Waiting on Wednesday: The War Outside by Monica Hesse

The War Outside by Monica Hesse 

Release date: September 25, 2018

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

Reading level: Young Adult

Genre: Historical fiction

Links: Author • Goodreads • Amazon 

It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado--until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan.
Haruko and Margot meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece. Haruko finds herself consumed by fear for her soldier brother and distrust of her father, who she knows is keeping something from her. And Margot is doing everything she can to keep her family whole as her mother's health deteriorates and her rational, patriotic father becomes a man who distrusts America and fraternizes with Nazis.
With everything around them falling apart, Margot and Haruko find solace in their growing, secret friendship. But in a prison the government has deemed full of spies, can they trust anyone--even each other?

I love historical fiction, especially when it tackles a time in history that might not be as well known. It's important for people to understand what happened with the Japanese in the United States during World War II and I am eager to see how Monica Hesse handles this difficult subject. All of the early reviews I have seen have been fantastic, so I am eager to read this myself!

Waiting on Wednesday Is Hosted By: Breaking the Spine