IN A FLASH

Two Italian sisters try to survive in Japan during World War II.

In the summer of 1940, not long after their mother’s death, 8-year-old Simona and her 5-year-old sister, Carolina, move with their father to Tokyo, Japan, where he will begin a job as the chef at the Italian embassy. Over the next few years, the girls master the Japanese language and learn Japanese customs in order to fit in with peers who believe they are living in luxury even though they are servants within embassy walls. Being a Westerner in wartime Japan soon becomes difficult. In 1943, following Italy’s surrender to the Allies, all Italians are forced into internment camps, and the sisters are separated from their father. Escaping, they set off on a long and treacherous journey to stay alive in a country that now sees them as the enemy. Through the voice of Simona, this novel offers an unusual perspective on the World War II years in Japan. The girls’ journey is constantly challenging, as they often face sudden, unexpected risks. Because the story spans multiple years, there is a lot of information about Japan’s homefront experience during the 1940s, including patriotism, propaganda, underground anti-war efforts, depletion of resources, and bombings. Topics of xenophobia, identity, assimilation, loss, friendship, and family are intertwined through the perspective of a young person navigating tumultuous events.

A new, interesting perspective on a history rarely told.