both sides of war.

Honestly, I didn't think The Translation of Love by Lynne Kutsukake would be a book I would enjoy. I typically like to read books I can relate to, or a,t least wrap my head around and although I could not see myself in her shoes, 13-year-old Aya Shimamura was such an interesting character, I could not put this book down.

Set in post-war Japan, it's 1947. Aya and her father have been deported back to Japan after living in Canada all of Aya's life and now she must adjust to an entirely different culture that is supposed to be hers. In school, where she barely speaks Japanese, Aya is seated in class next to Fumi, who's older sister disappeared after leaving home to become a dance girl because jobs are so scarce. Together, with the help of an unlikely source, these two girls set off to find this missing girl, and a coming of age adventure begins.