The Sky We Shared

In a nuanced and gut-wrenching work of historical fiction, two teen girls discover the insidious power of propaganda to dehumanize.

In 1945, Nellie and Tamiko live in the shadow of war--on opposing sides. In Oregon, Nellie volunteers at salvage drives and struggles to reconnect with her best friend who is grieving his brother, killed in action. In Japan, Tamiko watches with trepidation as her brother leaves home to fight the Americans. When given an opportunity to serve her country herself, Tamiko does not hesitate. Nellie and Tamiko have been taught to fear and despise each other and to believe in their own country's moral superiority. Tamiko wonders, "Why do [Americans] make us suffer like this? Our people would never do such a thing." And Nellie thinks of "those bloodthirsty Nazis and Japanese, and all the people they've killed trying to take over the world." Soon, the lives of these two girls will intersect, though they will never meet.

Shirley Reva Vernick (The Blood Lie; Ripped Away) masterfully weaves together two stories of World War II--or rather, one story from two perspectives. The plot centers around a true, top-secret Japanese offensive, in which 9,000 bombs were floated on paper balloons (handmade by teenage girls) across the Pacific to the United States. The Sky We Shared, told in alternating first-person voices, brilliantly illuminates the fact that enemies often share more similarities than differences, although they might never have the chance to find out. Comprehensive (and fascinating) author's notes follow. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor

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