Although this one actually started off slow for me, and I was unsure if I would like it, it really redeemed itself in the end. I usually love historical fiction like this, especially when it is about certain parts of history that I only know the bare minimum about. To be honest, the only thing I really knew about the Japanese detainment camps during WWII had to do with what I'd learned from one of the characters in the original Karate Kid movie. Yeah, I know, that's sad. I'm sure I learned other things in school, but that is all that stuck with me.

The book started out seeming like it was just going to be a pretty simple romance story with some of the historical times that it was set in. But once we got to the point where Taichi got sent to the camp, it really got into what resonated with me. The fact that here in America we would start a camp, and run it, almost as bad as what the Nazi's were doing in Germany, frustrates me. However, the book reminded me about how the press made sure to only cover what made it look like the camps were nice relaxing, fun places. That the truth of the matter wasn't really shown. That kind of detail is so relevant in today's world, when we hear about fake news, and you hear that governments or companies, want to control what is reported.

But it wasn't just the Japanese interment camp parts that this book really brought up. There was also the bit that Evalina had to deal with not only as a female, but also as a minority in the country at that time as well. The fact that inter-racial marriage was so illegal at that time, so much more than really ever occurred to me, a very sheltered girl when I was growing up in the suburbs of the 80s.

Overall this was a great historical fiction for teens, and I look forward to putting it in my school library for my students to read.

Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.