Within These Lines

Gr 9 Up—It's 1942, and in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, California teenagers Evalina Cassano and Taichi Hamisaki fight for their right to love each other. Evalina is the daughter of Italian parents who own an Italian restaurant, and Taichi is the son of Japanese parents who provide the produce for the Cassanos' restaurant. Evalina and Taichi vow to love each other and never give up. However, as Taichi settles into life at Manzanar Relocation Center, in the shadow of Mt. Whitney, and Evalina prepares for her first year at Berkeley, the obstacles become more than they can handle. Japanese is peppered throughout, and the author's extensive research helps to create a rich and engaging atmosphere that will transport readers. Both Evalina and Taichi develop as their stories unfold, and readers get to see them mature and grow as their circumstances evolve.