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The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito
The fate of a 200-year-old bonsai tree is decided by a young girl and an old Japanese Canadian gardener who resists being imprisoned in an internment camp after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Sequel to All the Children Were Sent Away..
163 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 20, 2020
People resented the Japanese for being there and working so much and felt like they were going to take over. Uncle Duncan spoke disparagingly of them, and this was after Mr. Ito had saved his life during the war and after Mr. Ito's son had saved his son Jamie. He had the nerve to talk about how of course it was a Japanese boat that had saved the two boys, because they're always working and they're going to take over.
In England there were censors who marked out things in people's letters so the enemy wouldn't get anything useful from them. So Sara's letter from her mom contained black, marked-out sections of certain things she talked of about the war.
Sara's favorite serviceman was Sergeant Daly. He had come to their house and said he was a cowboy and demonstrated rope tricks. He promised Sara he'd teach her to ride his horse.
Pearl Harbor was attacked and some of the locals started targeting Japanese families, throwing rocks in their windows. Once China was attack and Mary's fiancé David killed, Uncle Duncan turned even more racist. Stupid brainwashed Ernie thought all Japanese were spies. Uncle Duncan fired Mr. Ito and broke all the bonsai trees in the shed. Even Mary turned against the Japanese. At first men of a certain age were sent to camps, but then they decided to send all Japanese people to those camps, whether they were Canadian born or not.
Their radios and cameras were taken away, and their boats, trucks, and farms had to be sold because they couldn't have them anymore and they had to go to prisoner camps in the mountains.
Mr. Ito was ordered to go with the women and children but it would be too shameful for him. He fought in the war on Canada's side and had samurai ancestors and he didn't want to be a prisoner. So he left and prepared to die and his wife wore white in mourning.
It showed Sara had gumption to lie to her aunt about going to see a movie when she was really going to visit the Itos. I like that in a heroine.
Ernie knew she hadn't been to school and he jumped out at her when she got home and asked where she'd been. She told him and he actually had respect for her for braving enemy lines and said she was alright.
Ernie got word that his mom had been killed and it hit him hard because he and Maggie had just written her a letter and had been talking about her, not realizing she was dead the whole time. But the author made an important point in that people were crying all over the world because of the war, "Russian mothers, Italian wives, and Japanese children."
The best part of the book was when Sara told Maggie the legend of the mountain called the Lions. The Capilano Indians call them the Twin Peaks after the two daughters of the chief. Their tribe had been at war with the neighboring tribes and as the girls were coming to womanhood their dad was going to host a potlatch and he told them to ask him for anything they wanted and he would grant it. They prayed for guidance and then asked him to invite all the tribes in each of the four directions. All the tribes came and there was peace and brotherhood and as a reward, their god turned the girls into the mountain peeks to have immortal life and to show the gifts they'd given to the people.
The dog ran away and Sara chased after him and found him at a cave she didn't know existed. I knew right away that was where Mr. Ito had been hiding because books are so predictable. So it was no surprise when he appeared in the night.
She did have him say a good line about men being different in so many ways, with all their different religions, but we're also the same in many ways. The same things are important to us, family, happiness, good, evil, life and death. He said there are many roads leading to heaven. God made many different people. He asked why would he make so many different people if only one type made it to heaven? He thinks He did it to show all the different ways to get to heaven.
They had a really good conversation. He told her that where we go when we die depends on how we lived. They think death leads to nirvana, enlightenment and perfect happiness. It means knowing the truth of all things. It's a state of being. You can even reach this in life. You live a good life, keep mind and body pure, and don't hurt living things. They believe in keeping good karma. Actions for understanding and wisdom cause good karma. But actions for power and riches cause bad karma. They believe one lifespan isn't enough and that they're born again into a new body but with the same karma.
Everything is beautiful and has a reason to exist. Mosquitoes find other mosquitoes beautiful, and fish eat mosquitoes so they find them beautiful, and we eat fish, and mosquitoes drink our blood to help them lay eggs and make mosquitoes. Gross, but it's a chain of life where everything has a purpose. God is clever and had a plan.
It was interesting that the Indians would salute the rock to gain a good wind. They believed the rock had been a minor god once, the god of the west wind.
