neighbors, are rounded up and forced into an internment camp. With her father recently dead, 14-year-old Lucy and her mother have to fend for themselves in a place that is fraught with danger, corruption, and desperation. Lucy's mom will do whatever she has to in order to keep herself and her daughter safe—including unspeakable acts that will have long-reaching consequences for them both.
Decades later, a murder in San Francisco leads police to Lucy. As the investigation heats up, Lucy tells the harrowing, heartbreaking story of what really happened in Manzanar to her own daughter in an effort to clear her name and unburden her soul.
Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield is a thought-provoking story set during a shameful period of America's past. I thought it would be more of a mystery than a historical drama—it's both, but with a heavier emphasis on the latter. Littlefield's descriptions of life inside Manzanar are heartbreaking and barely believable, although they're based on indignities suffered in real life by real Americans. Obviously, a story set in an internment camp during World War II is not going to be a happy one. Garden of Stones is, not surprisingly, sad and depressing, a tale full of despairing people struggling through awful situations. It is, however, also interesting and compelling. The middle sags and the ending leaves some annoying loose ends, so overall, I didn't love this book. It held my interest, though, and I liked it well enough to finish the novel and think about it quite a bit afterward.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other novels about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, such as The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner, Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill, Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban, Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman, and Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a couple F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, mild sexual content, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I bought a digital copy of Garden of Stones with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Hawaiian World War II Novel Offers Rich, Atmospheric Setting and Intriguing (Enough) Tale
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When Lana Hitchcock learns her estranged father is dying, she rushes from Oahu to her hometown of Hilo on the Big Island. Too late to make amends, she's mourning her loss at her childhood home when Pearl Harbor is attacked. Lana is stunned by the news; even more shocking is her dad's apparent prediction of the war reaching Hawaii's shores. According to a note he left her, Lana's father built a safe house up in the mountains near an active volcano. When the police begin rounding up "suspicious" persons for questioning, Lana knows she must act to save her dad's beloved neighbors. Into her car, she piles two German girls whose parents have been detained, an elderly Japanese man, his adopted teenage son, the girls' oversized dog, two nene geese, and all the food she can stack in among them. With her heart banging in her chest, she flees to the secret house where she will hide her wards for the duration.
Numerous surprises await the group in Volcano, including an unfinished house with a secret room, wild horses roaming the property, a nearby military camp turned into internment housing, and the handsome soldier whose attentions to Lana are dangerous for them all. Can Lana keep the people in her care safe in spite of dwindling rations and soldiers crawling all over Volcano? Will they be killed outright by Japanese soldiers? Or will the lot of them be imprisoned by their own countrymen? With danger around every corner, will Lana lose everything that's important to her?
I've read tons of World War II novels, but very few that focus on life in Hawaii after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Sara Ackerman, who was born and raised in the islands, has written several, including her newest, Red Sky Over Hawaii. There's a lot to love about this book, from its rich, atmospheric setting, to its dip into fascinating Hawaiian folklore, to its light sprinkling of magical realism. The fact that it's a clean read filled with likable characters is also a plus. However, although Ackerman's story people are mostly good and honorable, they're not super rounded or fleshed-out. I didn't feel like I really knew Lana or her leading man, which made it difficult to detect any chemistry between the two. Similarly, the book's plot is rather lackadaisical. Since Lana and company are basically hiding out, hoping not to get caught, not a lot happens to them. There is never a point in their tale when the reader really has to worry about their well-being, which makes their story a little dull. Despite these irritants, overall I enjoyed Red Sky Over Hawaii. I didn't love the book like I wanted to, but I did like it.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman and Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and mild innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Red Sky Over Hawaii from the generous folks at Harlequin in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Both Bitter and Sweet, Sweeping Historical Novel Tells Clean, Touching Story
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
In 1986, an extraordinary discovery in Seattle's Japantown draws a crowd of people, among them a 56-year-old Chinese-American named Henry Lee. The widower is as amazed as everyone else to discover that The Paragon Hotel, which has been shuttered for decades, has been hiding a large, dusty collection of belongings left behind during World War II when Japanese families were forced out of Seattle and into internment camps. Watching the event takes Henry back forty years, to his clandestine friendship with Keiko Okabe, a Japanese girl he met at school in 1942. Outcasts among their white classmates, the two form a strong friendship that turns into a sweet, but forbidden romance. Although they vow to meet up again after the war, Henry never hears from Keiko again. What happened to the girl he once loved? The search for Keiko will pry open Henry's most painful memories, remind him of impossible choices and sacrifices, and maybe, finally, bring him and his son together.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford's bestselling debut novel, tells a sweeping story of family, friendship, and finding what's been lost. Vivid period detail brings to life Seattle's China and Japantown in the 1940s, making the story feel immersive and authentic. The idea of abandoned family treasures left behind in a hotel to bear witness of a sad chapter in America's history is as intriguing as it is heartbreaking. I found it an irresistible premise, even if the story itself gets a little long and dull. Although the tale left me with unanswered questions, overall, I enjoyed it. It didn't blow my socks off like it has for other readers, but I liked the clean, bittersweet tale that is, ultimately, a hopeful one. I'll definitely check out more books by Ford.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner and The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Monday, March 25, 2019
World War II Internment Novel Tells Intriguing, Little-Known Story (with a Giveaway!)
