The Blossom and the Firefly

by Sherri L. Smith

From the award-winning author of Flygirl comes this powerful WWII romance between two Japanese teens caught in the cogs of an unwinnable war, perfect for fans of Salt to the Sea , Lovely War , and Code Name Verity .

Japan 1945. Taro is a talented violinist and a kamikaze pilot in the days before his first and only mission. He believes he is ready to die for his country . . . until he meets Hana. Hana hasn't been the same since the day she was buried alive in a collapsed trench during a bomb raid. She wonders if it would have been better to have died that day . . . until she meets Taro.

A song will bring them together. The war will tear them apart. Is it possible to live an entire lifetime in eight short days?

Sherri L. Smith has been called "an author with astonishing range" and "a stellar storyteller" by E. Lockhart, the New York Times-bestselling author of We Were Liars, and "a truly talented writer" by Jacqueline Woodson, the National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming. Here, with achingly beautiful prose, Smith weaves a tale of love in the face of death, of hope in the face of tragedy, set against a backdrop of the waning days of the Pacific War.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Historical, Fiction, World War II, Japan

320 pages, Unknown Binding

First published February 18, 2020

About the author

Sherri L. Smith is the award-winning author of YA novels LUCY THE GIANT, SPARROW, HOT SOUR SALTY SWEET, FLYGIRL and ORLEANS. In October 2015, she makes her middle grade debut with THE TOYMAKER’S APPRENTICE from G.P. Putnam and Sons for Penguin Random House.

Sherri has worked in film, animation, comic books and construction. Her books have been listed as Amelia Bloomer, American Library Association Best Books for Young People, and Junior Library Guild Selections. FLYGIRL was the 2009 California Book Awards Gold Medalist.

She loves her family, travel, chocolate chip cookies, reading, and and a really good cup of tea.

Reviews

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I was to sum this up in one word, that word would have to be the word stunning. A gloriously atmospheric, melancholic dive into a world we never see portrayed, the world of the women who cared for and loved the Japanese pilots as they set off to sacrifice themselves in war. This is the story of a pilot and a young high school student, their lives disrupted by a war not of their making, and their gradual realisation that small kindnesses have a lasting effect. That their short lives are to be sacrificed for a cause is one thing, but the depravations of war are another, food is short, suspicions run rife in the towns and even though there are small pleasures to be found in simple things, it is difficult.

Hana our heroine is a lovely sensitive young woman, dutiful and dedicated. Juro our hero is a gifted musician and his violin plays a pivotal role in this story. These two characters come from very different lives but they meet due to the war and through tragedy blooms something beautiful.

I've always loved books set in Japan. This is due to the fact that I've lived there twice in my life when I was young and loved it. I was totally engrossed in this novel and shed a tear in the end. I love the fact that it is different to anything else out there for young adults at the moment. I've ordered copies for our library because I'm sure there is an audience for those who want to read something different, something based on real historical events.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to this glorious book.

[winnie ₊ ⊹ · Rating 2 out of 5]

two stars ∗ i’m sad to say that i didn’t love this as much as i hoped i would :( while i did enjoy learning more about an aspect of wwii that i was ignorant about, i just felt as if there wasn’t much of a plot to it. the writing was quite descriptive and dragged on a bit, and the switched between first person and third person pov was difficult to get used to. overall, this was a somewhat enjoyable read but just not for me, unfortunately. ∗

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fascinating look at World War 2 from the Japanese perspective. I loved the writing, it felt like poetry at times. I really loved Taro's chapters as well, but I found Hana's to be a little lacking to be honest. I found the switching between first and third person to be a bit jarring as well, and the plot was....not really there, but I still loved the writing and the overall message of the story so much. I highly recommend this, and I feel like it's a hidden gem in the historical fiction genre.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quiet, impactful story about two young, damaged souls who connect through music. Japan is embroiled in the Second World War. On an airbase in Chiran, young boys are trained to be kamikaze pilots, and young girls are brought to the base to wave and smile at the boys as they fly to their certain deaths, deaths they have been assured are honourable and glorious. Hana and Taro’s lives intersect at the base. This is a deeply emotional story about duty and honour, about the futility of war, and about the power of music and human connection. Beautiful and melancholy, this is an engrossing read.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story. Well written. You can really tell the author did her research. Would reccomend it to teens and adults that like historical fiction!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5?

