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| image from goodreads.com |
by Cynthia Kadohata
Genre: Historical Fiction/AR 4.7
Newbery Medal Winner
Set in the 1950s, this is the story of a Japanese-American family that moves from Iowa to Georgia when the family's Asian grocery store goes out of business. Told from Katie's (the middle child) point of view, we learn about the hardships faced in a working poor family along with the determined hope of a family full of love and respect for each other. The family is destined for many hardships that are all foreshadowed in the first few pages of the story. What keeps you reading in spite of that dreary expectation to be fulfilled, is the brightness of the writing and the authenticity of Katie's voice throughout the story.
My favorite quote from the story: “My sister had taught me to look at the world that way, as a place that glitters, as a place where the calls of the crickets and the crows and the wind are everyday occurrences that also happen to be magic.” I've been thinking of the opposite of this very sentiment for weeks, and appreciated the contrasting point of view. It's no small thing when a book can help you shift your perspective.
