Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill

This was on our Wish List, but Mr. Weber sent us a copy from his daughter's bookcase cleanout. 

NOT an easy read.  At all.  

Evalina is an Italian American in California.  She is in love with Taichi Hamasaki, who is Japanese.  It is 1941, and Japan has just attacked Pearl Harbor.  Their relationship is completely illegal, as interracial marriage is banned. Taichi and his family are sent to an internment camp.  

The treatment of Taichi and his family is awful.  I know that my education glossed right over the interment camps our country set up on American soil to hold American citizens who were of Japanese descent.  Only recently has this truth begun to be included in our curricula.  George Takei and Kyle Larson have been instrumental in using their fame to help remind us what transpired.  

Taichi and Evalina communicate through letters. There is of course the chance their writings will be intercepted.  In addition, Evalina becomes a vocal protester of the camps, putting her own Italian family in danger.  

This would be great book to add to our freshman independent reading list for WWII and Romeo & Juliet. I did cry at the end, but they were happy tears.  

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.