My Thoughts:
This story of the Japanese in Manchuria during and right after World War II is a new history for me and this historical fiction told in simple verse does a great job of telling that history through the eyes of the most vulnerable: the children/orphans left to push forward in a hostile environment and make their way to an unknown/unrealistic future they call home.

Like any good historical fiction, especially one told in sparse verse, what Under the Broken Sky does is leave the reader more curious about the actual history that is definitely untold in America, but probably largely untold in Japan too. When a book leaves me with more questions than answers, when it causes me to want to research, when it forces me to tap into my own lens to guess at what happened to these characters, then the author has done her job. Ms. Nagai gives us just enough water to make us realize that we are thirsty.

One of the things this book led me to, mostly because I suspected that this would be the case, is to research what life in a newly defeated Japan actually would be like for these orphans, especially since some of these children were born in Manchuria. Historically, even when they are powerful, Japanese have not taken kindly to any group they see as "foreign," so the fact that the Japanese returning to Japan to seek out family were given a special label "hikiagesha" as a way to mark them as repatriates even on government documents just means that this is a history that needs to be remembered, but it was not pleasant.

From the Publisher:
Twelve-year-old Natsu and her family live a quiet farm life in Manchuria, near the border of the Soviet Union. But the life they've known begins to unravel when her father is recruited to the Japanese army, and Natsu and her little sister, Asa, are left orphaned and destitute.
In a desperate move to keep her sister alive, Natsu sells Asa to a Russian family following the 1945 Soviet occupation. The journey to redemption for Natsu's broken family is rife with struggles, but Natsu is tenacious and will stop at nothing to get her little sister back.
Literary and historically insightful, this is one of the great untold stories of WWII. Much like the Newbery Honor book Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, Mariko Nagai's Under the Broken Sky is powerful, poignant, and ultimately hopeful.

I really didn't care for the format of free form poem, and I would have read it straight as fiction if I'd been able, too. Wold have made for a much pleasanter read. But aside from that, the story was heart wretching. I am sure refugees around the world have similar stories.
It's written for kids 4th grade up; may even be enjoyed by teens and adults. Should be added to a history or social studies lesson on war, refugees, migrations, Asian studies...

Under the Broken Sky was intense. It's a middle grade told in verse about a Japanese orphan, and her sister's lives, in occupied Manchuria during WW2. It's an incredibly emotional book about a child's perspective of war, but also their struggle for survival. Natsu and her sister Asa have to navigate not only their food, but also their sense of identity and family. They have no support system nearby and they hare deeply confused. It talks about a period of history I had no experience with as well as the tensions between the Chinese and Japanese - readers definitely need to read the afterward because it talks about conditions during Natsu's life. How does Natsu and her identity change as her situation changes, as her family changes? How does she navigate the world post war and those whose lives haven't been touched by the war. The last 25% definitely made me so emotional as she's forced to make hard decisions for herself and her sister.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Description
"Necessary for all of humankind, Under the Broken Sky is a breathtaking work of literature."—Booklist, starred review

A beautifully told middle-grade novel-in-verse about a Japanese orphan’s experience in occupied rural Manchuria during World War II.

Twelve-year-old Natsu and her family live a quiet farm life in Manchuria, near the border of the Soviet Union. But the life they’ve known begins to unravel when her father is recruited to the Japanese army, and Natsu and her little sister, Cricket, are left orphaned and destitute.

In a desperate move to keep her sister alive, Natsu sells Cricket to a Russian family following the 1945 Soviet occupation. The journey to redemption for Natsu's broken family is rife with struggles, but Natsu is tenacious and will stop at nothing to get her little sister back.

Literary and historically insightful, this is one of the great untold stories of WWII. Much like the Newbery Honor book Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, Mariko Nagai's Under the Broken Sky is powerful, poignant, and ultimately hopeful.

Wow! I enjoyed the verse writing style. Poetic. The subject matter was very hard to digest - I can't even imagine having to live it and go through what Natsu and Cricket endured. Thought provoking. Insightful. A definite MUST read for all.

I am trying desperately to catch up on my NetGalley reviews, so I promised myself I would read this book in one day. It ends up that was not hard to do. It is a novel in verse, but it is also very compelling. Just when you’re thinking that life can’t get any worse for our narrator and her sister, it ends up there are, indeed, more trials. There are also kindnesses and good people in unexpected places. A worthwhile read, but go into it knowing your heart will be broken repeatedly.

This book is probably more appropriate for middle school, so I won't purchase for my library, but if you're looking for a historical fiction book set in the WWII era that tells a side of the story rarely seen (at least in American stories) this would be a strong choice.