Sara went back to visit him but found him dead. She took his family heirloom bonsai and sealed the cave by pushing the big rocks over the entrance.
Maggie was writing a letter to a boy who had asked another boy if she would be his pen pal. He wanted her picture to put up over his bunk.
They ended up visiting people who lived in the same town that the Itos were being held in. She knew she had to get to them and tell them about Mr. Ito and give them the family bonsai. Ernie said they'd have to make her skin darker and do something about her eyes. It was pretty bad that they made her skin brown. You definitely cannot do that today. But I did like that she had the guts to sneak into the Japanese camp and visit with them.
Uncle Duncan into the house as part of his job to inquire on what they needed. Mrs. Ito thought he was visiting them and he looked ashamed, but her daughter knew better. He said he didn't know about their living conditions. Mrs. Ito told him that Sara had visited them and Sara was so overcome at getting caught that she passed out.
Helen told him how they're loyal citizens but they've had their property confiscated and families separated. She asked what kind of law allows innocent people to be presumed guilty without trial or guilt. He said it was the war that did it and he apologized. He said Sara had the right of it.
They went to church where the preacher talked about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. She wondered if the Germans and Japanese had done it, there wouldn't have been a war. They spoke of the scripture that said there are many mansions in God's houses, which was incorrectly translated. It doesn't mean mansions but "many provisions for," so there's enough for everyone in heaven.
Maggie was moving out and giving Sara her bed, as she had promised before she was going to get married but fell through when her fiancé was killed. Her own bonsai finally bloomed. Her uncle said she should write a book and Sara thought if she did she'd write it on Maggie's scream when she found out her fiancé was dead, and his dad's hands when he came over to tell them what happened in person, and Mr. Ito and his bonsai tree. It's always so self-serving to me when authors do this, have their characters be writers of the very book they've just written themselves. Talk about tooting your own horn.
I had hoped that the guy Sara liked would make an appearance, but of course it was just the side characters who had love, not the heroine who was too young. Ernie was just a friend. We don't know what happened to the Japanese, when they were released or what their fate was like once they were. We don't know when the kids went back to England and how life was for them there. It was so lacking to me. Not my kind of book at all.
In England there were censors who marked out things in people's letters so the enemy wouldn't get anything useful from them. So Sara's letter from her mom contained black, marked-out sections of certain things she talked of about the war.
Sara's favorite serviceman was Sergeant Daly. He had come to their house and said he was a cowboy and demonstrated rope tricks. He promised Sara he'd teach her to ride his horse.
Pearl Harbor was attacked and some of the locals started targeting Japanese families, throwing rocks in their windows. Once China was attack and Mary's fiancé David killed, Uncle Duncan turned even more racist. Stupid brainwashed Ernie thought all Japanese were spies. Uncle Duncan fired Mr. Ito and broke all the bonsai trees in the shed. Even Mary turned against the Japanese. At first men of a certain age were sent to camps, but then they decided to send all Japanese people to those camps, whether they were Canadian born or not.
Their radios and cameras were taken away, and their boats, trucks, and farms had to be sold because they couldn't have them anymore and they had to go to prisoner camps in the mountains.
Mr. Ito was ordered to go with the women and children but it would be too shameful for him. He fought in the war on Canada's side and had samurai ancestors and he didn't want to be a prisoner. So he left and prepared to die and his wife wore white in mourning.
It showed Sara had gumption to lie to her aunt about going to see a movie when she was really going to visit the Itos. I like that in a heroine.
Ernie knew she hadn't been to school and he jumped out at her when she got home and asked where she'd been. She told him and he actually had respect for her for braving enemy lines and said she was alright.
Ernie got word that his mom had been killed and it hit him hard because he and Maggie had just written her a letter and had been talking about her, not realizing she was dead the whole time. But the author made an important point in that people were crying all over the world because of the war, "Russian mothers, Italian wives, and Japanese children."
