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In a Flash
A riveting and dramatic story of two devoted sisters, Italian citizens, who must survive in WWII Japan.In 1940, when Simona is eight and her sister, Carolina, is five, their father becomes the cook to the Italian ambassador to Japan, and the family leaves Italy for Tokyo. The girls learn perfect Japanese, make friends, and begin to love life in their new home. But soon Japan is engaged in a world war. In 1943, when all Italians in Japan are confined to internment camps as enemy aliens, Papà and the girls are forced to part, and Simona and Carolina embark on a dramatic journey. Anyone who aids them could be arrested for treason. All the sisters have is each their wits, courage, and resilience, and the hope that they will find people who see them not as the enemy, but simply as children trying to survive. In this gripping, deeply moving story, Donna Jo Napoli gives readers an unforgettable and authentic new perspective on World War II.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2021
9 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Donna Jo Napoli
136 books1,111 followersDonna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. She loves to garden and bake bread, and even dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 18, 2021
I've read a lot of World War II books, but IN A FLASH offers a perspective I've never encountered before—that of foreigners (Italians, in this case) living in Japan during the war. I had no idea Westerners were detained by the Japanese, just as Japanese-Americans were in the U.S. The situation makes an interesting premise for a book. Napoli uses vivid historical detail to bring the period to life, showing the hardships endured by everyone in war-torn Japan. The fear, paranoia, confusion, and suffering are palpable, meaning IN A FLASH is not always the easiest read.
Simona is an empathetic heroine. She's brave, loyal, and compassionate, especially when it comes to protecting her family members and friends. It's easy to root for her success as she faces her challenges and keeps moving forward with courage and hope. While Carolina is more whiny, she's also a brave, stubborn character who's difficult not to like.
Napoli's prose has a herky-jerkiness to it that irritated me at first. Once I got used to it, though, IN A FLASH flowed well for me. It's long for a MG book, but there's enough action and conflict to keep it moving along at a fair clip. I was never bored with the story. While Napoli doesn't skimp on gruesome war details and ends IN A FLASH in a realistic way, the tale remains hopeful throughout. I enjoyed it, even though—as I said earlier—it's not always an easy or happy read.
Simona is an empathetic heroine. She's brave, loyal, and compassionate, especially when it comes to protecting her family members and friends. It's easy to root for her success as she faces her challenges and keeps moving forward with courage and hope. While Carolina is more whiny, she's also a brave, stubborn character who's difficult not to like.
Napoli's prose has a herky-jerkiness to it that irritated me at first. Once I got used to it, though, IN A FLASH flowed well for me. It's long for a MG book, but there's enough action and conflict to keep it moving along at a fair clip. I was never bored with the story. While Napoli doesn't skimp on gruesome war details and ends IN A FLASH in a realistic way, the tale remains hopeful throughout. I enjoyed it, even though—as I said earlier—it's not always an easy or happy read.
July 15, 2021
Once I got onboard with the story, I enjoyed the journey that these two sisters took. I was having a hard time understanding some of the choices that their father made but I wasn’t walking in his shoes so perhaps I didn’t know the complete story. I knew that he was trying to provide the best life for his daughters and money was key to this success but still, money can’t always be your driving force. His daughters were wonderful and considering everything that they endured, their relationship emerged stronger than before.
Papa accepts a new position in Tokyo, Japan, leaving his mother-in-law and the grandma to his two small children behind in Italy. With a bump in salary, a 1–2-year commitment in Italy (that Papa feels will be sufficient), and other benefits for his children, Papa feels this is a great opportunity. Enrolling 8-year-old Simona in public school, was a great financial decision until he realizes how important the private schools are, for helping foreign children learn the Japanese language. Little Carolina is brought to work with him each day as she will have someone there, about the same age as her, that she can play with.
