Somewhere Among by Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu

Ema’s life in Tokyo changes for the worse when her parents decide that she and her pregnant mother must move in with her Japanese grandparents the summer before 9/11 changes the world.ĭipping and soaring, Somewhere Among is a beautiful novel in verse that explores one girl’s search for identity and inner peace, as well as how to discover that hope can indeed rise from the ashes of disaster.ġ. With a Japanese father and an American mother, eleven-year-old Ema has always been a part of both countries by living in Japan during the school year and spending summers in California. 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.ĭipping 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. And when the tragedy of 9/11 strikes, Ema, her parents, and the world watch as the twin towers fall…Īs 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. Then, when their stay is extended and Ema must go to a new school, her worries of not belonging grow. 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.īut Ema’s good spirits are muffled by her grandmother who is cold, tightfisted, and quick to reprimand her for the slightest infraction.

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.

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.Įleven-year-old Ema has always been of two worlds-her father’s Japanese heritage and her mother’s life in America.

Somewhere Among by Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu