Dolls of War
Marcy James lives in a small Oregon town with her father and mother in 1941. Her father runs a museum of foreign gifts and artistic pieces. Marcy’s parents had lived in and loved Japan and its people. Now, Marcy’s mother’s health is rapidly failing, but she is comforted by looking at old pictures of life in Japan and a statue of a Japanese geisha doll.
This novel is the story of the struggle Marcy experiences in defending her doll’s right to live when people in the town want to destroy “Miss Tokyo” after Japan attacks America at Pearl Harbor, beginning our participation in WWII. Adding to the stress, her brother, Nick, and friend, Hap, join the military in a patriotic response to the attack. The author tells the story of how this doll and the war transform a community of patriotic citizens who are trying to balance their anger with the need to avoid generalizing all Japanese people as enemies. It is a remarkable story that should be a part of every school and library’s collection of historical YA fiction.
