Under the Broken Sky by Mariko Nagai - ESSENTIAL

Under the Broken Sky by Mariko Nagai, 293 pages. Christy Ottavaio Books (Henry Holt), 2019. $17.  

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ESSENTIAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Natssu lives with her father and little sister, Asa, in Manchuria during World War II.  12yo Natsu loves her father and helping around the farm, so when her father is conscripted to the Japanese army, Natsu is heartbroken and finds herself in charge of Asa.  A single woman who lives near them takes them under her wing and becomes their Auntie, and when Natsu’s farm is overtaken she follows the other refugees from her town on a harrowing journey towards Japan.  

My heart ached throughout this book.  I loved Natsu and her courage and determination.  This historical fiction is about a little-known time and place in history but will help readers empathize with the journey of refugees.  What a fantastic read.  It is written in prose and contains war violence including death, starvation, mass graves and shootings.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson