In this beautiful and haunting debut novel in verse, called "a tender
piece on connectedness" in a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, a
Japanese-American girl struggles with the loneliness of being caught
between two worlds when the tragedy of 9/11 strikes an ocean away.
Eleven-year-old Ema has always been of two worlds--her father's Japanese
heritage and her mother's life in America. She's spent summers in
California for as long as she can remember, but this year she and her
mother are staying with her grandparents in Japan as they await the
arrival of Ema's baby sibling. Her mother's pregnancy has been tricky,
putting everyone on edge, but Ema's heart is singing--finally, there
will be someone else who will understand what it's like to belong and
not belong at the same time.
But Ema's good spirits are muffled by her grandmother who is cold,
tightfisted, and quick to reprimand her for the slightest infraction.
Then, when their stay is extended and Ema must go to a new school, her
worries of not belonging grow. And when the tragedy of 9/11 strikes,
Ema, her parents, and the world watch as the twin towers fall...
As her mother grieves for her country across the ocean--threatening the
safety of her pregnancy--and her beloved grandfather falls ill, Ema
feels more helpless and hopeless than ever. And yet, surrounded by
tragedy, Ema sees for the first time the tender side of her grandmother,
and the reason for the penny-pinching and sternness make sense--her
grandmother has been preparing so they could all survive the worst.
Dipping and soaring, Somewhere Among is the story of one girl's search
for identity, a sense of peace, and the discovery that hope can indeed
rise from the ashes of disaster.
