Nisei War series, book #1
In a few words:
Being a Nisei, a son of Japanese immigrants, the USA was not a friendly place to be in 1941 when Japan and the US were on the brink of war. All Tom Sakai wanted was nothing but a good life and a decent job. In search of his place in the world, he leaves Seattle for Manila where he met Fumiko, a Nisei from Los Angeles. They fall in love and together they began a new life...till Pearl Harbor....Now stranded in occupied territory, their survival hinged on whether they stood with the land of rising sun or the land of the free.
My thoughts:
I thought this novel was a war story with some historical facts set in the Pacific theater. I am a huge fan of historical fiction this one left me highly disappointed. Half the book is dedicated to Tom’s childhood and growing up as a Nisei. It was a long and tiresome intro. The pacing is so slow it almost put me to sleep. Later on when things got somewhat moving, the melancholic scenes and Tom reminiscing on his past left me in constant suspense I wanted so much to see what he had to face in the present ; after all wasn’t he in occupied territory where danger lurked everywhere and no one could be trusted. Tom did found out the hard way and was a witness to cruelty multiple times...scenes got hot and exciting but by then the ending was near...far too late to say I had been grabbed by the drama. The story had lost me long before....
On the up side:
The style is filled with emotional conflict and moral dilemmas. It also touches some racism, injustice and has a tad of romance without explicit sexually. The scenarios both played out in the US in the Philippines are believable and showed both sides of the conflicts.
I may not have liked this story at the fullest but it may please you. So this is only my opinion....give this novel a try if you wish.
I would like to thank the Book Whisperer for bringing this book to my attention.
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