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
There is plenty about her confinement in the Crystal City internment camp during World War II that Elise Sontag Dove would gladly forget. But as Alzheimer's slowly eats away her 81-year-old memory, there is one part of her internment experience she's desperate to remember—her best friend and fellow internee, Mariko Inoue Hiyashi. After being repatriated to Japan, Mariko's parents forced her to remain in their homeland. Elise hasn't heard from her in almost seven decades. Now, with the help of Google, Elise must secretly engineer a reunion so she can—at last—thank Mariko for the girlhood friendship that changed Elise's life.
As Elise makes her clandestine plan, she reminisces about her unbelievable experience as the American-born daughter of unnaturalized German immigrants during the war. From internment to expatriation to seeing firsthand the awful devastation of bombing in Germany, it's a harrowing story of sorrow, injustice, and, ultimately, hope.
I've read dozens of novels set during World War II, but I think this is the first time I've really encountered one about the plight of German-Americans during the war. I knew about people of Japanese descent being interred, but not about those of German lineage suffering the same fate. It's a fascinating piece of history about which I definitely wanted to know more. The premise of The Last Year of the War, the newest dual-timeline historical novel by Susan Meissner, definitely interested me. Unfortunately, the plot itself gets uneven and disjointed. While the story centers on a friendship forged in the dusty Texan desert, only a tiny part of the tale actually takes place there, making the key theme of the novel feel less significant than it should have. Other than that, The Last Year of the War is an enjoyable novel that stars sympathetic characters acting against a fascinating historical backdrop. While I didn't end up loving this one, I did find it an intriguing and moving tale.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other novels by Susan Meissner, including A Sound Among the Trees; A Fall of Marigolds; Stars Over Sunset Boulevard; A Bridge Across the Ocean; and As Bright As Heaven)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and mild, non-graphic sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Last Year of the War from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
--
As part of the blog tour for The Last Year of the War, Penguin Random House has authorized me to give away a paperback copy of Susan Meissner's last book, As Bright As Heaven. It's a heart-wrenching novel about a mother and daughter living in Philadelphia during the horrific outbreak of the Spanish flu in 1918. Good luck!
Monday, March 11, 2019
WWII Love Story Sweet, But Heart-Wrenching (with a Giveaway!)
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When Evalina Cassano, a 17-year-old Italian-American, falls in love with the Japanese-American boy who delivers produce to her family's restaurant, she knows their developing relationship will only lead to trouble. And that's before the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. In the aftermath, paranoia against anyone of Japanese descent sweeps through the country, making Evalina and Taichi's clandestine romance even more dangerous. When Taichi's family is sent to the Manzanar War Relocation Center, Evalina promises she'll wait for his return. No one knows how long the Japanese-Americans will be detained or what the world will be like when the war's over. Can Evaline keep her promise to Taichi? Is there any hope for a future together, even when barbed wire fences and armed guards aren't standing between them?
Taichi Hamasaki has always been an obedient rule follower. His secret courting of Evalina is the only exception. He can't even bear to tell her the truth about what life is really like inside Manzanar. As things heat up inside the camp, with tempers flaring, gangs forming, and angry mobs causing havoc, Taichi can't remain silent anymore. Even if it means ticking off the most dangerous residents of Manzanar. Can he survive life inside the fence, let alone hope for any kind of future beyond it? The grimmer things get, the more he fears that freedom will never be his.
I've read many books about World War II, but not too many about the experience of the more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans who were held inside internment camps all over the western U.S. for the duration. I want to know more about the subject, so when I read the premise to Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill, I knew I had to read it. And I'm glad I did. The novel paints a vivid, heartbreaking portrait of what Japanese-Americans went through as they were forced out of their homes, moved into hastily-built camps, and pushed into eking out a life in a situation that must have felt completely hopeless. Both Evaline and Taichi are sympathetic characters for whom it's easy to root. Their love story is sweet, but heart-wrenching. Morrill writes with both sensitivity and skill, which makes Within These Lines a compelling, thought-provoking, and memorable read. I enjoyed it.
(Readalikes: The Year Before the War by Susan Meissner; Island of Sweet Pie and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman; and Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Within These Lines from the generous folks at Blink via those at The Fantastic Flying Book Club in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
--
Want more opinions on Within These Lines? Follow along on the book's blog tour:
March 4
That Artsy Reader Girl - Welcome Interview
March 5
Book-Keeping - Book Review
The Reading Corner for All - Book Review, Favorite Quotes, & Book Aesthetic
March 6
Confessions of a YA Reader - Author Guest Post
Phannie the Ginger Bookworm - Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Reading With Wrin - Book Review + Favorite Quotes
March 7
MetalPhantasmReads - Book Spotlight
Here's to Happy Endings - Book Spotlight
A Bookish Dream - Book Review
March 8
Cheyenne Reads - Author Q&A + Book Review
Young Adult Media Consumer - Book Review
Fangirl Fury - Book Review + Favorite Quotes
March 9
Absolute Bookishness - Book Review
Adventures and Reading - Book Review
March 10
Bloggin' 'bout Books - Book Review
Rhythmicbooktrovert - Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Bookish Geek - Author Q&A
Bookish Geek - Author Q&A
March 11
Disappear In Ink - Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Bookish_Kali - Book Review + Favorite Quotes
Want to win a copy of Within These Lines for your very own? Enter to win (U.S. only) using the following link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d9681b86341/. Good luck!
Monday, March 26, 2018
Hawaiian Home Front Comes to Life in New WWII Novel
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
A Minnesota farm girl raised by stern, emotionless parents, Violet Iverson never dreamed she would someday end up living on the lush, exotic island of Hawaii. When a whirlwind romance leads to a one-way ticket to the Big Island and a marriage proposal, she takes a chance and goes. A decade later, warm, gentle Hawaii feels more like home than cold, grim Minnesota ever did. Violet's been happy in Honoka'a, where she teaches at the high school and lives on its campus among friends who feel like family. Recently, however, war has brought unwelcome change to the small town, including rationing, air-raid drills, and the unexplained disappearance of Violet's husband, Herman. Although it's been a year since he vanished, no one can say whether Honoka'a High's former principal is alive or dead. Violet thinks her daughter, 10-year-old Ella, knows something about her father's disappearance, but the girl won't admit to it no matter how hard Violet prods.
When Honoka'a suddenly becomes overrun with soldiers training for a special mission, Violet and her friends decide to earn some extra cash by opening a pie stand near the military base. With suspicion swirling in the sultry island air, the women soon find themselves accused of spying for the enemy. Their Japanese friends are also being targeted. Desperate to clear all of their good names, Violet relies on a handsome Marine to help her find out what really happened to her husband. Exposing secrets is dangerous business, as she soon discovers. With danger all around, can Violet solve a mystery, save her friends, and keep her daughter safe?
I haven't read many World War II novels set entirely on American soil, so I was immediately interested when I heard about Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman. Inspired by the experiences of the author's grandparents—who lived in Honoka'a during World War II and hosted many soldiers in their home while the men were at Camp Tarawa before shipping out for Iwo Jima and Saipan—the novel offers a vivid setting and an intriguing story. Ackerman's prose isn't quite as dynamic, as it's a bit stiff and more tell than show. Her characters aren't all that memorable either, although they're likable enough. Overall, though, I ended up liking Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers. I didn't love it like I wanted to, but I enjoyed the read overall.
(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Middle Grade Japanese Internment Camp Novel Teaches Valuable Lessons
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Manami Tanaka's life on Bainbridge Island, Washington, is nothing remarkable. The 10-year-old spends her days going to school, walking with her grandfather along the beach, and playing with her dog, Yujiin. It's only when she's forced to leave her home that Manami realizes how much she's lost. Ordered to relocate to an interment camp in California, she must give up not just her freedom, but also the companionship of her beloved dog. It's this sacrifice that breaks her heart and steals her voice.
With around 10,000 residents, Manzanar is bursting at the seams. The camp is like a large village, boasting its own school, hospital, store, baseball diamond, and cemetery. Living in such crowded quarters is bad enough, but the people interred there have to deal with the unrelenting heat, dust, and confinement. Manami feels as if she might go crazy. She needs Yujiin now more than she ever has. If she sends him pictures, will her faithful companion come running? Will her family be happy again? Or will Manami be forever mute, lonely, and sad?
Paper Wishes, Lois Sepahban's fictional debut, paints a vivid, sympathetic picture of the plight of Japanese Americans unfairly interred during World War II. Through young Manami, we get a feel for the fear, anger, and dismay that must have accompanied such an experience. Although short and spare, Paper Wishes teaches some valuable lessons about prejudice, hope, and making the best of bad situations. It's an interesting, poignant story. Its plot is quite thin, however, making the tale drag in places. Because of this, I liked Paper Wishes, I just didn't love it.
(Readalikes: I haven't read any other children's books on this subject. Have you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and scary situations
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
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