It’s not all perfect in the beginning but over time, things change and the girls begin to love Japan. It’s hard to believe but time passes so quickly and although Papa’s “sufficient time period” is over, Papa and the girls aren’t ready to go back home to Italy. I’m wondering now, should Papa stick with his 1–2-year time period? Just because his children are not ready to return home, does that matter? Papa wasn’t doing anything fantastic besides what he was doing from Day #1 so basically life was just going on smoothly and the girls were settling in. Do you stay based on their opinion or go back? Time to do more reading.
There had been talk of war but now, the realities of it were hitting home. Papa is worried about Italy; will it be taken over? What will happen to their family and friends back home? Pearl Harbor has been attacked by the Japanese and tension is mounting, elsewhere. Hostility against foreigners is intensifying as the officials begin to gather them for relocation. As Papa and his girls are rounded up, the girls get separated from their father. Now what? They’re too young to be by themselves and I visualize Papa digging ditches or I don’t want to think where else Papa could end up at. The girls never give up hope of being reunited with their Papa as they take on different roles to survive as the world, enters WWII.
Wow, I really enjoyed this book but I thought it was sad. I liked how the sisters kept trying to find their father and how they accepted life. I liked how they took on a variety of identities to survive and they didn’t let their emotions control their lives. Their curiosity, bravery and support from each other helped them get through another day. A very eventful book that gave me a different view of this time period. 4.5 stars
Papa accepts a new position in Tokyo, Japan, leaving his mother-in-law and the grandma to his two small children behind in Italy. With a bump in salary, a 1–2-year commitment in Italy (that Papa feels will be sufficient), and other benefits for his children, Papa feels this is a great opportunity. Enrolling 8-year-old Simona in public school, was a great financial decision until he realizes how important the private schools are, for helping foreign children learn the Japanese language. Little Carolina is brought to work with him each day as she will have someone there, about the same age as her, that she can play with.
It’s not all perfect in the beginning but over time, things change and the girls begin to love Japan. It’s hard to believe but time passes so quickly and although Papa’s “sufficient time period” is over, Papa and the girls aren’t ready to go back home to Italy. I’m wondering now, should Papa stick with his 1–2-year time period? Just because his children are not ready to return home, does that matter? Papa wasn’t doing anything fantastic besides what he was doing from Day #1 so basically life was just going on smoothly and the girls were settling in. Do you stay based on their opinion or go back? Time to do more reading.
There had been talk of war but now, the realities of it were hitting home. Papa is worried about Italy; will it be taken over? What will happen to their family and friends back home? Pearl Harbor has been attacked by the Japanese and tension is mounting, elsewhere. Hostility against foreigners is intensifying as the officials begin to gather them for relocation. As Papa and his girls are rounded up, the girls get separated from their father. Now what? They’re too young to be by themselves and I visualize Papa digging ditches or I don’t want to think where else Papa could end up at. The girls never give up hope of being reunited with their Papa as they take on different roles to survive as the world, enters WWII.
Wow, I really enjoyed this book but I thought it was sad. I liked how the sisters kept trying to find their father and how they accepted life. I liked how they took on a variety of identities to survive and they didn’t let their emotions control their lives. Their curiosity, bravery and support from each other helped them get through another day. A very eventful book that gave me a different view of this time period. 4.5 stars
January 30, 2021
I haven't read a book by Donna Jo Napoli that I haven't liked, and this one is no exception to that experience. She conducts thorough research into the time period and ferrets out details that others might have overlooked in telling stories that haven't been told before. While WWII certainly has inspired many books, little has been written about the Italians who were living in Japan at that time or about Ofuna, the secret prisoner-of-war camp, described here. Covering the years of 1940 through 1945 when WWII ended with a brief stop near the end in 1965, this story follows the adventures of two sisters--Simona and Carolina--who are quite young (8 and 5) when their father relocates to Tokyo in order to serve as the chef for the Italian ambassador there. They leave behind their beloved grandmother and hope to return in two years. At first, life in Japan is exciting but challenging. Simona struggles to learn the language and is ostracized by her classmates. But over time, she and Carolina embrace the Japanese culture and language, and Carolina hardly remembers what Italy was like. Slowly, though, as fighting continues, the United States enters the war, conditions become dangerous for the family as they are unable to leave the country. Separated from their father who is taken to a prisoner-of-war camp, the girls rely on their wits and the kindness of others to survive. The lack of food and the constant bombing of cities as well as the cold temperatures that the girls endure are described vividly, and readers will shake their heads in amazement that they managed to live through all of these. The very real danger presented by their nationality lurks in every exchange they have with someone else, and the author also carefully includes passages that demonstrate the xenophobia present in Japan as well as the blind obedience to Japanese authority and propaganda. Those are, of course, offset by the beautiful descriptions of Japanese foods, clothing, and traditions and those willing to lend a helping hand to two girls in need, no matter their nationality. While some might find the beginning of this story slow, I was deeply involved from the beginning and only became more so as the pace picked up and war came ever closer to the girls. By the time they reached Hiroshima, I was wrung out, dreading what I knew lay ahead. This is an important story with a reminder that individuals matter much more than their nationality or what political stance their leaders may take.
