Book Review - Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris / Mother's Day Recommendation

One of the best novels I've read this spring is Kristina McMorris' novel, "Bridge of Scarlet Leaves." This book would be a perfect gift for mom for Mother's Day!

About The Book:

In this poignant and evocative novel by acclaimed author Kristina McMorris, a country is plunged into conflict and suspicion—forcing a young woman to find her place in a volatile world.

Los Angeles, 1941. Violinist Maddie Kern's life seemed destined to unfold with the predictable elegance of a Bach concerto. Then she fell in love with Lane Moritomo. Her brother's best friend, Lane is the handsome, ambitious son of Japanese immigrants. Maddie was prepared for disapproval from their families, but when Pearl Harbor is bombed the day after she and Lane elope, the full force of their decision becomes apparent. In the eyes of a fearful nation, Lane is no longer just an outsider, but an enemy.

When her husband is interned at a war relocation camp, Maddie follows, sacrificing her Juilliard ambitions. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.

Skillfully capturing one of the most controversial episodes in recent American history, Kristina McMorris draws readers into a novel filled with triumphs and heartbreaking loss—an authentic, moving testament to love, forgiveness, and the enduring music of the human spirit.

Kristina McMorris pulls her readers back in time with this thoughtful and heart-tugging story of two people and their fight to overcome prejudice in order to be together.

I never knew much about the Japanese internment camps during World War II and was well-educated through Kristina's story. Her characters, her descriptions, and her remarkable story-telling skills bring to light details of these camps that most people will find fascinating.

A love story as well as a historical story, "Bridge of Scarlet Leaves" is one story that will linger with you long after the last page is turned.

About The Author:

Kristina McMorris lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Her foray into fiction began in the fall of 2006 as a result of interviewing her grandmother for the biographical section of a self-published cookbook intended as a holiday gift for the family. Inspired by her grandparents' wartime courtship, Kristina penned her first novel, a WWII love story titled “Letters from Home.” Endorsed by Woman's Day and praised by Publishers Weekly as "a sweeping debut," “Letters from Home” was released in spring 2011, from Kensington Books and Avon/HarperCollins UK, to wide critical acclaim. The novel was a Doubleday Book Club alternate selection and a Reader's Digest Select Editions condensed feature.

 Destined to be a book club favorite, Kristina's novel, “Bridge of Scarlet Leaves” (March 2012), is a WWII love story complicated by the U.S. internment of Japanese Americans, told from surprising perspectives rarely explored in literature.

 For more information on Kristina’s work and upcoming projects, check out her website at www.kristinamcmorris.com

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not compensated for my opinion.