I loved the history element so much but sadly didn’t connect as much with Hana’s chapters or the romance. Honestly felt more emotion towards Taro’s friendship and guilt/shame, which I wish was explored more.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, tragic, and atmospheric. I really enjoyed this story, though I disagree with its comparison to Lovely War. This is less a romance than a view of Japan through the eyes of two teens who lived through the war.

Hana is a Nadisheko, young girls who worked as maids at the air base where the tokko or kamikaze pilots flew out for their missions. She detaches herself as best she can, knowing that these boys are going to their deaths.

Taro is a violinist, but with his country at war, he chooses to follow in his father's footsteps and goes into the military to become a pilot.

The story hops between their perspectives, giving a good view of what it was like for young Japanese people during the war.

I think if you went into this story for the romance, you'll be disappointed. Taro and Hana don't even really meet until the halfway point, and even then it's brief moments. They spend very little time together, as most of the book, they are apart. The heart of this story is the war and what it did to these teens. How it affected the entire nation and how they learned to heal.

[Becca Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful example of what I want so bad in YA fiction, but so rarely find. It's not middle grade and it's not exactly adult fiction, because the protagonists are teens struggling with situations that feel very unique to that age. This was pretty much perfect.

I have read a lot of WW2 fiction, but I don't think I've ever read WW2 fiction set in Japan. This was a side of the war that I never considered. There were difficult, sad parts to the story but I appreciate that it ended with hope.

The writer was great and I will definitely look into more of her novels. I loved the way she tied music into the story.

I would hand this to a teen (15+) in a heartbeat!

[Nathan Bartos · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5 Stars
Read for my Library Materials for Young Adults class.
My biggest problem with this book is that I was simply bored. In fact, listening to the audio book, I think I fell asleep for maybe 5% of it, including the first time the POV characters met, and I didn't even care enough to go back, and I also don't really feel like I missed anything. This book could've used some major editing, and I think it could've been a great novella or similarly short novel. I also think it wrapped up just a little too neatly at the end, and it didn't translate to a satisfying payoff for me.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Releases in February of 2020, I have read an advance reader copy from the publisher. I requested the ARC after hearing so much about this YA book. My first read by author Sherri Smith, it won’t be my last. Exceptional research, story and character development. Set in Japan 1945. Taro is a talented violinist and a body-crash (kamikaze) pilot. Hana was almost killed in a bomb raid. They both believe they are meant to die. Then they find each other. Amazing storytelling.

[Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

At no point was i invested in any way in the lives of the characters in this book. I kept plugging away thinking, surely the lives of young adults in WWII Japan will result in something intriguing. In the very least, something will tug at my humanity. NOPE. I'm shocked by the 3.81 rating.

[Kip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning. Get the tissues ready for this one.

[Hella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik heb al eerder een uitgebreid stuk geschreven over culturele toe-eigening. In mijn meest recente recensieboek was dat ook weer aan de orde.

In The Blossom and the Firefly beschrijft Sherri L. Smith (zelf Afro-Amerikaans) de ontluikende liefde tussen twee jonge mensen in het Japan van 1945. Hana is een schoolmeisje dat samen met haar klasgenootjes de kamikazepiloten op de legerbasis in hun dorp moet verzorgen: bedden verschonen, uniformen wassen, eten serveren en wuiven met kersenbloesem als de – eveneens piepjonge – piloten vertrekken om nooit meer terug te komen.
Haar hoofdstukken worden afgewisseld met die over Taro. Hem volgen we vanaf zijn jeugd, we maken mee hoe bepaalde vanzelfsprekende normen al van jongs af aan worden ingeslepen (door een poppenspel bijvoorbeeld). Dat hij violist wil worden en Westerse muziek speelt is zijn vader een doorn in het oog. En als de oorlog eenmaal uitbreekt is muziek natuurlijk niet meer aan de orde. De keizer heeft piloten nodig. Smith laat prachtig zien hoe vanzelfsprekend dat allemaal is, hoe trots de jongens (16-17 jaar) zijn op hun bijzondere rol in de strijd, en hoe groot de schande is als de missie mislukt.

