After a bi-polar classmate’s suicide caused by bullying, Kana is sent to live in Japan for the summer with her mother’s relatives. It was Kana’s friend Lisa that did a majority of the bullying, but Kana never did anything to stop is and it is weighing on her. While in Japan, she is to attend summer school, read a stack of books her mother sent with her, and help her mother’s family tend to their mikan orange groves. Kana is half Jewish and half Japanese and quickly finds herself an outsider in her summer school.
She is bigger than the other girls, and being only half Japanese, she looks different. In the beginning, Kana blames Ruth. If it hadn’t been for her suicide, Kana wouldn’t be in Japan for the summer. She would be back in New York with her family and friends. She blames Ruth for not speaking out, not telling anyone about her disorder. If she had, maybe things would have been different. During her months away, Kana vacillates between anger, sadness and regret over what happened.
Eventually, she comes to terms with the event. She opens up more to her family, and begins to enjoy her summer, looking forward to going home and starting high school. All of that changes when she receives news about another tragedy which changes her life even more.
Orchards is written in free-verse which suits the novel well. Had it been written in prose, I’m afraid it would have been mired down in unnecessary description and would have possibly stripped this moving novel of its heart. Though it does deal with tough subject matter, the author handles it very well.
The book is told entirely from Kana’s point of view as she speaks to Ruth, now dead, about her feelings and what she has to go through because of what happened. I felt this added a nice touch and added a depth to the book it may not have had otherwise. The characters are strong, the verse is well-crafted and the story is engaging. All in all it is a satisfying read.
- This reviewer also blogs at booktwirps.com
- Publisher: February 22, 2011
- Date of Publication: February 22, 2011
