First published 1993
The Harada family watches their world collapse when government orders force them from their California home into a desert internment camp. Behind barbed wire, father Kenji struggles to maintain his authority while his wife Masa works to keep their children fed and clothed in cramped barracks. Their teenage son Jim wrestles with anger at the country that has imprisoned them despite their loyalty, while daughter Mary tries to continue her education in makeshift classrooms. The family faces daily humiliations and deprivations that test their resolve. Guards watch their every move. Other families around them crack under the pressure of confinement. The Haradas must decide whether to resist or adapt, whether to hold onto hope or surrender to despair. Their fight becomes not just about survival, but about proving they belong in the only country they have ever called home.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, world-war-ii
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, fish-out-of-water
Setting: California, United States
Period: World War II
156 pages · Paperback · Walker Books
Content warnings: racism