December 25, 2021
✨ "All the men are gone. Now all the boys are going. If we're winning, how come no one ever comes home?"
Couldn't put this down at all!
This book provides a refreshing and lesser-known perspective of what it was like to be an Italian in Japan during WWII. Admittedly the detainment of Westerners in WWII Japan is not something I had been aware of or even considered, so this was a highly informative and illuminating read for me.
The story was filled with tension, especially considering Italy's surrender. I was left on the edge of my seat while following the sisters' journey and fraught with increasing anxiety as I realised where things were heading.
I loved the characters and found them to be so realistic. While the author doesn't hold back in showing how people act in times of desperation, the book is also filled with moments of hope and kindness.
The level of detail is impressive. Not only is the book historically accurate, it also does a remarkable job in shedding light on civilian life before and during the war, as well as what people endure as things escalate. The propaganda stuff was really interesting to read about.
I wasn't a fan of the ending as I found the shift quite abrupt but overall, this is a fantastic book and such an important read.
Couldn't put this down at all!
This book provides a refreshing and lesser-known perspective of what it was like to be an Italian in Japan during WWII. Admittedly the detainment of Westerners in WWII Japan is not something I had been aware of or even considered, so this was a highly informative and illuminating read for me.
The story was filled with tension, especially considering Italy's surrender. I was left on the edge of my seat while following the sisters' journey and fraught with increasing anxiety as I realised where things were heading.
I loved the characters and found them to be so realistic. While the author doesn't hold back in showing how people act in times of desperation, the book is also filled with moments of hope and kindness.
The level of detail is impressive. Not only is the book historically accurate, it also does a remarkable job in shedding light on civilian life before and during the war, as well as what people endure as things escalate. The propaganda stuff was really interesting to read about.
I wasn't a fan of the ending as I found the shift quite abrupt but overall, this is a fantastic book and such an important read.
June 29, 2021
Forza e coraggio. ❣🖤
March 30, 2021
This book was jaw-droppingly good. I don’t usually read historical fiction or realistic fiction and tend to stick more with young adult fantasy, but I branched out when I bought this book, and I’m so glad I did. I’ve always had a passion for history, but I’ve never really incorporated it into my literature choices, but this book has inspired me to do more of it. I learned so much about the historical period that I didn’t get to learn in school, and it was gut-wrenching. I cried so hard at the end, and it made me think so much about my own life and what I know about my own history. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read even a little bit 😊
May 10, 2021
It's July 1940 and though there is a war going on, Simona, 8, and Carolina, 5, have just learned that they will be moving from Italy to Tokyo, Japan for perhaps a year or two. It's only been half a year since their mother died, and now they will be leaving their beloved Nonna, too, in four days. The father, a chef, has been offered a job at the Italian embassy, cooking for the Italian ambassador and his wife, both of whom refuse to eat Japanese food.
Four days after arriving in Tokyo, Simona begins public school, not knowing the language or having any friends. But by December, she and Carolina have both learned enough Japanese to get by, though Simona still has no friends at school. And within a year, they are both fluent and quite assimilated into Japanese customs. Simona still has no real friends, except Aiko who refuses to acknowledge her at school. Although Simona and Carolina are the children of a servant, the Japanese kids believe they are rich and living luxuriously and that is why they are snubbed.
When the United States is attacked by Japan and enters the war, everyone assumes America will easily be defeated by Japan. After all, Japan, Italy, and Germany had signed the Tripartite Pact in 1940 pledging to come to each other's aid should their country be attacked. But everything changes in 1943 when Italy surrenders to the Allies. Suddenly, Italians are Japan's enemy and they are all forced into an internment camp, where Simona and Carolina are separated from their father.
The sisters are able to escape, and begin to make their way across the countryside. As they make their way though Japan, they are able to survive with the help of three women living together, including a manga artist, then with help from a blind washerwoman in Tokyo where their father used to bring the embassy's dirty sheets, and ultimately finding themselves in a Catholic mission in Hiroshima in the spring and summer of 1945.
In a Flash is, to say the least, a harrowing story to read, yet it is compelling and hard to put down as well. Napoli has certainly done her research on what it was like to live in Japan during WWII. What makes this story unique is that the it is written in the first person perspective, by a citizen of one of America's enemies living in a country of another enemy. But while Simona is Italian she isn't political, she is much more an observer and reporter of what she sees around her, often without understanding it. She may sometimes voice some of the propaganda she has been told about the United States, and often observes the behavioral result of Japan's propaganda in those around her, but she remains a child trying to make sure she and her sister survive.
It was difficult reading about the "patriotic" propaganda, but even more difficult was the incredible level of rationing and starvation inflicted on people in the name of victory because it was so realistically portrayed. On the other hand, Simona and Carolina's will to survive in the face of adversity is the stuff of great historical fiction.
I read a lot of Napoli's books and In a Flash is now one of my very favorites. There are a lot of themes and a lot of information to be gleaned from this compassionate thought-provoking, eye-opening novel.
Front matter consists of a map of Japan and back matter consists of a Postscript, Notes on Research, and an extensive Bibliography.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
Four days after arriving in Tokyo, Simona begins public school, not knowing the language or having any friends. But by December, she and Carolina have both learned enough Japanese to get by, though Simona still has no friends at school. And within a year, they are both fluent and quite assimilated into Japanese customs. Simona still has no real friends, except Aiko who refuses to acknowledge her at school. Although Simona and Carolina are the children of a servant, the Japanese kids believe they are rich and living luxuriously and that is why they are snubbed.
When the United States is attacked by Japan and enters the war, everyone assumes America will easily be defeated by Japan. After all, Japan, Italy, and Germany had signed the Tripartite Pact in 1940 pledging to come to each other's aid should their country be attacked. But everything changes in 1943 when Italy surrenders to the Allies. Suddenly, Italians are Japan's enemy and they are all forced into an internment camp, where Simona and Carolina are separated from their father.
The sisters are able to escape, and begin to make their way across the countryside. As they make their way though Japan, they are able to survive with the help of three women living together, including a manga artist, then with help from a blind washerwoman in Tokyo where their father used to bring the embassy's dirty sheets, and ultimately finding themselves in a Catholic mission in Hiroshima in the spring and summer of 1945.
In a Flash is, to say the least, a harrowing story to read, yet it is compelling and hard to put down as well. Napoli has certainly done her research on what it was like to live in Japan during WWII. What makes this story unique is that the it is written in the first person perspective, by a citizen of one of America's enemies living in a country of another enemy. But while Simona is Italian she isn't political, she is much more an observer and reporter of what she sees around her, often without understanding it. She may sometimes voice some of the propaganda she has been told about the United States, and often observes the behavioral result of Japan's propaganda in those around her, but she remains a child trying to make sure she and her sister survive.
