When a Japanese family is broken up and sent to an internment camp, they are each forced to struggle with different problems. Their temporary home is horrifying and as time passes they struggle to recall their previous lives.

This slim, swift book is still astonishingly powerful, filled with highly descriptive, visual prose that packs an emotional punch. From the little boy's worry about why only one of his friends writes to him, to his mother's war on the perpetual grime in their camp home, we see how these people struggle to cope with their imprisonment. There are some gut-wrenching moments, like when the mother kills the family pets before making the trip, knowing no one will care for them, and some that reveal the stubbornness of the human will to live, like the children's discussions of the world's whys and hows despite the deprivation around them.

Added to The Authoress Bookbox

Chosen from the Authoress Book Box.

Such a sad little tale. Very thought provoking. Well worth the read. Looking for a new reader.

Posting to maggiesma. Hope you enjoy it!

This is a RABCK from heartthumper. I've been wanting to read Julie Otsuka and this looks interesting. Thank you for sharing!

Emotional telling of life for Japanese Americans during the war.

On the book shelf