Summary
The end of World War II signals a new beginning for America, but for twenty-two-year-old Yasu Nakahara and her family, harsh prejudices remain. Now married and leading a new life, Yasu faces barriers almost as unyielding as the years she and her family spent imprisoned in the Japanese internment camp in California during the war. Motivated by flashbacks of armed military guards and barbwire fences, Yasu strives to build a new life. She pours her heart and soul into her new teaching position while her husband Masato, a World War II veteran, faces his own battles of attaining an engineering degree and securing a job. On Liberty's Wings: A Post-WWII Novel is a story of the strength of the human spirit and focuses on themes of forgiveness, choice, prejudice and change. Become immersed in Yasu's evolution and her family's recovery as they celebrate victories and grieve their losses.
"Many novels focus on the Japanese internment camp experience; but far fewer continue the story to document the ongoing challenges faced by the Japanese as they--and American society--recover in the aftermath of war. The different forms of prejudice that continue to complicate Yasu's life, even for something as simple as a real estate transaction, are especially revealing and powerfully portrayed. The story stands nicely alone as an individual piece, but when read in the wider context of Yasu's life, it helps the reader form a bigger picture of the World War II experience. When taken as an integral part of Dettmann's blossoming series, it is recommended for mature teens to adult readers seeking far more psychological depth and social inspection into this period of America's history."
--Diane Donovan, Senior Editor Midwest Reviews
"Courage is more than going through the trial; it is living through the aftermath. On Liberty's Wings is a poignant, engrossing story of young Japanese Americans pursuing the American dream with grace and determination in the face of post-World War II prejudice. Beautifully written, a story that touches the hearts of readers."
--Narita Roady, Book Blogger and Writer
"Diane weaves in the intensity of racial actions and words with a story that 'Americanizes' a small Japanese American family just trying to make it in post-World War II America. They face the additional challenge of experiencing the advantages and disadvantages of being a minority in our society. Dettmann captures the basic goodness in human nature, showing how many treated this family as if they weren't different while including reminders that negative racial thoughts are as much a part of human nature as that goodness. As a third generation Japanese American born and raised in the Midwest, I believe that Diane writes with an awareness of what it's like being racially different that is quite accurate."
