ISBN: 0689856393
PLOT SUMMARY
Kira-kira means "glittering" in Japanese and it is the first word Katie Takeshima learned from her older sister, Lynn. The story begins in 1950's Iowa where Katie's parents own a small and failing Oriental food store. They move to southern Georgia where they both find jobs in the poultry industry and where they work long, hard hours. They struggle to earn enough money to buy a house. Lynn excels in her school work while Katie does not. Lynn becomes ill and is diagnosed with lymphoma. Katie becomes her caretaker and often has to stay home from school. She becomes so exhausted and miserable that she and Lynn argue. After Lynn's death, Katie is troubled by the failures and struggles to find the joy, the "kira-kira" of life.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Ms. Kadohata's characters are believably served up in an honest portrayal of life in 1950's America. The story is told through the voice of Katie and is marvelously written. On the day her sister died, Katie climbs onto the roof of a garage to watch the sun set, "I saw the sun again, a quarter of it, and then a slice, and then it disappeared, the last time ever that the sun would set on a day my sister had lived." But the book's realism is sometimes crass and brutal, "The factory workers weren't allowed to take unscheduled breaks, so they all wore pads in case they needed to use the bathroom. It smelled like my mother had used her pad." At first consideration, the theme of this story seems to be love of family and quiet humor, but I think these elements are overshadowed with despair and hopelessness.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
The Horn Book Guide
"Katie's shrewd descriptions of people make startlingly vivid this novel that captures both the specific experience of being Japanese American in the 1950's and the wider experience of coping with illness and loss."
Booklist
"The quiet words will speak to readers who have lost someone they love--or fear that they could."
CONNECTIONS
*Other books by this author:
WEEDFLOWER, 2006
CRACKER!: THE BEST DOG IN VIETNAM, 2007
*This book would make an excellent read aloud.
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