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Love and Fences
Love and FencesThey said the camps were for our protection.
But the fences tell another story.
We were born in America. We pledged allegiance to the same flag. We were Americans—but our names and faces were different. I left behind my university, my dream of becoming a doctor, and any illusion that justice was blind.
In 1942, after Executive Order 9066, my family was forced from our home in California to the Topaz War Relocation Center for Japanese Americans in the desolate Utah desert.
Then came Tom Carter, an Army sergeant assigned to guard us. Our first words crossed the fence by chance—a small act of decency that changed everything.
What began as quiet understanding became something neither of us expected nor could deny.
For Tom, it was duty against conscience.
For me, survival against the slow, deliberate erasure of my identity.
Ours is not a simple love story.
It’s about courage, conscience, and the cost of humanity when the world forgets its own.
When fear builds fences, love tears them down.
But the fences tell another story.
We were born in America. We pledged allegiance to the same flag. We were Americans—but our names and faces were different. I left behind my university, my dream of becoming a doctor, and any illusion that justice was blind.
In 1942, after Executive Order 9066, my family was forced from our home in California to the Topaz War Relocation Center for Japanese Americans in the desolate Utah desert.
Then came Tom Carter, an Army sergeant assigned to guard us. Our first words crossed the fence by chance—a small act of decency that changed everything.
What began as quiet understanding became something neither of us expected nor could deny.
For Tom, it was duty against conscience.
For me, survival against the slow, deliberate erasure of my identity.
Ours is not a simple love story.
It’s about courage, conscience, and the cost of humanity when the world forgets its own.
When fear builds fences, love tears them down.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2025
7 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 23, 2025
Can love survive imprisonment? Can the love between a prisoner and her guard can survive in the outside world? Is duty more important than your conscience and doing the right thing? These are the important questions that are at the core of this book.
Set in the detention camps in the United Sates for Japanese and American Japanese citizens during WWII, the book shows the reality that this population suffered starting after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese army, and the conditions present in these camps.
At the core of the story are Tom and Aki and the blossoming love between them.
At times heartbreaking, at times full of hope but always full or raw feelings the book is beautifully written and not shy of telling the story as it happened, showing the amount of research the author had in order to write it.
I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
Set in the detention camps in the United Sates for Japanese and American Japanese citizens during WWII, the book shows the reality that this population suffered starting after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese army, and the conditions present in these camps.
At the core of the story are Tom and Aki and the blossoming love between them.
At times heartbreaking, at times full of hope but always full or raw feelings the book is beautifully written and not shy of telling the story as it happened, showing the amount of research the author had in order to write it.
I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
October 29, 2025
“Love and Fences” is a compelling historical novel set against the backdrop of the Japanese American internment during World War II. It tells the story of two intertwined lives—Staff Sergeant Thomas Carter, an American soldier assigned to guard duty at the Topaz War Relocation Center, and Akiko Tanaka, a young Japanese American woman forced from her California home and imprisoned with her family due to Executive Order 9066.
The narrative alternates between their viewpoints, intertwining themes of loyalty, injustice, and moral awakening. Through Thomas’s lens, readers experience a man grappling with disillusionment as his patriotic aspirations collide with the harsh reality of watching over innocent civilians. His internal struggle reflects the emotional toll on soldiers placed in morally ambiguous situations. In contrast, Akiko’s sections emphasize her resilience and quiet dignity amidst loss—her aspiration to become a doctor abruptly taken from her, her family's life shattered, and her unwavering pursuit of meaning in the face of dehumanization.
Wesley’s writing is vivid and engaging, rich with historical accuracy and emotional depth. The portrayal of the Topaz camp—the dust, cold, and confinement—feels painfully authentic. Yet, the author counters despair with moments of grace: Akiko studying anatomy by the light of kerosene, her mother saving seeds for a future garden, or Thomas recognizing humanity in those he was ordered to confine. The novel compellingly raises questions about serving, obedience, and viewing others as human, even in wartime.
Overall, "Love and Fences" explores the themes of conscience and compassion. It reminds readers that the most significant acts of bravery may not take place on the battlefield but in acknowledging shared humanity beyond the barbed wire.
Try it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The narrative alternates between their viewpoints, intertwining themes of loyalty, injustice, and moral awakening. Through Thomas’s lens, readers experience a man grappling with disillusionment as his patriotic aspirations collide with the harsh reality of watching over innocent civilians. His internal struggle reflects the emotional toll on soldiers placed in morally ambiguous situations. In contrast, Akiko’s sections emphasize her resilience and quiet dignity amidst loss—her aspiration to become a doctor abruptly taken from her, her family's life shattered, and her unwavering pursuit of meaning in the face of dehumanization.
Wesley’s writing is vivid and engaging, rich with historical accuracy and emotional depth. The portrayal of the Topaz camp—the dust, cold, and confinement—feels painfully authentic. Yet, the author counters despair with moments of grace: Akiko studying anatomy by the light of kerosene, her mother saving seeds for a future garden, or Thomas recognizing humanity in those he was ordered to confine. The novel compellingly raises questions about serving, obedience, and viewing others as human, even in wartime.
Overall, "Love and Fences" explores the themes of conscience and compassion. It reminds readers that the most significant acts of bravery may not take place on the battlefield but in acknowledging shared humanity beyond the barbed wire.
Try it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 13, 2025
Love over everything
What an amazing story that shows love can live over many things, even war and being on different sides due to ancestry.
I loved this story for many reasons. I learned more about a war that was created at home, as a result of the war elsewhere. How were our own born here people treated because of their ancestry, not who they are. I also fell in love with the strength that Tom and Aki demonstrated throughout their first few years together. Sometimes love can conquer all!
Thank you, Jordan Wesley, for a wonderful story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.
What an amazing story that shows love can live over many things, even war and being on different sides due to ancestry.
I loved this story for many reasons. I learned more about a war that was created at home, as a result of the war elsewhere. How were our own born here people treated because of their ancestry, not who they are. I also fell in love with the strength that Tom and Aki demonstrated throughout their first few years together. Sometimes love can conquer all!
Thank you, Jordan Wesley, for a wonderful story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.
December 23, 2025
A story intended to be read by anyone who cares for other people!!
This was a truly amazing story told about the injustices done to a nation of people who did not deserve it! You truly need to read Aki and Tom’s story! Very emotional, but enlightening about an embarrassing time in the history of our nation!
The author, Jordan Wesley, did a tremendous job in creating a fictional love story, using real documentation from actual victims!!!
This was a truly amazing story told about the injustices done to a nation of people who did not deserve it! You truly need to read Aki and Tom’s story! Very emotional, but enlightening about an embarrassing time in the history of our nation!
The author, Jordan Wesley, did a tremendous job in creating a fictional love story, using real documentation from actual victims!!!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews