Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata
Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata, is a historical fiction novel for middle school readers. Cynthia Kadohata is a Newbery Award winning author of Kira-Kira. Weedflower is the story of a young Japanese-American girl and her struggles with loss, loneliness, war, racism, and life in an internment camp during the World War II era.
Sumiko was twelve years old and lived on a flower farm in California. She and her little brother had lost their parents years ago in an accident, but they were taken in by their loving and supportive extended family. They all lived and worked together on the flower farm, a job that Sumiko enjoyed. The book opened with Sumiko very excited to be the recipient of a birthday party invitation. As the only Japanese student at her school, she was used to being ignored or teased by other children. So when Marsha, a popular classmate, invited her to a party, Sumiko was thrilled. For the first time in her life, she felt proud and special. When the day finally arrived, Sumiko wanted everything to be perfect. She wore her best dress and brought an expensive and impeccably wrapped present. But everything turned sour the moment she arrived – the moment Marsha’s stunned mother came to the door and saw her. When Marsha invited her whole class to the party, her mother hadn’t realized that a Japanese child was a classmate. She quietly stepped out on the porch, explained to Sumiko her concerns over what her husband and others would think, handed her a piece of cake, and quickly sent the devastated child home.
Life for Sumiko and her family only got worse from there. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed and the United States entered into World War II shortly thereafter. Japanese-Americans, suspected of being spies, were sent to internment camps. Sumiko’s family lost everything they owned and became prisoners. Her new life was on a dusty camp set in a scorching hot Arizona desert, which had previously been an Indian reservation. Barely fed and living under horrible conditions, Sumiko found ways to survive. She planted a flower garden and dreamed of owning her own flower shop someday. She met a young Mohave boy, Frank, who eventually became her first real friend. It was difficult to comprehend the treatment of those imprisoned, but also refreshing to see Sumiko authentically evolve and mature despite the hardships.
Weedflower is the story of a lonely, rejected adolescent girl longing for acceptance in the midst of a world crisis and explosive racial divides. The author’s father was an internment camp survivor, so this is clearly an issue close to her heart and realistically represented throughout the novel. Kadohata gave an honest description of the brutality against incarcerated Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. These events were presented poignantly, but without being overly graphic in my opinion. Weedflower is well-written, educational, well-paced and age appropriate. Sumiko’s character is sweet, likable, and relatable and I think middle schoolers will connect with her social struggles and desire to belong. I admired her determination to survive and her unwavering empathy despite the circumstances. This novel offers multiple themes – loss, family bonds, friendship, war, the power of perseverance and of course, racism. As we all know, the overall racism themes still apply today as this sadly continues to be an issue in our nation. In light of recent events, including violence against Asian-Americans, it is critical to open a dialog with our youth about these issues, and to keep these conversation going. There is much work to be done and everybody deserves a voice. Weedflower would make a great conversation starter between young people and adults, a platform on which to begin these important dialogs.
I highly recommend Cynthia Kadohata’s Weedflower for middle school students, teachers and parents. Kadohata has written many books for this age group. In an educational setting, an author study on her work would make for rich, engaging discussions. Please see my review of her novel, Kira-Kira. There are several parallels between these two novels. Kira-Kira is a story of another young Japanese-American girl struggling with similar social and discrimination issues, but during a different era. Both novels are thought-provoking and excellent choices for young readers.
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“I feel like I speak for many Asian Americans when I say I am fearful, a little angry, and frustrated at the uncertainty of the entire situation.” Benny Luo
