Hiroshima Dreams

October 1, 2007
What starts out as a touching coming-of-age story, evolves into a somewhat cluttered plot spanning 11 years. The novel is parceled into three sections, the first of which is devoted to narrator Lin's early childhood, after her grandmother comes from Japan to live with the introverted five-year-old and her interracial family (Lin's father is of Irish descent). As Lin gets to know Obaachan (the Japanese word for grandmother), she learns about both Japanese culture and traditions and the clairvoyant powers that she and her grandmother share. Lin's interactions with her sage, frail grandmother are endearing, if occasionally overwrought. ("Out of everything that is sad and difficult, something good eventually grows.... like the lotus blossom from the mud.") The second section centers on Lin's development as she heads into her teen years: in a few short pages, she helps find a missing child by using her "powers," gets her period, sees the attack on the World Trade Center on TV, and watches her grandmother die from leukemia. Flash forward again to the last section where everything wraps up a bit too neatly for 17-year-old Lin, including a budding romance with the boy she's crushed on for ages, and her attempt to put Obaachan's death behind her. These events are important, but aren't always given the attention they deserve-readers may be left wanting more. Ages 12-up.

December 1, 2007
Gr 6 Up-Lin is five years old when her grandmother arrives from Japan. She feels an immediate kinship with Obaachan, who teaches her to meditate and shares stories of her former life. They also share the gift of vision, or second sight. Lin is a musical prodigy; aware of her otherness, she struggles to find her voice. Unlike her mother and older sister, Sally, who embrace American culture, Lin is drawn to her Japanese heritage. Her story spans 11 years, as she discovers her strengths and overcomes her shyness. After she hears her grandmother's horrific story of surviving the atomic bomb, Lin is troubled by images of Hiroshima, and this is later linked to September 11 and its aftermath. Easton's prose throughout is heartfelt and insightful, but, ultimately, Lin's development follows a familiar path. Secondary characters are interesting if somewhat one-dimensional, and some incidents seem gratuitous, such as when Lin uses her second sight to help police locate a missing boy. These flaws notwithstanding, this pensive coming-of-age novel may hold appeal for readers who appreciate a sensitive, character-driven story."Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 17, 2007
What starts out as a touching coming-of-age story, evolves into a somewhat cluttered plot spanning 11 years. The novel is parceled into three sections, the first of which is devoted to narrator Lin's early childhood, after her grandmother comes from Japan to live with the introverted five-year-old and her interracial family (Lin's father is of Irish descent). As Lin gets to know Obaachan (the Japanese word for grandmother), she learns about both Japanese culture and traditions and the clairvoyant powers that she and her grandmother share. Lin's interactions with her sage, frail grandmother are endearing, if occasionally overwrought. ("Out of everything that is sad and difficult, something good eventually grows.... like the lotus blossom from the mud.") The second section centers on Lin's development as she heads into her teen years: in a few short pages, she helps find a missing child by using her "powers," gets her period, sees the attack on the World Trade Center on TV, and watches her grandmother die from leukemia. Flash forward again to the last section where everything wraps up a bit too neatly for 17-year-old Lin, including a budding romance with the boy she's crushed on for ages, and her attempt to put Obaachan's death behind her. These events are important, but aren't always given the attention they deserve-readers may be left wanting more. Ages 12-up.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2007
Lin ONeils Japanese mom wants to be American like her husbands family. Unfortunately, Obaachan (Lins grandmother) arrives from Japan to join the ONeils in Providence, Rhode Island. Five-year-old Lin bonds with her grandmother, who recognizes the childs mystical intelligence and teaches her to meditate and follow Zen Buddhism. Lin grows up as one of the nerd herd, very different from her older sister, Sally, who thinks she is Barbie. The messages about technology are heavily spelled out, but the melting-pot drama is not simple: it deals with both the need to assimilate and the resistance to assimilate. The familys unspoken past is always in the background, and when the facts are revealed, they are riveting. Obaachan remembers herself as a teen walking the streets of Hiroshima after the bomb, past burning houses and bodies. Just as powerful is Moms secret about why she left Japan and why she doesnt get along with her mother. Many readers will recognize the generational conflicts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)