The Blossom and the Firefly

 
 

A song will bring them together. The war will tear them apart. Is it possible to live an entire lifetime in eight short days?

From the award-winning author of Flygirl comes this powerful WWII romance between two Japanese teens caught in the cogs of an unwinnable war, perfect for fans of Salt to the Sea, Lovely War, and Code Name Verity.

Japan 1945.

Taro is a talented violinist and a kamikaze pilot in the days before his first and only mission. He believes he is ready to die for his country . . . until he meets Hana.

Hana hasn't been the same since the day she was buried alive in a collapsed trench during a bomb raid. She wonders if it would have been better to have died that day . . . until she meets Taro.

“Tomorrow will come soon enough.”

PRAISE FOR THE BLOSSOM AND THE FIREFLY

★ “…Smith immerses her readers in a war narrative not often told to American readers, as well as a conflict-filled love story. Smith does not shy away from the horrific consequences of war and its victims; the novel encompasses comfort women; Asian countries affected by Japanese imperialism; and ritual suicide. The imagery of the title evokes the Japanese code of bushido and the fleeting beauty of existence.”

— The Horn Book, Starred Review

★“Impeccably researched, Smith’s detailed writing evokes traditional Eastern folklore—much like the Japanese stories she weaves through the novel. Readers will find themselves growing attached to the characters and their developing affection, but the author does not shy away from realistic depiction of a war-torn country. Smith includes a glossary and selected bibliography. Beyond the sense of looming death, there is passion and hope that drives readers further into the story. The ending feels inevitable, like the last notes of a perfect melody. VERDICT Smith’s fast-paced and compelling historical novel would be a valued addition to any collection. “

–School Library Journal, Starred Review

“Hope and affection bloom between a schoolgirl and a pilot in this bittersweet narrative set in Japan during the final months of World War II… A pensive depiction of young love and endurance amid wartime uncertainty.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“In Smith’s work of historical fiction set in Japan, readers are introduced to a perspective rarely covered in English-language novels about World War II. It focuses on the tender unfolding love affair between a teenage boy who is a member of the tokkō (usually referred to in the West as kamikaze pilots) and a girl who belongs to a youth group supporting those going to war. The black American author did extensive research, and the results more than speak for themselves.”

— “Writing Outside of Your Identity," Laura Simeon
Kirkus Reviews

“This absorbing historical novel, set in Japan during eight days in 1945, thrusts two teens in the midst of war into a charged romance... Each protagonist’s impending sense of mortality heightens the atmosphere…the novel…ably portrays the stakes of war and love.”

— Publishers Weekly

“Smith plays with timelines here to effectively maximize tension and emotion: readers watch Taro grow up from a baby to a teenaged soldier, but, in alternating chapters, they meet Hana at fifteen, already traumatized by a war that has taken her father, her school, and her sense of safety. Their short time together easily lends the story the sighs and swoons of a doomed romance, but their relationship is not so much star-crossed as it is a genuine depiction of two terrified kids finding a respite, however brief, from the hopelessness of war. Details of the Japanese involvement in the war, its preceding battles with China, and the culture's devotion to their emperor and his honor are carefully woven in, and Smith provides a glossary and bibliography. The final scene is a hopeful, tearful climax, and fans of Berry's Lovely War (BCCB 2/19) will find this happy ending especially satisfying.”

—Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

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Publisher: G.P. Putnam and Sons
Publication Date: February 18, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Hardcover: 320 pages