
Paper Wishes
Lois Sepahban
(Author)Description
Product Details
Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) |
Publish Date | January 05, 2016 |
Pages | 192 |
Language | English |
Type | |
EAN/UPC | 9780374302160 |
Dimensions | 216.4 X 5.9 X 19.7 inches | 0.7 pounds |
About the Author
Reviews
“This historical debut speaks volumes of love and longing.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“A superior story of survival and love set during this dark time in American history.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“This engaging...book offers a personal perspective on events and reasons to care about the outcome. A fine selection for historical-fiction fans.” —Booklist
“Engrossing and heartrending.” —Publishers Weekly
“...with the memory of the internment camps being volleyed about in current presidential campaign rhetoric, comes Lois Sepahban's PAPER WISHES, a devastating and brave fiction debut that recounts the plight of Manami, a girl from Bainbridge Island, Wash., who is sent to the Manzanar camp in the California desert...What sets Manami's story apart is the delicate way Sepahban handles her obsession with and guilt about leaving the dog behind. An introvert who is made mute by the trauma she experiences, Manami expresses herself by drawing pictures, , including the images of Yujiin that she throws in the Manzanar winds as prayers or wishes for the dog’s return. We watch as she negotiates the unknown through a generous teacher and family members, including a grandfather who is with her at the “prison-village,” a stroke of luck, since most nisei did not have that advantage...although the tone is sober and sad, it’s also a novel in which a mute child finds her voice, at last.” —The New York Times
“Lois Sepahban presents a somber but emotionally true story of WWII Japanese American internment in Paper Wishes. In 1942, ten-year-old Manami and her family are forced to leave their home on Bainbridge Island, Washington, for Manzanar, an internment camp in the California desert. Grandfather has arranged for their beloved dog Yujiin to stay with their pastor, but Manami hides the pup in her coat instead. On the mainland, a soldier discovers him, and he is left behind in a crate, his fate unknown. Heartbroken, Manami becomes mute. Her emotional trauma is sensitively portrayed, but she recovers her voice when she needs it most, and the story closes on a hopeful note.” —The Horn Book
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