It was difficult reading about the "patriotic" propaganda, but even more difficult was the incredible level of rationing and starvation inflicted on people in the name of victory because it was so realistically portrayed. On the other hand, Simona and Carolina's will to survive in the face of adversity is the stuff of great historical fiction.
I read a lot of Napoli's books and In a Flash is now one of my very favorites. There are a lot of themes and a lot of information to be gleaned from this compassionate thought-provoking, eye-opening novel.
Front matter consists of a map of Japan and back matter consists of a Postscript, Notes on Research, and an extensive Bibliography.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
February 12, 2022
❤️🍡💙⚠️IN A FLASH⚠️💙🍡❤️
4.5 Stars
Two sisters, Carolina and Simona move from Italy to Japan. Then the war started. Simona and Carolina got separated from their father and are taken away to internment camps. A riveting and truthful story of two sisters story of survival during World War Two.
𝐀𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡���𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨. At first I didn't see the point why the author started the book in 1940-1945, and then later on in the epilogue 1965. The first half dragged on so long, we have at least 50 pages in 1940, than 1941, 1942, and I honestly didn't see the point. I almost gave up on this book, it was good the writing style was great-I could see a amazing story on the horizon but didn't feel like pushing through. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭. We start when Simona is eight and Carolina is five. After finishing this book I took a moment to think. The author intentionally made the first half about 1940, 1941, 1942, so we could grow up with the characters. We could see there character grow and evolve while also, showing us how different and drastically their life could change. I read the next half so quickly. What I loved about this book was that is was dark, not leaving anything or shielding the reader from the loss in war. I loved the characters, how they weren't perfect. I find that books about war stories do the best at making a emotionally complex, and realistic character. This book was really written from the soul. I've read a few World War 2 books but never saw the story in this perspective before.
I never knew this story about the internment camps in Japan. I absolutely loved that this wasn't your typical book where the ending is happy! A lot of the time books that attempt to convey a deep message, the book does. But the ending is not realistic. This book was very realistic with many losses, and still Simona and Caroline suffer from trauma. Finishing the book and seeing the whole picture is amazing. I really loved this book, the topics it dealt with, and I hope to see more books like this out there.
✅PLOT
NOT AVAILABLE: PLOT TWIST
✅CHARACTERS
❤️🍡💙⚠️CHARACTER⚠️💙🍡❤️
✅SIMONA (SIMO-CHAN)
✅CAROLINE (KARO-CHAN)
✅NAOKI
✅AIKO
❤️🍡💙⚠️CONCLUSION⚠️💙🍡❤️
A really great book!
❤️🍡💙⚠️QUOTES⚠️💙🍡❤️
"How does killing Japanese children, prove that America is weak, but killing Chinese children will prove that Japan is strong?"
"All the men are gone. Now all the boys are going. If we're winning, how come no one ever comes home?"
4.5 Stars
Two sisters, Carolina and Simona move from Italy to Japan. Then the war started. Simona and Carolina got separated from their father and are taken away to internment camps. A riveting and truthful story of two sisters story of survival during World War Two.
𝐀𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡���𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨. At first I didn't see the point why the author started the book in 1940-1945, and then later on in the epilogue 1965. The first half dragged on so long, we have at least 50 pages in 1940, than 1941, 1942, and I honestly didn't see the point. I almost gave up on this book, it was good the writing style was great-I could see a amazing story on the horizon but didn't feel like pushing through. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭. We start when Simona is eight and Carolina is five. After finishing this book I took a moment to think. The author intentionally made the first half about 1940, 1941, 1942, so we could grow up with the characters. We could see there character grow and evolve while also, showing us how different and drastically their life could change. I read the next half so quickly. What I loved about this book was that is was dark, not leaving anything or shielding the reader from the loss in war. I loved the characters, how they weren't perfect. I find that books about war stories do the best at making a emotionally complex, and realistic character. This book was really written from the soul. I've read a few World War 2 books but never saw the story in this perspective before.