Het boek is doorspekt met Japanse woorden, maar op een heel natuurlijke manier. De stijl van schrijven doet ook Oosters aan, poëtisch en tegelijk onderkoeld.
Achterin vertelt Smith uitgebreid hoe ze er toe kwam dit boek te schrijven, en hoeveel onderzoek ze heeft gedaan, onder andere door het dorp te bezoeken waar dit heeft plaatsgevonden.

Als je met zoveel mededogen, zoveel eerbied en begrip voor de geldende denkbeelden, zoveel inlevingsvermogen kunt schrijven over mensen die niet op je lijken – zowel uiterlijk als cultureel – zie ik het niet als culturele toe-eigening.

Ik zocht meer informatie en kwam dit artikel tegen: Writing Outside Your Identity door Laura Simeon. Zij is redacteur van YA-boeken en schrijft dat er 3 categorieën non-#ownvoices boeken (die dus geschreven zijn door iemand van een andere cultuur) zijn:
1) boeken die op #ownvoices recensenten een goede indruk maken
2) boeken waarin #ownvoices redacteuren echt fouten en een verkeerde weergave van zaken aantreffen
3) boeken waar op het oog nix mis mee is maar die inhoudelijk tekort schieten, ze voelen zich als #ownvoices recensent totaal niet 'gezien'.

Hoe moet het dan wel? Alexander Chee schrijft hierover dat hij dan de volgende vragen stelt:
1) Waarom wil je schrijven vanuit dit personage? In hoeverre maak je deel uit van hun gemeenschap?
2) Lees je boeken die nu in deze gemeenschap worden geschreven? Of lees je nog steeds alleen maar witte mannelijke auteurs?
3) Waarom wil je dit verhaal vertellen? En voortvloeiend hieruit: bevat dit verhaal stereotypering die beschadigend is voor een gemarginaliseerde groep? Moet dit stereotype beslist in het verhaal voorkomen? Moet dit verhaal dan wel geschreven worden?

Het is goed om hier als schrijver altijd bij stil te staan. Ik sta nog steeds voor wat ik destijds schreef: Ik denk dat je beschroomd moet spreken over andere culturen, en dat je niet mag schrijven op een manier die het verhaal van een onderdrukker propageert en bestendigt. Dat heeft niets te maken met politieke correctheid, dat heeft te maken met integriteit en empathie.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with this book.

So often readers go on and on about how much they learn about the world by reading books. This is a true statement for all genres, but historical fiction especially... and this book will open many eyes.



If we read books to gain new perspectives, then reading books that give one culture a glimpse into another culture to shine a light on the conflicts that led to global conflicts, this is a must-read story.



I could see this book being taught in literature classes to tie in with WWII history. While social studies classes go over the history according to the school standard, literature teachers can parallel a new perspective.



If we must know history in order to avoid repeating it, then this is the kind of perspective we need.
Out of all the books that got pushed out in 2020 in the name of diversity, this book tops the list of must-read literature.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up The Blossom and the Firefly at a local auction house. They sell overstocked items, most of which is the junkiest things you ever see. Quite often, they get piles of books I've never seen or heard of, and this was one of them! The books typically are quite good - I've only had two books I've got from them be cringe worthy, so I was delighted to see a YA book!

A World War ll romance? Cool!
Musician teens? Wicked!
A romance that has very little romance but yet still feels like a romance? Intriguing.

This entire book was a soft masterpiece for writing romance without making it packed full of it. There's very little romance in this book at all, yet when the moments come it really knocks you flat. It's quite a talent to write a book and be able to make it hit you that way.