The best part of the book was when Sara told Maggie the legend of the mountain called the Lions. The Capilano Indians call them the Twin Peaks after the two daughters of the chief. Their tribe had been at war with the neighboring tribes and as the girls were coming to womanhood their dad was going to host a potlatch and he told them to ask him for anything they wanted and he would grant it. They prayed for guidance and then asked him to invite all the tribes in each of the four directions. All the tribes came and there was peace and brotherhood and as a reward, their god turned the girls into the mountain peeks to have immortal life and to show the gifts they'd given to the people.
The dog ran away and Sara chased after him and found him at a cave she didn't know existed. I knew right away that was where Mr. Ito had been hiding because books are so predictable. So it was no surprise when he appeared in the night.
She did have him say a good line about men being different in so many ways, with all their different religions, but we're also the same in many ways. The same things are important to us, family, happiness, good, evil, life and death. He said there are many roads leading to heaven. God made many different people. He asked why would he make so many different people if only one type made it to heaven? He thinks He did it to show all the different ways to get to heaven.
They had a really good conversation. He told her that where we go when we die depends on how we lived. They think death leads to nirvana, enlightenment and perfect happiness. It means knowing the truth of all things. It's a state of being. You can even reach this in life. You live a good life, keep mind and body pure, and don't hurt living things. They believe in keeping good karma. Actions for understanding and wisdom cause good karma. But actions for power and riches cause bad karma. They believe one lifespan isn't enough and that they're born again into a new body but with the same karma.
Everything is beautiful and has a reason to exist. Mosquitoes find other mosquitoes beautiful, and fish eat mosquitoes so they find them beautiful, and we eat fish, and mosquitoes drink our blood to help them lay eggs and make mosquitoes. Gross, but it's a chain of life where everything has a purpose. God is clever and had a plan.
It was interesting that the Indians would salute the rock to gain a good wind. They believed the rock had been a minor god once, the god of the west wind.
Sara went back to visit him but found him dead. She took his family heirloom bonsai and sealed the cave by pushing the big rocks over the entrance.
Maggie was writing a letter to a boy who had asked another boy if she would be his pen pal. He wanted her picture to put up over his bunk.
They ended up visiting people who lived in the same town that the Itos were being held in. She knew she had to get to them and tell them about Mr. Ito and give them the family bonsai. Ernie said they'd have to make her skin darker and do something about her eyes. It was pretty bad that they made her skin brown. You definitely cannot do that today. But I did like that she had the guts to sneak into the Japanese camp and visit with them.
Uncle Duncan into the house as part of his job to inquire on what they needed. Mrs. Ito thought he was visiting them and he looked ashamed, but her daughter knew better. He said he didn't know about their living conditions. Mrs. Ito told him that Sara had visited them and Sara was so overcome at getting caught that she passed out.
Helen told him how they're loyal citizens but they've had their property confiscated and families separated. She asked what kind of law allows innocent people to be presumed guilty without trial or guilt. He said it was the war that did it and he apologized. He said Sara had the right of it.
They went to church where the preacher talked about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. She wondered if the Germans and Japanese had done it, there wouldn't have been a war. They spoke of the scripture that said there are many mansions in God's houses, which was incorrectly translated. It doesn't mean mansions but "many provisions for," so there's enough for everyone in heaven.
Maggie was moving out and giving Sara her bed, as she had promised before she was going to get married but fell through when her fiancé was killed. Her own bonsai finally bloomed. Her uncle said she should write a book and Sara thought if she did she'd write it on Maggie's scream when she found out her fiancé was dead, and his dad's hands when he came over to tell them what happened in person, and Mr. Ito and his bonsai tree. It's always so self-serving to me when authors do this, have their characters be writers of the very book they've just written themselves. Talk about tooting your own horn.
I had hoped that the guy Sara liked would make an appearance, but of course it was just the side characters who had love, not the heroine who was too young. Ernie was just a friend. We don't know what happened to the Japanese, when they were released or what their fate was like once they were. We don't know when the kids went back to England and how life was for them there. It was so lacking to me. Not my kind of book at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2011
I had first read this book as a novel study in Grade 7, and I had some strong memories of how good the theme of prejudice versus understanding was in the story. Over 15 years later, it's good to know that some memories about great books can still be correct. Maybe it's because I can recognize the landmarks and streets mentioned, or maybe it's because my family is friends with people who were sent to these Japanese internment camps, but the story of two families dealing with their own personal tragedies in Vancouver after Pearl Harbour is an excellent read for anyone trying to learn more about this time period. I particularly like the wise Mr. Ito, who speaks to the main character Sara and reconciles all the fear and uncertainty in her mind by drawing on his own philosophies. I borrowed this book from the library, but really wish I could find my own copy, as it is a great example of historical fiction.