I never knew this story about the internment camps in Japan. I absolutely loved that this wasn't your typical book where the ending is happy! A lot of the time books that attempt to convey a deep message, the book does. But the ending is not realistic. This book was very realistic with many losses, and still Simona and Caroline suffer from trauma. Finishing the book and seeing the whole picture is amazing. I really loved this book, the topics it dealt with, and I hope to see more books like this out there.
✅PLOT
NOT AVAILABLE: PLOT TWIST
✅CHARACTERS
❤️🍡💙⚠️CHARACTER⚠️💙🍡❤️
✅SIMONA (SIMO-CHAN)
✅CAROLINE (KARO-CHAN)
✅NAOKI
✅AIKO
❤️🍡💙⚠️CONCLUSION⚠️💙🍡❤️
A really great book!
❤️🍡💙⚠️QUOTES⚠️💙🍡❤️
"How does killing Japanese children, prove that America is weak, but killing Chinese children will prove that Japan is strong?"
"All the men are gone. Now all the boys are going. If we're winning, how come no one ever comes home?"
July 25, 2025
I have never read a book from this perspective, and it was very enlightening. This story follows two Italian sisters who have moved to Japan with their father at the beginning of WWII. Their father is a cook for the Italian ambassador in Japan. They deal with isolation and culture shock but eventually learn Japanese and make a few friends. As the war progresses, their future becomes less clear, and they are quickly thrown into a tailspin of misfortunes.
My biggest disappointment is the basic language used throughout the book. For example, the older sister realizes during a bath that her younger sister is noticeably uncomfortable. She realizes, after some trivial inner dialog, it is because the child has lost her doll: "I look back at Carolina. Her face now shows open fear. Kotsuru said that fear could make us worse. Oh, no! What's scaring her? Nothing here seems threatening; nothing seems awful." Much of the book is written as if a young child or someone new to English is speaking. Perhaps it was intentional, but it was quite distracting at times.
My biggest disappointment is the basic language used throughout the book. For example, the older sister realizes during a bath that her younger sister is noticeably uncomfortable. She realizes, after some trivial inner dialog, it is because the child has lost her doll: "I look back at Carolina. Her face now shows open fear. Kotsuru said that fear could make us worse. Oh, no! What's scaring her? Nothing here seems threatening; nothing seems awful." Much of the book is written as if a young child or someone new to English is speaking. Perhaps it was intentional, but it was quite distracting at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2022
Two Italian girls, aged eight and five, and their father move to Japan to work for the Italian embassy to Japan, they don't expect to soon be starving, cold, and on the run. With their father in a detention camp, the girls, Simona and Carolina must fend for themselves in a country with little food and even less shelter. For a while, they are able to stay with a blind washerwoman, whom they grow fond of, but are eventually forced to flee the bombings with a friend to a village called Omihachiman in search of another friend, and eventually come to the shelter of a doctor who works in a private hospital, and several Catholic priests, some German. Now aged ten and thirteen, Simona and Carolina stay there for a while, until Japans surrender to the Allied Forces. They happen to befriend two American soldiers, Joseph and Sam. The girls then are able to return to Italy, but without their father, who they don't know what happened to.
December 16, 2020
The author brings her well-established skillful writing and careful historical research to this middle grade novel set during World War II. The book recounts the wartime experiences of Simona and Carolina, Italian sisters who live and attend school in Japan, their widowed father being employed as a cook in the Italian embassy. When the girls are separated from their parent during a round-up of Italian nationals, they embark on a frightening and dangerous journey in order to survive. Although dark and sometimes disturbing, the plot is compelling reading and may prompt stimulating discussions at home and in class. Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
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November 11, 2020Well, if you compare this to Far from the Bamboo Grove, it's both a masterpiece and much less a slanted view of history. But I do question whether this was a story that needed to be told, and I feel like Napoli centered the struggles and hunger and survival, which are certainly real and terrible, at the expense of nuance about the politics of it all. And I guess one of the problems is that since we don't have books about Italians living in Japan, and we can't pin all the responsibility on one group. But like....this is kind of like Argo. Compelling, but is it a responsible creative choice to make, sociopolitically and socioculturally speaking?
