The Fences Between Us, by Kirby Larson. One of three diaries across the different series about Japanese internment. You could make an argument that this story would have been better from Betty Sato’s point of view. But I also think there’s value in having a story about someone who is not part of the Japanese American community but has close ties to it.
This is one of the few I own as both a hard back and an audiobook. Piper’s “secret code” she uses with her brother does not translate well in the audiobook. The websites listed didn’t either. Both mediums include FDR’s declaration of war speech, and I think it’s cooler when you can hear the actual recording.
If you’ve read Larson’s book Hattie Big Sky, you might notice how similar the stories are. That’s why when I learned that Larson was the author of American Girl’s Nanea books, I was hesitant at first thinking I’d be reading the same thing.
Goodreads star rating: 4/5
