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slugger's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: War and Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
kari_f's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms is part historical fiction, part love story, and part social commentary. All of these parts add up to a beautiful story of resilience, heartbreak, empathy, sacrifice, and the hope for a better future.
I’ve read historical novels about Japanese internment in other countries, but never one taking place in Australia. The main characters are a Japanese prisoner of war and a young Aboriginal woman on the Erambie Mission in New South Wales during World War II.
Through their conversations with each other, we learn about the cultures, fears, and dreams of both characters. We grow to love them both as they fall in love with each other, but we also feel the immense pressure they both bear the weight of because of the societal issues plaguing their communities. The book dives into hard topics and looks at multiple dichotomies: peace vs war, safety vs honor, personal freedom and autonomy vs servitude and societal pressure. It’s a book that uses the past as a lens to observe the present and to tell the stories of voices not often heard in popular literature. It’s a book that asks the reader to re-examine their ideas on “other” and “enemy,” in order to really see the beauty and culture and goodness of individuals different from ourselves.
✅ for lovers of historical fiction and learning about culture
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
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