The story is heartbreaking but beautiful. I can see teenaged readers being introduced to World War ll in a very different light than what the history classes tell us. Sometimes, it's nice to see the other side. There were real people with real feelings yet we were all made to think of every single one of them as enemies. This book shows the human side.

Marvelous. A nice, relaxing read.

Four out of five stars.

[Katie Prouty · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I had died in the bombing, and now I would be a handmaiden to the dead.”

may we learn from the sacrifice from the people who fought and died on all sides of this terrible war.

“And this is when I understand my mother's warning. With atachment comes suffering. With joy, sorrow. With peace, war.”

✨THINGS AND STUFF✨
-japan, 1945
-dual pov
-multiple timelines
-songs of war
-kamikaze pilots
-nadeshiko: female youth war group & delicate pink blossom
-fearless like the dragonfly
-sacrifice & the shame of being alive
-#IsThisAKissingBook: no kisses here.

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book so much. It made feel melancholy but some stories do that to you and sometimes it's good to feel that way.

[The LitBuzz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” -Pablo Casals
The Blossom and the Firefly is a poignant story about two young lives that are swept up in the turmoil of WWII in Japan. Sherri L. Smith creates such a beautiful tale, both elegantly written and executed, it will no doubt become a timeless classic for any age.

I was swept away by Sherri L. Smith. The Blossom and the Firefly gives a voice to two young adults on the other side of the ocean during the lead-up and throughout WWII in Japan. I am familiar with literature written about Europe during this same time frame, but reading about the lives of the children and wives that were left behind to help support the soldiers of the Emperor’s war effort was truly eye-opening.

Hana and Taro’s life begin much like others in Japan before start the start of WWII. Like many other nations, Japan also suffered from their own Great Depression, which in turn led their leader, the Emperor, to start campaigns to regain the honor and glory of Japan. Taro and Hana have mirrored journeys. When one path in life must be abandoned for duty to their nation, and honor to their families, both Taro and Hana are warned that attachments in the War are often fruitless, and must not formed. Watching how they grapple with wanting to listen to the music that lives in their hearts, or to set it aside for duty to country is heart-wrenching.

The beautiful way The Blossom and the Firefly is crafted by Sherri L. Smith effortlessly mimics the rise and fall of a poem set to music. With how integral music is woven into the story, it creates a symmetry that highlighted the plot so effortlessly.

Sherri L. Smith has herself one more dedicated reader to her fan base. After reading The Blossom and the Firefly, I will be reading every single book in her catalogue. Friends, Bees, and Bookworms: do not let this book get away from you! It is out for release on February 18th, and should be a must-read for readers of every age.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was definitely intrigued by the historical aspect of this that is not often found in YA books, at least not that I’ve noticed. At first the jumping from character to character and going back in time for Taro’s part of the story kept me flipping back to figure out where I was, but I soon understood and was able to dive into the story. I was also lucky that we ended up with a snow day the week I chose to read this, because I got to spend my snow day reading and finishing the story.

There was so much that made me think in this book. Originally I gave it only 4 stars, because I thought it was going to be more about Hiroshima or even get us close into Pearl Harbor and what happened with that. But as I continue to think about what I read, and even discuss it with others, I decided to bump it up to 4.5.

One thing that really stood out to me was that the soldiers/pilots, may still have had girls falling in love with them like even American soldiers do. But the end result for these was so different that it really stuck out to me. You see the kamikaze pilots main goal was to crash and burn. To crash into the enemies boats, planes, whatever, and the goal was not to make it out alive. They were sacrificing everything for their country. So if for some reason they didn’t die, then they were considered disgraced and that they’d dishonored their own names. So how hard would it have been to fall in love with those men, boys at times? Not to mention the women’s own sacrificial mindsets. Strapping their children to their bodies and then drowning them as they committed suicide themselves so that they could meet their husband on the other side after his mission was victorious.

Definitely an eye-opening read, one I plan to promote with students and teachers.