February 7, 2022
This book broke my heart. It made me angry as well. The harshness of life during war is maddening and you can feel it throughout the book. How raw the pain in the eyes of these 2 brave children will make you question the cruelty of the world.😭😭😭
Napoli did great in giving us a new perspective about the brutality of the WW2 and the book is very compelling with a satisfying end.
Let's give our children a better place to live. #LetsMakeLoveNotWar
Napoli did great in giving us a new perspective about the brutality of the WW2 and the book is very compelling with a satisfying end.
Let's give our children a better place to live. #LetsMakeLoveNotWar
March 21, 2021
A bit dark and dense for a MG novel, in my opinion. Still, an interesting perspective and peek into a slice of history I never knew about - the experience of Italians living in Japan during World War II.
June 2, 2021
In a Flash is a good way to learn about a little-known part of WWII. I had never thought about German or Italians living in Japan during the war. I borrowed this from the library, but don't think I will add it to my classroom. It's a little too obscure and slow-paced for my 5th graders.
June 23, 2021
Riveting story of two Italian sisters who survive an internment camp and the horrors of war in Japan during WWII. All the while they're guided by hope to reunite with their father by the power of their love. A total must-read for fans of historicals set during WWII.
February 27, 2020
Really enjoyable! I honestly learned a lot about Japan in WW2, I've watched In This Corner of the World, but this was completely different and had a very different vibe. Definitely recommend!
May 27, 2021
I LOVE all things Asian and was intrigued to start but this just dragged on and on to me.
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November 23, 2022journey
September 13, 2023
I didn't really like the book because it was really boring and the problem and climax came too late in the book for the reader to stay interested.
July 5, 2024
3.5 - A new piece to WWII dealing with Italians in Japan.
June 3, 2021
Simona and Carolina are eight and five when they move to Japan in 1940, leaving their beloved Nonna behind in Italy. Their father, the best cook ever, has a job as head chef in the Italian Embassy. After a couple of years, the girls have absorbed both the language and customs. In 1943, the war comes to Tokyo. Their father is taken to a prisoner-of-war camp and the girls must fend for themselves in the camp that they are housed in. Cleverness and quick-wittedness help them as they escape and then move from place to place, terrified that someone will realize they are foreigners, but always finding protectors. Their last home is in Hiroshima, where they stay until the day the atomic bomb is dropped on the city. An incredible amount of research must have gone into this story. The blending of Italian and Japanese language and customs as the years pass, the events of the war and the distinctions of each location seem spot on. Recommended for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to be a foreigner in a country during wartime.
September 15, 2020
*I received an advance e-copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*
The world is kind of inundated with WWII fiction, but this perspective was unique. WWII as told through the eyes of a young Italian girl living in Japan.
The pacing was a little jarring for me, but as an educator I already see opportunities for creating timelines of Simona and Carolina's experiences against the history. Great conversations about racism, friendship, the heartbreak and humanity of wartime. There's a reason WWII is such a popular middle-grade topic, and Napoli's work embodies much of that draw. I already have plans to add this to my school's colelction.
The world is kind of inundated with WWII fiction, but this perspective was unique. WWII as told through the eyes of a young Italian girl living in Japan.
The pacing was a little jarring for me, but as an educator I already see opportunities for creating timelines of Simona and Carolina's experiences against the history. Great conversations about racism, friendship, the heartbreak and humanity of wartime. There's a reason WWII is such a popular middle-grade topic, and Napoli's work embodies much of that draw. I already have plans to add this to my school's colelction.
August 8, 2022
This was really good. It's an interesting perspective and one that I hadn't ever considered. My only negative is that I wish the author spent more time on .
*these are my work notes*
Unique historical fiction
*these are my work notes*
Unique historical fiction
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