genre: historical young adult
Hana and Taro both want the same thing: for Japan to triumph in the war with America and the Allied powers. Winning the war will require sacrifice, which is fine with them. Taro is willing to put aside his beloved violin to learn how to fly and Hana leaves school to work to support the kamikaze pilots who come to her village to prepare to make their final sacrifice for Japan. Everyone must do their part. But when these two meet, what is required seems to take on new meaning.
Things I liked: the non-European point of view, the role of music to help with grief and trauma, the way I was transported to Japan, the switching between narratives. All of this was well done. It just moved so very slow for me. Too slow, I'd say. It took me until about 2/3 of the way in for me to be excited to pick it up. The romance is super slow burn, more of a middle grade than young adult - although the themes (especially intentional suicide, wartime trauma) feel more young adult. Fellow lovers of World War II fiction will find this to be a historically accurate glimpse at the role that young people played on the Japanese front.
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