I enjoyed this book very much. I was a young girl during World War II. I did not know about the camps until I was well into my adult life. At the same time I was reading this book, I was reading "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" that was assigned by my local reading group. This book also was about the internment camps. I was sorry that Lane did not make it home to meet his daughter, but that is part of life. I felt the author did a great job developing the characters and building the story.

I enjoyed the book; however, I thought McMorris tried to cover to any topics in one book. This left me with never feeling that one was ever focused on deep enough. The book tried to deal with deaths of patents, interracial romance/marriage, Japanese interment camps, POW camps, childbirth tragedies (or near ones), sacraficing your dreams for someone else, etc. I felt sometimes that this was a combination of trying to blend the research McMorris had found - taking real cases from 2 or 3 families and putting it into Maddie's and Lane's families.

I read this book while recuperating from surgery in a rehab center. In a little way, I saw how it was to be away from home in an unfamiliar and nonpersonal place, even though I certainly didn't suffer any racist hatred or uncomfortable living conditions. I hated that Lane died, tho, and wanted him and Maddie to have a life after the war. I wish there would be a sequel following their daughter's life after the war. I loved that Maddie and Lane's mother were able to connect at last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I liked it quite a bit but wish it had slightly more depth to it, especially pertaining the to the Japanese internment camps.