Reviews

I absolutely loved all the characters in this story. This book had so many wonderful elements to it - family, love, loss, war, the search for one's identity... This is the first story I've read about Japanese/American relations in the U.S. during the time of Pearl Harbor and it forced me to think about something I never had before as well as enlightening me. My favorite thing about this book were definitely the portrayal of the characters - all so very believable. I look forward to reading more by this author.

gr8reader's review against another edition

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5.0

This is another book that will sit on the bookshelf in my mind for years to come. One that I will take down, rifle through it's pages and wonder about the characters - where they are now, what they are up to.....but also to think about where they were then, who they were, what they went through. This story tells of 3 families, each with their own losses and tragedies. This story told a tale of a Japanese American who fell in love with his best friend's sister at the brink of war with Japan. How the brother falls for his sister's best friend. Of the experience of Japanese Americans during the internment and to those who love them. It is about choices made, about the results of those choices, coming to forgive those responsible for events that happen. (doing my best to not be a spoiler)

This was quite encompassing - covering a college baseball hopeful who enlists to fight for his country and later uses his 'fame' and skill to organize a life saving game; a woman who finds herself becoming a baseball pro, traveling the country until a family health emergency calls her home; a man who enlists to prove himself to be the American many feel he isn't because of his culture; a man who learns to love again after opening his home to women displaced because of the war; about POW camps; about love, hope and finding happiness despite all the heartbreak.

There were times my reading was slowed down by McMorris' way with words...times it was slowed because I was caught up in the melody coming across the pages as Maddie played a soulful tune on her violin...and times that my reading was slowed because of the tears that were streaming down my face.

Yes, this book will be joining the likes of "Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet" and "Those Who Save Us"

rebeccahenion's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

brinastewart's review

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2.0

This was a rough one and not just because of the WW2 setting. I struggled to push through, it just could not hold my interest for long sets of time. The fact that the author did not lay out the passing of time well contributed a lot to this. Having a line sprinkled here and there saying "3 months passed", "Nine months later", "4 years____", did not do the job of having the reader feel that amount of time had passed. It just confused me further because I would then have to try and adjust what I had read up to those statements. Knowing that the ending would not happy, but sad did not encourage the feeling of wanting to know what happens next. I was just cautiously reading and waiting for the sad event.

lynnski723's review

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3.0

3.5 stars. It was enjoyable but not wonderful. Although predictable at times, I did like the storyline

kenziek15's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

It was a slow start but I could not put it down in the second half

cakt1991's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Of all the books I’ve read from Kristina McMorris thus far, this one is perhaps the one I felt most connected with. Like her, I’m half-Japanese (although not biracial), and I’m always looking to learn more about what Japanese Americans went through during World War II, because while there are some aspects which are public record, others are more obscure. This book is centered around one of them, the fact that there were actually many non-Japanese who voluntarily chose to live in internment with the Japanese people, many of them spouses in mixed-race marriages. Add that to the complex politics around mixed-race marriages at the time, and it makes for an intriguing story.

The heart of the story is the love story between Lane and Maddie, and their other loved ones, and the sacrifices they’re willing to make in hopes they can all live happily together. My heart hurt for them, as I deeply wanted them to be happy, and while I knew not to expect a genre romance, the ending was still a gut punch (albeit one tinged with hope).

I also love how the story charts the characters’ growth as individuals. Maddie in particular comes into her own over the course of the war, going from a bright-eyed girl to a strong woman, who’s been through a lot, but becomes stronger for it. And Lane, with his desire to prove himself, also comes of age in his own way…even as his pursuits are more perilous.

This is a beautiful book, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for romantic historical fiction.

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