Review first appeared on Lisa Loves Literature.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual WWII love story, told entirely from the Japanese point of view about a Japanese school girl and a boy preparing to honorably fly to his death as a tokko, or kamikaze, pilot. Beautiful spare writing mirrors Japanese modesty and tradition. This haunting story will stay with you.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book reads like a lyrical poem. The story is touching and thoughtfully written by a talented storyteller. I had not heard about the Nadeshiko girls of Chiran before this book, and Ms Smith brings it to light and life with beautiful prose.

[Glitter Sherlocked · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's definitely the best book I've read this year

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 sweet story. Not enough for these times.

[Sydney Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeously written, making me feel like I now know what it was like to be Japanese, what drove them in WWII.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blossom and the Firefly is set in Japan in 1945. It follows two characters, Hana and Taro. Hana has not been the same since she was buried alive in a trench after a bombing. But her and her friends have a duty as Nadeshiko, teenage girls who were sent to the airbase in Chiran to be the final faces and wave off the tokkō pilots of the Japanese Air Force. Taro is a tokkō, a pilot whose only mission is to crash his plane into the enemy ships. When the two meet, they realize that there is more to life than what they previously thought.
I want to say that I am not Japanese nor do I have any say of representation in this book. I would ask you to seek out own voices reviewers as my review will be based off enjoyment and what I learned while reading this.
I also want to say that this review will be more about what I learned than the story. I want to say that I really loved the story. It was a very quiet story without a lot of action but it's one that has a huge impact. You grow to love Hana and Taro and want the best for them in this story. It's heartbreaking and made me cry at the end thinking of the real people this was based off of. It's not a story with a lot of action and the plot is driven by the growth of the characters. If you don't like character driven stories, this may not be the one for you. However, if you love slow growth and character driven stories, I would say to pick this up as you see Hana and Taro grow a lot and come to really appreciate their characters.
Wow. Where do I even begin with this book? First off, I want to say that I woefully admit that I have not read a World War II novel or non-fiction book from the Japanese perspective. As someone who prides themselves on studying World War II, I find that this is a part of that history that I am woefully lax in. This book has changed that for me and opened my eyes to seeking those stories now.
Without getting into spoilers, I want to say that I loved this book and it opened my eyes immensely. Much of the content I have consumed about World War II has been from a very Western perspective which can lean towards attacking or demonizing these stories. While there are bad things that the Japanese did during this war, there is also the human stories that we never get to see or know about that should be talked about.
This book opened my eyes to those human stories. While I loved Hana and Taro and I found their perspectives so interesting and enlightening, I found that the underlying story that was being told was what kept drawing me in. Their story is based off of hundreds of tokkō and Nadeshiko boys and girls stories. It's based off the history of this airbase in Chiran, in the southern most part of Japan. This story spoke about how the Nadeshiko were young girls forced to wave and smile at boys as they flew to their imminent deaths. It talked about how the tokkō were told they were doing something glorious for this country, something that would help them turn the tide of war but their sacrifice was so short lived. Thankfully, Japan recognizes these deaths and embraces their history so that we may learn and not repeat history.
At the end of the day, this story was about the home front in Japan and what it was like to live in Japan during 1945 and a little bit after the war. It was a human story about what we would do to protect our loved ones and our country, the ways we perceive to be the right way. It was a human story and one about a time when things were so messy and bloody and nobody took the time to hear from the other side. I am glad I read this book as it opened my eyes to what I have been lacking as far as research and things I know and I will be sure to rectify that in the future.
If you are looking for a book set during World War II and is from the perspective of two teenagers living in Japan, pick this up. If you like studying World War II and want to expand your horizons, pick this up. It's a book that I felt was really important for me to read and for everyone to read.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by Follett First Look

