by Sandra Dallas
A moving novel based on the lives of Colorado farmers coping with a Japanese camp as their new neighbor. During the height of WW11, rough buildings were placed in the middle of the prairie, abutting the beet farms already struggling to make ends meet. A nice twist is the telling of the story from the point of view of a farmer’s young daughter barely entering her teens. As the tale unfolds, Rennie is thrown more into into the running of the family farm and care- giving of her elders.
Meanwhile the town is having a hard time adjusting to the new comers. Prejudice abounds and there is drama on both sides of the barbed wire. Dallas has captured the spirit of middle America and how it embraces both joy and sorrow during the war. Through it all, Rennie’s dad becomes her hero as he holds fast to tradition but stands up to the bullies and he bias of his fellow farmers.
A rich compelling book beautifully written with secrets unfolding in every chapter. A mystery thread ends in a surprise conclusion.