*I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. A sincere thank you to the authors and publisher!
“Of White Ashes” tells the stories of protagonists Ruby Ishimaru and Koji Matsuo through the lens of the Japanese-American and Japanese experience in World War II. Following both characters from 1939 to 1958, with an epilogue from 1995, the novel manages to capture the joys and difficulties of growing up while also portraying the unique hardships and trauma of Japanese internment, experienced by Ruby in her native USA, and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which impacts Koji’s community.
This book was enjoyable from beginning to end, with the characters of Ruby and Koji maturing and discovering their own views and personalities as the story progressed. Even when presented as young children, they never feel overly juvenile; though this could be considered a coming-of-age book, it is also so much more - I felt I could identify with the characters throughout their journeys.
While I’ve read many novels set in WWII, there are few I’ve found that focus on Japanese internment or even what life was like in Japan shortly before and after the atomic bombings. The authors’ use of alternating perspective chapters bounces the reader between the two characters, keeping the action moving and eventually seamlessly intertwining Ruby and Koji’s stories. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction, or particularly interested in exploring a new perspective in the WWII genre.
This is a fascinating read!
5/5

This was a different WWII read and it was quite eye opening. Told through the view point of two different characters, we follow along with Ruby in Hawaii and Koji in Hiroshima. Ruby is an American and living in Hawaii with her family when Pearl Harbor is bombed. Her family is now looked at as the enemy and are sent off to incarceration camps all over the US while the war rages on and her father tries to find a way to get them back to Japan after what this country has done to them. Koji and his family fear for their lives everyday with the war raging and knowing that a retaliation attack has to be coming at some point. When his parents share with him a shocking secret about who he is, it really gives him something new to think about for his future. When the atomic bomb is dropped and miraculously Koji survives but is now seeing the horror of this destruction first hand. Doing what he can to help his family and others, he continues to ponder this secret and finally comes to an answer when Japan surrenders. I learned a lot from this story and at times it was quite shocking but very eye opening and interesting to read from both of their view points. Thank you to LibraryThing and to the authors for the free novel from a giveaway. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

Dual narrators Ruby and Koji show the reader their lives pre and post the World War II involvement of the United States.
Both are American citizens - Ruby grew up in Hawaii; Koji in Hiroshima.
Religion and family are important to the young protagonists but questions arise when the Americans join the war, move Japanese-Americans into camps, and build and deliver the atomic bomb.
Separate narratives imply a future meeting of the two, but we learn so much about each before they do meet.
A well-written novel with difficult subjects melded in with everyday issues. ( )

This book was very well written. It was depressing but how can war be anything else. I have always liked to compare two points of view. Much is written about the effects of the war in Europe. I found it interesting to read about the effects on peoples in our own country and in Japan. ( )

This story was kind of slow for me, especially at the beginning with frequent Japanese words that I was unfamiliar with and not ready for. But it gives us a perspective that we rarely get of that time, so that was really interesting. There was something about it (or me at the time I was reading it) that caused me to not care about the characters, so it was tough to really get into the story, but otherwise it was well done.