  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/15/2016 Eleven-year-old Ema lives in a blend of Japanese and American cultures. As she says, “binational/bicultural/bilingual/biracial,” and “half this/half that.” As the summer of 2001 begins, Ema is preparing to leave Tokyo, but not for her traditional California summer with her mom’s parents. This summer, Ema and her expectant mother retreat to the home of Papa’s parents in western Japan. Ema’s fierce obaasan is counterbalanced by her gentle jiichan, who never misses the daily news broadcast. This backdrop of world events maintains its own tension as Ema faces the challenges of school and a particularly troublesome classmate. Written in free-verse poems, this novel has a quiet pace reflecting the tranquility of traditional Japanese culture. As some readers might anticipate, the calamitous events of 9/11 reverberate across the distance to rattle Ema’s world. The combination of free verse from the vantage of a mixed-race Japanese American youth is reminiscent of Holly Thompson’s writing, although this book is better suited for younger readers. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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