A riveting and dramatic story of two devoted sisters, Italian citizens, who must survive in WWII Japan.In 1940, when Simona is eight and her sister, Carolina, is five, their father becomes the cook to the Italian ambassador to Japan, and the family leaves Italy for Tokyo. The girls learn perfect Japanese, make friends, and begin to love life in their new home. But soon Japan is engaged in a world war. In 1943, when all Italians in Japan are confined to internment camps as enemy aliens, Papà and the girls are forced to part, and Simona and Carolina embark on a dramatic journey. Anyone who aids them could be arrested for treason. All the sisters have is each other: their wits, courage, and resilience, and the hope that they will find people who see them not as the enemy, but simply as children trying to survive.
In this gripping, deeply moving story, Donna Jo Napoli gives readers an unforgettable and authentic new perspective on World War II.
Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the picture book
Words to Make a Friend, and some of her stories for young adults include
Stones in Water, Treasury of Greek Mythology, Treasury of Norse Mythology, and
Daughter of Venice. She has five children and eight grandchildren. She dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. She loves to garden, bake bread, dance, and make pottery.
“An enthralling story of sisterhood amongst harrowing war.”
—School Library Journal“Napoli’s story [is] told with immediacy, compassion, and nuance.”
—The Horn Book
