~May's Pick~

Trying to pick my favourite for May was very difficult! I read so many amazing books this month, but the one that tops the list is Rose Among Thornes by Terrie Todd.

When Canada declares war, Rusty Thorne signs up to the Canadian Army, ready to do his part. But after being sent overseas he is caught and becomes a prisoner of war. The things he witnesses during his time spent there are unimaginable, and he soon develops a strong hate for his captors, the Japanese. His family’s letters sustain him, as well as the letters he receives from a mysterious but enrapturing girl simply called Rose.

Rose Onishi wants nothing more than to continue perfecting her piano skills and fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a concert pianist. But when war breaks out, her family along with so many Japanese Canadians are forced by the government to leave Vancouver and are eventually sent to Manitoba to work on a sugar beet farm. Work there is difficult, and her dream seems farther away than ever. As she writes to Rusty, she begins to develop a strong friendship with him, one she believes will grow even more when news is out that he’s returning home.

But nothing could’ve prepared Rusty for what he’s about to come home to, and nothing could’ve prepared Rose for his reaction.

This book was amazing.

It was honest and raw. Carefully and respectfully showing the trials that these characters went through. I think this book is such an important read because it shows a firsthand perspective of what the Japanese Canadians went through during WW2. Stories I believe are valuable and important and need to be told.

A book I will remember for a long time, and one that I highly recommend!