This is a truly beautifully written novel about one Chinese boy's attempt to find both physical and mental peace while staying in a little Japanese town on the brink of WWII. The author, Gail Tsukiyama, manages to marry themes of cultural amalgamation, adolescent infatuation, pride, honor, isolation and inner beauty in this poetic work. This is one of my absolute favorite books to teach (I teach it to ninth graders) and the students love both the enchanting, haunting characters as well as the plot. There are two main plot lines to this story that merge spectacularly: that of Steven's life and that of Matsu and Sachi (Matsu is the housekeeper in Japan and Sachi is is childhood crush that is afflicted with leprosy). This text challenges students to see beyond outer beauty and to feel sympathy for the complex relationships for which they are presented. I cannot recommend this book more highly as it is one that you will remember for years after your initial reading.
Julia, High School Teacher
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