Los Angeles, 1941. Violinist Maddie Kern's life seemed destined to unfold with the predictable elegance of a Bach concerto. Then she fell in love with Lane Moritomo. Her brother's best friend, Lane is the handsome, ambitious son of Japanese immigrants. Maddie was prepared for disapproval from their families, but when Pearl Harbor is bombed the day after she and Lane elope, the full force of their decision becomes apparent. In the eyes of a fearful nation, Lane is no longer just an outsider, but an enemy.
When her husband is interned at a war relocation camp, Maddie follows, sacrificing her Juilliard ambitions. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.
Publisher info:
Kensington Books (U.S.), Avon/HarperCollins UK
Release date: February 28, 2012 (March 2012)
ISBN: 978-0-7582-4685-1
Original Trade Paperback, 420 pages
Price: $15 U.S./$16.95 Can.
Special features: Discussion Guide and Asian-fusion recipes in the book
Behind the Story
Long before Kristina's literary journey began, the extraordinary account of a family friend - one who had fought for America and his brother for Japan - had taken root in her mind. While researching the subject, she happened across a brief mention of approximately two hundred non-Japanese spouses who had chosen to live voluntarily in the U.S. internment camps. Stunned and fascinated by the discovery, she instantly knew it was a story that needed to be told.
In preparing for the book, Kristina learned a great deal from her research expeditions, which included: a pilgrimage to the Manzanar relocation camp, a flight on a B-17 bomber, an exploration of L.A.'s Little Tokyo, and interviews with several Japanese American WWII vets who bravely served in a secret branch of the U.S. Army, despite their families being interned back at home.
From the tragedies of war to the inspiration from such humble heroes, Kristina carefully gathered the pieces of what would become her second novel, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves. Woven into the story is her unique insight as the American daughter of a Caucasian mother and Japanese immigrant father. But it is the rare perspectives and real-life accounts spotlighted on the pages that will undoubtedly shock and intrigue readers for years to come.
Brief bio:
Kristina McMorris is a graduate of Pepperdine University and the recipient of nearly twenty national literary awards. A host of weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, she penned her debut novel, Letters from Home (Kensington Books, Avon/HarperCollins UK), based on inspiration from her grandparents' wartime courtship. This critically praised book was declared a must-read by Woman's Day magazine and achieved additional acclaim as a Reader's Digest Select Editions feature, a Doubleday/Literary Guild selection, and a 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Historical Fiction. Her second novel, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves (March 2012), has already received glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, among many others. Named one of Portland's "40 Under 40" by The Business Journal, Kristina lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she refuses to own an umbrella.
My Thoughts:
This is the second book I have read of Kristina McMorris, first one was Letters From Home , and I have to say I hope she keeps on writing. Her style of writing is so perfect with all the emotions, sights and a sense of the time of WWII are so spot on I felt I was there right in the story. Told with a wealth of knowledge of the era and the Japanese/Americans part in the war. A compassionate, heartfelt and at times sad but triumphant story of how war touches all sides not just ours. I got to feel what it was like for a Japanese/American in an internment camp, the racial slurs but most of all the love that was shown throughout the whole story. Parts of the story had me in tears but that is what a truly well told story is supposed to do..play with our emotions. If you are a WWII history buff or even if you are not, like me, this is a story not to be missed. I highly recommend it.
Thank you Kristina for sharing this book with me. I was not monetarily compensated for my review.
Author links:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/KrisMcmorris
www.tinyurl.com/McMorris-BSL
Retailer links:
Amazon: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-Amazon
B&N: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-Barnes
Powell's: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-Powells
Indiebound: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-Indie
Books-a-million: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-BAM
Super review! I love when the author has a personal story to pull from when writing their novels, it helps to make it all the more realistic and important to them!
ReplyDeleteMelanie
This sounds fabulous. I remember when I first learned about the Japanese internship camps and naively thought "that couldn't happen in America!" War brings our most irrational fears to the surface. I can *not* wait to read this one.
ReplyDeleteYou will not be disappointed Kelly and I agree Melanie, it is incredible the amount of research that went into this book...Kristina's other book Letters from Home is great also. Thank you for stopping by
ReplyDeleteWow! Sounds like a fabulous book. What a pretty cover. Thanks for the review.
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