August 25, 2023
I must ask my fellow bibliophiles; have you ever unexpectedly discovered a sequel to a beloved book, and hesitated to read it, for fear of ruining the enjoyment of the first one? I hope I’m not alone!
Whew, the sequel was as good as “All the Children Were Sent Away”; my worries are over!
Sara, the young protagonist, has settled into her life in Canada. She and her parents, still in England, write to each other often, but the letters are always delayed because of the difficulties with overseas mail due to the war. She misses her mum and dad, but it’s as if Sara’s life there is becoming misty and hard to remember. Plus, there’s excitement in her uncle’s home ; Sara’s cousin Mary is deep into wedding plans to a serviceman, in which Sara will be a bridesmaid. And there are adventures to be had with her evacuee friends, Maggie and Ernie. Any time she needs a bit of quiet, Sara can always count on gardening work with Mr. Ito, who has worked for her uncle for years. Mr.Ito is a serene man of Japanese descent, who makes it his personal duty to make plants and trees to flourish in his adopted homeland of Canada.
Then, Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese…and all their lives are turned upside down.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 119)-“So, some Japanese, of whom some may be Buddhists, bombed Pearl Harbor. And some Germans, of whom some may be Christians, are bombing Ernie’s house. And some English, of who some may be Christians, are bombing German peoples. Bad things come from bad things.” -Mr. Ito
Whew, the sequel was as good as “All the Children Were Sent Away”; my worries are over!
Sara, the young protagonist, has settled into her life in Canada. She and her parents, still in England, write to each other often, but the letters are always delayed because of the difficulties with overseas mail due to the war. She misses her mum and dad, but it’s as if Sara’s life there is becoming misty and hard to remember. Plus, there’s excitement in her uncle’s home ; Sara’s cousin Mary is deep into wedding plans to a serviceman, in which Sara will be a bridesmaid. And there are adventures to be had with her evacuee friends, Maggie and Ernie. Any time she needs a bit of quiet, Sara can always count on gardening work with Mr. Ito, who has worked for her uncle for years. Mr.Ito is a serene man of Japanese descent, who makes it his personal duty to make plants and trees to flourish in his adopted homeland of Canada.
Then, Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese…and all their lives are turned upside down.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 119)-“So, some Japanese, of whom some may be Buddhists, bombed Pearl Harbor. And some Germans, of whom some may be Christians, are bombing Ernie’s house. And some English, of who some may be Christians, are bombing German peoples. Bad things come from bad things.” -Mr. Ito
November 24, 2018
Found this in the 50¢ used paperback pile at my local library, it wasn’t ‘til I got home that I realized it was a “young adult” book, but it loses no power for that. Young Sara Warren has been sent from England to her Uncle Duncan’s home in Canada for safety in the early days of WWII. She becomes most friendly with Mr. Ito, the Japanese gardener. Then the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor and in Canada even as in the US, all Japanese residents immediately become “the enemy,” and are interned. Young Sara searches for Mr. Ito and his family, feeling she must. Her journey is ultimately successful, altho’ she is there to witness Mr. Ito’s death, and finds great peace in his acceptance of death and love for her. A fine story, with values we desperately need to strengthen in these terrible political times in the US today....
May 8, 2018
The book had a good theme and message. However, the book as really boring and some chapters had no importance to the main plot. There was no excitement along with the message therefore it was portrayed weakly. It’s very boring in my opinion and I would fall asleep while reading this as my highschool assignment
- reader #1
The most terrible book I have ever read. I dislike how there’s a huge war going on and people are dying, but the main character, Sara, care about a bonsai trees. This is ridiculously stupid, and I would HIGHLY suggest to throw it into the fire. I have read over 100 books in my life, and this is by far the worst. DEMOLISH THIS NONSENSE.
