Go Forward with Courage

by Melissa Miles

As America is thrust into war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, two young Americans find their lives instantly and dramatically changed. Jackson becomes a first hand witness to the dawning of the war on a Sunday morning in Hawaii which begins like any other. For Michi and her family, the war begins in California, at their family grocery store. Through no choice of their own, both teens find themselves relocated to a rural corner of the Arkansas Delta—far from anything that feels remotely safe or familiar.

Though both are grandchildren of immigrants, life is profoundly different for Jackson and Michi due to the ancestry of their grandparents. Jackson lives on a farm on the outskirts of town and instantly wins over the local boys with his tales of Pearl Harbor and the “Japs”. Michi lives behind barbed wire in the Rohwer Relocation Center with thousands of other Americans relocated there by the government.

As the war drags on, Jackson struggles to let go of the hate that grips him while Michi tries to makes sense of her feelings of betrayal at being considered disloyal to the country she has always been proud of. When circumstances bring the two together, they each discover that during times of war the lines between friends and enemies can be hard to define, as they find themselves at the crossroads of loss and love.

355 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2015

About the author

Melissa Miles is a Registered Nurse and a Certified K-12 teacher. She recently founded a nonprofit, Superhero Success Foundation to help raise awareness of special needs kid and donate copies of Jeremiah Justice Saves the Day to children's hospitals, schools, and programs for special needs kids. Jeremiah Justice is her latest book.
Melissa is a member of SCBWI and serves as the local liaison for the Savannah area.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read. While it seemed to meander a bit and had an ending that was a little too neat and uncomplicated; the narrative was well done. The author did her historical research and it's a topic I will want to read more about. This book was selected by my book club.