This was another fantastic book by Naomi Hirahara! She is a local gal to the area where I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. This is the second in the Japantown Mysteries and I hope that more in the series are in the works as they are so good!
This book is well-researched and so detailed. So much information packed in this novel from the resettlement of the Japanese/Japanese-American inmates and Japanese/Japanese-American Veterans back home to Los Angeles after WWII, the Black migration from the South to Los Angeles, and the movement of different ethnic groups in and out of neighborhoods in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. I learned so very much about Los Angeles which is the city that I love.
My family on both sides also came to to Los Angeles before WWII looking for a better life so I empathized with what the Japanese/Japanese-Americans endured before and after the war. It was revolting and unnecessary to do what we as a country did by incarceratings Americans and resident aliens based solely on their country of origin. Because of all of this history and the back stories, this is not an easy or fast read, but it is it so worth reading.
The saddest part of this book is that the exact thing that happened to the Japanese/Japanese-Americans in WWII happened again to Asian/Asian-Americans before, during, and after the Covid pandemic. It was not their fault for this horrible virus, but many were injured or died by the hands of other due to no fault of their own. Sad state of affairs.
I would definitely read Clark and Division (Japantown Mystery #1) before reading this second novel in the series.
Okay, okay, this is ANOTHER 5.0 star book in August. I am so happy to read all of these incredible books!
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
Naomi Hirahara writes so beautifully. She also knows how to spin a mystery and fill it with multiple twists and turns. I love how you have an enjoyable mystery while also getting a subtle history lesson. That is a beautiful thing!
This book really was intense for me and I had to take time away from it to fully absorb what I reading at times. It really was a powerful novel.
Character development: 5.0 stars
The character development of the three main characters, Aki (wife), Art (husband), and Babe (best man) was amazingly beautiful. Aki was incarcerated during WWII while her husband and Babe were in the same unit in Europe fighting in the U.S. Army during WWII. The couple spent very little time together between their wedding and Art's deployment. The novel weaves in the growth of their relationship adjusting to married life and each other. Also, Art and Babe drift apart after the war and that sad story is also fully developed and explored.
The secondary characters are the many Japanese/Japanese-American extended friends and family in Los Angeles. There were a lot of secondary characters, but they were all very interesting and integral to the plot.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
The storyline was one of so many twists and turns until the crezendo at the end. It starts out with a seriously ill patient at the Japanese Hospital in Boyle Heights that Aki interacts with. Then the mystery is off and running making a very enjoyable read!
The main locations were Los Angeles, but specifically Boyle Heights, Burbank, and Little Tokyo.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
This well-rearched and well-written novel will stay with me for a long time. The difficult history of Los Angeles is important for all who love this city to know and remember. It was a very important and excellent novel.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Beautiful!!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfection!
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
I was pretty certain that I would love this book as I had loved the previous novel in this series.
Suggestions:
A glossary of the Japanese terms would have been nice. I could figure out most via context, but some were not as clear to me.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
BOOK INFORMATION
Evergreen (Japantown Mystery #2) by Naomi Hirahara
312 pages
Los Angeles Public Library book
Release date of 08/01/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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