Taro is born to a middle class family in Japan, and takes to the violin at a very early age. Hana is the daughter of tailors who live in Chiran, on Kyushu. Her father goes off to fight in the war, and her mother is left to carry on with the business. Taro ends up in flight training, like most young men his age in the early 1940s, and eventually ends up at an air base near Hana, destined to be a kamikaze, or tokko, pilot. Hana's school stops teaching, and after working in the sweet potato fields for a long time and having a close call with a bomb, she is works as a maid at the base. She tries to be as emotionally detached as she can be, knowing that the young men she serves will all fly to their deaths. Life is very hard, and she feels that the bombing in the field is a critical point in her life, and she doesn't allow herself to feel anything about all of the deprivations in her life, including missing her father and his music. Taro is also somewhat detached, preferring his music to the company of the other aviators. He knows that he should tell his family what his fate is destined to be, but finds himself unable to, especially after his mother presents him with a sennibari, a thousand stitch belt his mother managed to get made to protect him in the war. Taro and Hana eventually have a small moment of recognition as fellow musicians, and when he is supposed to have his last mission, he gives her his violin for safekeeping. When he and another pilot are unable to complete their mission, he returns to the base. Hana and her mother have him to dinner, and the connection between the two of them grows. Eventually, Taro does fly out, and Hana does not find out about the result of his mission, but assumes he is dead. Unbelievably, he crashes but is rescued, and returns home at the end of the war filled with guilt and shame. His mother is glad he survived, but his father does not seem to be. Hana's village changes after the war, and many US soldiers remain in the area. Will Taro and Hana ever find out if the other survived the war?
Strengths: This was a tremendously sad and moving picture of life in Japan during WWII. Like Burkinshaw's The Last Cherry Blossom, this shows how difficult circumstances were. Not only was food scarce and the death toll high, but there are moments of unbelievable loss, like the Battle of Saipan and the suicide of 1,000 civilians in its wake. I've never read anything about the Japanese aviators or the young women who served them, so this was fascinating, and the research is well done. This is certainly a book that makes one feel the complete and utter uselessness of war.
Weaknesses: While I enjoyed the depiction of every day life, this is a bit slow paced for my avid WWII fans who like action and adventure.
What I really think: This is such an unusual portrait of a wartime experience that I will have to buy it for our 8th grade unit, but it will take a mature reader who really likes history to fully appreciate it.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Sherri L. Smith’s The Blossom and the Firefly is a beautifully written yet imperfect novel that explores duty, sacrifice, and fleeting love in wartime Japan. With lyrical prose and meticulous historical detail, the story transports readers into the world of Hana, a schoolgirl caring for kamikaze pilots, and Taro, a violinist turned pilot facing an inevitable fate.

However, despite the stunning writing, I struggled with the first half of the book. The pacing felt slow, and the jumps between Taro’s past and the present timeline were jarring rather than engaging. While I understand the importance of seeing Taro’s past, I think the story would have benefitted from a deeper look into Hana’s history as well. Perhaps if both of their pasts had been developed equally—showing them growing up separately but paralleling each other—I might have felt a stronger connection to Taro and Hana.

That being said, the second half of the novel was absolutely beautiful. Once Taro and Hana finally met and formed their quiet, tender bond, I found myself truly invested. Their romance was subtle yet powerful, conveyed through a glance, a small gesture, or an unspoken understanding. It was heartbreaking to watch their story unfold, knowing what awaited Taro.

One aspect that stood out was how well Smith captured Japanese culture and mannerisms. The ending, while not as detailed as I would have liked, felt distinctly Japanese in its restraint and quiet emotion. I also appreciated the raw and introspective way the book explored the mindset of a kamikaze pilot—Taro’s perspective on his duty and impending death was particularly compelling.

Overall, The Blossom and the Firefly is a wonderfully crafted and deeply moving story, but my enjoyment was hindered by my difficulty connecting with the characters early on. If the first half had been more engaging, this would have been a higher-rated read for me. However, for those who appreciate historical fiction with lyrical writing and understated romance, this novel is certainly worth reading.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compelling and important story, but the first and most important thing I'd say about it is that the author's mastery of language and storytelling can serve as mentor text for young writers and successfully published ones. When I am immersed in a story that keeps me turning pages, but notice incredible turns of phrase or powerful story-structuring, I simply read on and return later to examine the craft elements. In this case, I could not. There were multiple places in which I paused and reread passages aloud o myself, explored the choices made, and then returned to take a running start on the story I had paused.
About that story:
As a child of a WWII veteran, growing up with both Pacific and European veterans among my close family friends, I deeply appreciated the ways in which the Japanese historic and cultural forces at work (for decades and millennia) shaped the actions that have become stereotypical or even tropes among modern society. This has rarely been told in such an engaging and deeply researched way. The complexity of broad social patterns and cultural family ones were depicted as organic elements within a story of individuals and families. These characters stepped off the page and entered my life.
A reader asked if there is anything unsuitable/explicit that might be a caution for younger readers. My thought about that is that the realities of war and cultural pressures and the historic framework surrounding the story are more significant considerations. This is the type of story I would have devoured at nine or ten years old, understanding much of it. But if I had done so, I would hope that a caring adult would urge me to read it again as a teen, and again as an adult, at several stages throughout my life. The layers and depth of this will shift a reader's perspective based on what is brought to the page, with a tender and totally "safe" relationship emerging among the many other important themes and relationships throughout.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting. Lyrical. Sad.

This book has sat on my TBR for far too long and is one of the most beautiful historical fictions I have read in a long time. The weight of this story is extremely heavy and depressing, so if your heart can handle it, it's an absolute must read. It also didn't get the attention it deserved when it first came out last year.

Smith absolutely did her research! I didn't even realize how extensively she dove into history until the Author's Note at the end. Many of the side characters in the novel were largely based off of real historical figures.

There are a plethora of WWII historical fiction novels in this world, and not enough from the Japanese perspective. Are you ready for a culture shock? A lesson in different cultural practices? Because these young Japanese boys were ready to train SPECIFICALLY to body crash their planes in order to save the rest of their people. And my heart had the most difficult time handling the fact that this was even a thing.

War is absolutely horrible. And any soldier who went off to fight for his country understood the ultimate danger. But somehow it's different when the sole purpose these Japanese fighter pilots were given was to body crash their planes on American destroyers in the sea. That's it. They had no promise of salvation; they trained for death, specifically.

Throw in a romance between the right people at the wrong time and tears are sure to flow. This is a must read, but only if you're ready.

CW: Suicide, war, death

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received advanced reader copy from publisher via Baker & Taylor book supplier

Taro is a talented violinist but his father continually tells him that Japan needs pilots not musicians. So, Taro enlists in the military, trains to be a pilot, and prepares himself to die for his country. Hana hasn’t been the same since her friends pulled her from a trench after she was buried alive during a bombing. Then, as she serves at the local air base, sending pilots to the sky with bows and cherry blossoms, she hears a song … and meets Taro. Eight days. They get eight days before he flies to his honorable death.

Sherri L. Smith’s words dance off these pages. The sentences flow like notes off Taro’s violin or Hana’s father’s koto. The story is lyrical and it defies my attempts to review it. I cannot. It must be read, savored, experienced. The Blossom and the Firefly is so, so, so much more than a love story. I fear too many will brush it aside because of the hint of romance that is given on the book’s jacket. They will miss such beauty.

I can say, without feeling I’m doing a disservice to Sherri’s prose, that I think this is the first time I have read a World War II story set in Japan, with Japanese main characters, rich in the Japanese culture, and giving the account of the Japanese war. How could I have not known that kamikaze is literal? That these pilots trained to aim their planes at U.S. warships, knowing they will die in their attempt to kill U.S. soldiers while also destroying the U.S. equipment? How could I have not known about this?! I continue to be awed at how fiction can teach, how it broadens horizons, and opens eyes. All of the reading I’ve done on and about World War II and I didn’t know kamikaze was a real thing??!! Geez … I’d feel stupid except I decided ages ago that stupidity is only the lack of asking questions and absorbing new information, of closing your eyes and ears to new things.

Once again, just as she did in Flygirl, Sherri teaches me something new about World War II. And, this time, she also taught me about an Eastern storytelling device I had not known of: kishōtenketsu, a four-act narrative or plot without conflict that is used often in Asian storytelling. In her acknowledgements, Sherri apologizes for Westernizing the device but I whole-heartedly thank her for continuing to teach me as I read all of her exquisite work.