Garden of Stones

In Littlefield's ("Aftertime" trilogy; A Bad Day for Sorry) latest stand-alone, three generations of Japanese American women are affected by the forced internment of Japanese citizens in California during World War II. In 1978, with the war long over, Patty is temporarily living with her mother, Lucy, when police arrive to question Lucy about the suspicious death of a man who was a guard at Mazanar, where she and her mother, Miyako, were residents. When they were sent to the camp, Miyako and 14-year-old Lucy were still grieving the recent death of Lucy's father, and the move to the camp marked the end of Lucy's childhood. The camp is rife with corruption and abuse, and the beautiful Miyako is targeted in ways that have tragic consequences for both herself and Lucy. Told through flashbacks, Littlefield's novel vividly describes camp life and the hardships and deprivations of a shameful and often forgotten episode in American war history. Emily Woo Zeller is an excellent narrator, clearly differentiating the voices of the various characters.