Yoko—generous, hard-working, persistent to a heroic degree but above all modest—is unforgettable. LC classes this as fiction.
A continuation of Far from the Bamboo Grove (1986), which described the author's harrowing escape from Korea at the end of WW II.
It is 1947 and Yoko, now 13, is still hoping her father will return to Japan; her mother has died, a fact she must conceal from the school her older sister Ko and brother Hideyo insist she attend. The three are refugees in their own country, surviving on the most meager of diets in a ``four-tatami room'' in a warehouse. When their generous landlords are murdered and the warehouse is burned they barely escape; rescuing their few precious possessions, Ko is so badly hurt that she's hospitalized for months. Yoko cares for her while Hideyo holds two menial jobs; they sleep and cook their meals in Ko's hospital room. Meanwhile, they are accused of the murder, exacerbating the cruel hazing Yoko already receives from classmates as a refugee, but are able to help the police solve the crime. When Ko is discharged they build a shack under a bridge; later, they share the home of a kindly Burakumin (outcast) met in the hospital. From its gripping first pages, where the hungry trio is plunged into danger, the immediacy and translucent simplicity of Watkins's narrative are compelling. The authentic portrayal of postwar Japan is fascinating; the lively reconstructed dialogue deftly reveals character, especially of Ko, who masks affection for her sister with stern demands.
Yoko—generous, hard-working, persistent to a heroic degree but above all modest—is unforgettable. LC classes this as fiction. (Autobiography. 11+)Pub Date: April 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-02-792526-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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