Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston (book review)

Farewell to Manzanar is the true story of the trials one Japanese-American family faced when they were forced out of their home into the Japanese internment camp Manzanar in 1942. Jeanne Wakatsuki was only seven years old when she and her family left everything behind and began a whole new life in the desert behind barbed wire. At first, life is harsh and unfamiliar in this whole new environment, and even at the best of times it isn't great. But eventually, the inhabitants of Manzanar turn it into a thriving community with churches, schools, bands, and extracurriculars. For some people, Manzanar begins to feel similar to a home. But what will everyone do when the war ends, the camp closes down, and they are forced to start their lives over yet again?

This was an extremely moving book, a true story about love, loss, and a family slowly unraveling at the seams. If you want to learn about the WWII Japanese internment camps, this is a great book to start. It tells the real story of what went on and what life was like at the camps, behind barbed wire.