- reader #2
- reader #1
The most terrible book I have ever read. I dislike how there’s a huge war going on and people are dying, but the main character, Sara, care about a bonsai trees. This is ridiculously stupid, and I would HIGHLY suggest to throw it into the fire. I have read over 100 books in my life, and this is by far the worst. DEMOLISH THIS NONSENSE.
- reader #2
December 20, 2018
i read this for grade 7 ELA.
February 25, 2020
Great book about WWII learned a lot i didn't know
May 27, 2021
Seriously, I need to stop reading world war 2 novels!!!!!
January 22, 2016
Sara is a teenager from England who is staying in Canada with relatives during the early part of World War II. She enjoys Canada and her relatives have a gardener named Mr. Ito who she becomes very good friends with. He introduces her to the art of bonsai, growing miniature trees.
Everything is fine until the bombing of Pearl Harbor then, as it happened in America, persons of Japanese ancestry become the target of police round-ups and forced evacuation. Her cousin, Mary, loses her fiancée in the Japanese attack on Hong Kong and the gardener becomes an instant target for hatred.
Although Sara does not feel that way about the gardener the rest of those around her do and eventually he disappears and his wife, other relatives and friends are shipped off to one of the Canadian places of internment.
Things get even more complex with Sara finds a dying Mr. Ito and has to deal with that as well as trying to keep two of the bonsai alive, the only two not destroyed by her Uncle.
The book is extremely well done and parallels in almost every detail what happened to the Japanese Americans after the outbreak of World War II. The story led me to do some research on how the people of Japanese ancestry were treated and the results of that are in my section on World War II, which is off my main Japanese fact page.
Everything is fine until the bombing of Pearl Harbor then, as it happened in America, persons of Japanese ancestry become the target of police round-ups and forced evacuation. Her cousin, Mary, loses her fiancée in the Japanese attack on Hong Kong and the gardener becomes an instant target for hatred.
Although Sara does not feel that way about the gardener the rest of those around her do and eventually he disappears and his wife, other relatives and friends are shipped off to one of the Canadian places of internment.
Things get even more complex with Sara finds a dying Mr. Ito and has to deal with that as well as trying to keep two of the bonsai alive, the only two not destroyed by her Uncle.
The book is extremely well done and parallels in almost every detail what happened to the Japanese Americans after the outbreak of World War II. The story led me to do some research on how the people of Japanese ancestry were treated and the results of that are in my section on World War II, which is off my main Japanese fact page.
January 20, 2014
I have read several books about this time period, and I find it very interesting to see the ways that people follow the crowd, or let hatred cloud their thinking. It is interesting seeing the way the children are-some blindly following the adults, others thinking for themselves. Overall, a good example of man's inhumanity to man, and of the ways that people deal with grief. I will read her other books after having read this one.
October 31, 2013
A lovely book. It shows the heartache of WWII in Canada through the eyes of an evacuee. We see the Canadian internment camps and the losses that the characters experience. One brave young girl who is a friend to a Japanese family. Really well told. Loosely based on the experiences of the author who was an evacuee herself.
February 4, 2010
I read this book last summer and recommended it to Jacob this year. He enjoyed it and for Jacob to like a nonfiction book, it has be good. Teaches some WWII history that children on the east coast don't hear about as much.
February 5, 2012
Browsing my to-read section and saw that I had never updated this. I enjoyed this book very much. It's a young adult book that was very thoughtful and interesting. WW2 in the Northwest of the USA is the setting. I need to make sure my son reads it.
September 28, 2016
This book is kind of bittersweet. It definitely paints an image of fear and prejudice in a time of war, but also one girl's kindness and ability to see through the fear. Nice short read; I enjoyed it.
September 6, 2009
An important novel for pre-teens about the effects of Japanese internment camps.
February 16, 2015
While I liked this book, it lacked character development and depth. It was a quick read, and the ply was interesting, but I wanted more.
December 1, 2025
REREAD NOVEMBER 2025: This book was my whole entire childhood. But I didn’t realize until now that it’s actually apparently a sequel to a prior book (although that makes total sense, duh).
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews