Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield


The blurb:
In the dark days of war, a mother makes the ultimate sacrifice
Lucy Takeda is just fourteen years old, living in Los Angeles, when the bombs rain down on Pearl Harbor. Within weeks, she and her mother, Miyako, are ripped from their home, rounded up—along with thousands of other innocent Japanese-Americans—and taken to the Manzanar prison camp.
Buffeted by blistering heat and choking dust, Lucy and Miyako must endure the harsh living conditions of the camp. Corruption and abuse creep into every corner of Manzanar, eventually ensnaring beautiful, vulnerable Miyako. Ruined and unwilling to surrender her daughter to the same fate, Miyako soon breaks. Her final act of desperation will stay with Lucy forever…and spur her to sins of her own.

Review:
I hadn't expected to be so engrossed in Garden of Stones but Sophie Littlefield masterfully combines mystery with historical details and takes us back to California, Washington State and the Manzanar prison camp during the time of Japanese American interment.  We get to know Lucy as a young girl and her learn of her mysterious and glamorous mother,  and are soon caught up in the tragedies that seem to follow Miyako.  Carefully plotted, well crafted, and told with sympathy, the story of Lucy, Miyako and their fellow Japanese Americans will move you deeply.

ISBN-10: 0778313522 - Paperback $14.95
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA; Original edition (February 26, 2013), 320 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.

About the Author:
Sophie Littlefield grew up in rural Missouri and attended college in Indiana. She worked in technology before having children, and was lucky enough to stay home with them while they were growing up. She writes novels for kids and adults, and lives in Northern California. Visit her online at www.SophieLittlefield.com.

1 comment:

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