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A review by leahegood
Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill
5.0
How can someone be loyal to a country that has cast him out? How can love survive when all the odds stand against it? How can goodness prevail when those fighting for freedom also violate the virtue they've gone to war to protect?
Evalina Cassano and Taichi Hamasaki were never meant to be together ... yet they are determined to be together anyway. But that was before Pearl Harbor. Before people saw an enemy in the slant of Taichi's eyes and the tint of his skin. Before he was evacuated to a detainment camp with no idea of when or if he'll be allowed to leave. What can two young people fresh out of high school do in the face of such overwhelming opposition?
I am so happy I stumbled across the opportunity to read Stephanie Morrill's new book to help with its launch. I was a little skeptical at the love story premise. I like my fiction to be clean and relatively free of sappiness. Happily, I can report that this book, though definitely holding a love story, is both clean (a few mentions of kissing) and any sappiness holds a hard won place in the story.
WWII holds such a prominent place in our countries history. Our memories of the Greatest Generation are closely tied to heroic deeds and rousing patriotism. In the midst of all the well deserved laud, it's easy to overlook the grimmer parts of the USA's journey through WWII. Morrill does a fantastic job of shedding light on this page of history with raw realism, sensitivity, and relevance.
I'm still processing the themes and lessons of this book (stay tuned for a probably future blog post), but this quote from Evalina resonated with me, "As the brilliant sunset cools to gray, I vow my anger over blatant discrimination will not cool. As these rocks stay steady through season changes and time, so I will remain steady. I will not be silent. I will not let this go.” Stories like this remind me not to judge neighbors (Luke 10:25-37) based on fear and assumptions. Stories like this inspire me to be courageously compassionate, fiercely loyal, and graciously determined. And stories like this remind me that holding to one's convictions and moral compass is always the right course of action, even when your pride is bruised and your loyalty tested.
I'm excited for this book to release and for others to enjoy it as much as I did.
*I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of this book free of charge. I am under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.
P.S. Want to read another book set around the Japanese Internment Camps? Try [b:Weedflower|224392|Weedflower|Cynthia Kadohata|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389240169s/224392.jpg|217318].
Evalina Cassano and Taichi Hamasaki were never meant to be together ... yet they are determined to be together anyway. But that was before Pearl Harbor. Before people saw an enemy in the slant of Taichi's eyes and the tint of his skin. Before he was evacuated to a detainment camp with no idea of when or if he'll be allowed to leave. What can two young people fresh out of high school do in the face of such overwhelming opposition?
I am so happy I stumbled across the opportunity to read Stephanie Morrill's new book to help with its launch. I was a little skeptical at the love story premise. I like my fiction to be clean and relatively free of sappiness. Happily, I can report that this book, though definitely holding a love story, is both clean (a few mentions of kissing) and any sappiness holds a hard won place in the story.
WWII holds such a prominent place in our countries history. Our memories of the Greatest Generation are closely tied to heroic deeds and rousing patriotism. In the midst of all the well deserved laud, it's easy to overlook the grimmer parts of the USA's journey through WWII. Morrill does a fantastic job of shedding light on this page of history with raw realism, sensitivity, and relevance.
I'm still processing the themes and lessons of this book (stay tuned for a probably future blog post), but this quote from Evalina resonated with me, "As the brilliant sunset cools to gray, I vow my anger over blatant discrimination will not cool. As these rocks stay steady through season changes and time, so I will remain steady. I will not be silent. I will not let this go.” Stories like this remind me not to judge neighbors (Luke 10:25-37) based on fear and assumptions. Stories like this inspire me to be courageously compassionate, fiercely loyal, and graciously determined. And stories like this remind me that holding to one's convictions and moral compass is always the right course of action, even when your pride is bruised and your loyalty tested.
I'm excited for this book to release and for others to enjoy it as much as I did.
*I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of this book free of charge. I am under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.
P.S. Want to read another book set around the Japanese Internment Camps? Try [b:Weedflower|224392|Weedflower|Cynthia Kadohata|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389240169s/224392.jpg|217318].