Title: Under the Broken Sky
Author: Mariko Nagai
Release date: 10.15.2019
Review date: 12.21.2019

I received a copy of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Twelve-year-old Natsu and her family live a quiet farm life in Manchuria, near the border of the Soviet Union. But the life they’ve known begins to unravel when her father is recruited to the Japanese army, and Natsu and her little sister, Cricket, are left orphaned and destitute.

When I first started this book I was delighted to discover it was actually told in verse. I love when novels are told in a different manner. It's amazing to me that a full story can be told in less words than I'm used to. I enjoyed this book and read it in a day or two.
I really love reading middle grade, but I don't quite know what to say when trying to review them. This book was an interesting story. I wasn't really familiar with the area and the history behind it. I can't really say this was a fun middle grade (it was actually quite sad) but I do think it was an important story to read.

Enjoyed the format and writing style. Would recommend to friends. The mixture of story and poetry was a unique way to develop the journey and get to know the characters. Would read more from this author.

We tend to get a lot of books about WWII, usually about persecution in Europe or resistance groups in Germany or France. Seldom to we read about other people whose lives were entirely changed by the war. We don't get regular citizens just trying to live in Germany or Japan, people who are loyal to their government. Good citizens, not committing atrocities, caught up in something larger than them. In this case we have Japanese citizens in China, children who have lived their entire lives in this occupied territory, suddenly in terrible dangers as Japan begins to lose the war. Children who are essentially on a death march. It's much like the stories we read of Jews fleeing Europe, walking through the night, sick and starving. And that's what makes it important. This is not a story about ideologies but about the general horrors of war, of being stripped of dignity and humanity. This could be used to great affect as a supplementary text.

A tragic and beautiful story. Historical and familial that will give you insight into war and culture.

This is a wonderfully told story of survival during a very difficult time. Like many people growing up in the U.S., history has been very internally focused. WWII information for me was usually very focused on how the U.S. or Europe was involved.

Japan had colonized many places including Manchuria. This story brings that time period to life. It also lets us see that people have been fleeing for their lives from many places for a very long time.

Natsu is persistent and smart. She learns a lot about herself and what she is capable of during this challenging time.

I'm partial to novels in verse and this is another one I really enjoyed. It's not an easy story to read. It's difficult to witness the suffering, but it's also a story of love and strength. I think it will be a way to open up peoples' ideas of the scope of the war. We call it a World War for a reason and so many more people and places were involved that I would have believed given what I learned in school.

I'd recommend this for use in classrooms, but also as reading for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, novels in verse, or survival stories.

This is a beautiful story about a young girl trying, at any cost, to survive. The images of Manchuria and Natsu Kimura's world come alive with prose poetry. Aimed at ages 10 to 14, even adults will love, laugh and cry as Natsu's story unfolds.

Under the Broken Sky
by Mariko Nagai


Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Children's Fiction

Pub Date 15 Oct 2019


I am reviewing a copy of Under the Broken Sky through Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Henry Holt and Co. (BYR):



This beautifully told novel in verse tells us of twelve year old Natsu and the quiet farm life of her family in Manchuria near the Soviet Border, but when her parents are recruited into the Japanese Army Natsu and her little sister Cricket are left Orphaned and destitute.


In an act of desperation and in hopes of keeping Cricket Alive Natsu sells her sister to a Soviet Family but following the 1945 Soviet Occupation Natsu will do whatever she can to get her little sister back.



Natsu’s Story is one of unthinkable, hunger, of starvation, of impossible decisions, of loosing everything to war, to loss, to their enemies.



This story deals with loss, it deals with death, and children forced to grow up long before they should. It speaks of kids having to carry guns to school, simply to keep themselves safe, and it speaks of having to function on little or nothing to eat. It speaks of dead children, and having to take clothes off the bodies, growing numb to it all.



Natsu is forced to watch helpless as her Auntie, the one adult taking care of her, grows sick and dies.


I would recommend Under the Broken Sky to anyone who wants a realistic portrayal of what a Japanese child went through during World War 2!


I give Under the Broken Sky five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

Engaging and moving verse novel showcasing an aspect of history unknown to most US students. This book would make an excellent addition to any classroom library or history curriculum. Highly recommended.

Written in poetic form, Under the Broken Sky follows the experiences of two Japanese girls following the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945. Driven from their settlement following the collapse of Japan's puppet government in the region, the two sisters and their community make a horrendous trek to Harbin only to find more deprivation and chaos there. It's a part of history that most American children are probably unaware of. Nagai offers an unflinching and at times terrifying fictionalized treatment of the period. Violence, death, suicide, and war themes are persistent and prevalent, so ability to cope with these concepts is a must for readers.