Set in the heated days of early 1944, Clark and Division tells the tale of Aki Ito, her two parents and sister Rose who are living in Manzanar Internment Camp in California after the forced relocation of all people of Japanese ancestry living in the United States.
Deeply unhappy with life in the camp, the Itos jump at the opportunity to take part in a resettlement program in Chicago. The resettlement was part of the War Relocation Authority's plan to integrate Japanese people into cities away from the coast, and an important part of history that is less remembered today.
Rose is granted leave to settle in Chicago several months before the rest of the family. Later, Aki and her parents are granted permission to join Rose in Chicago. However, upon arriving, the Itos are greeted not by Rose but by the tragic news that she has died after being hit by a subway train at Clark and Division station.
Aki is devastated by the initial shock of her sister’s death but becomes determined to learn the full truth after the police decline to investigate, ruling it an open-and-shut case of suicide. This leads Aki to track down contacts of her sister, former roommates, and others in the now-expanding Japanese community of Chicago for hints of who killed her sister and why someone would kill a caring person like Rose.
Through Aki’s eyes, we see tensions around social issues including poverty and inequality between White Americans and Black, Japanese and other ethnic minorities. Unsupported by her family, friends and police in her investigation of Rose’s death, Aki sets down a path that will leave her forever changed.
Naomi Hirahara expertly shows us the intricacies of a troubled time in American history through Chicago’s neighbourhoods and the places central to them, like the Newberry Library and Bughouse Square in downtown Chicago. This gives some insight into Japanese American experiences, culture and community which is both informative and entertaining and sets it apart from similar books in the mystery genre.
Hirahara’s fast-paced narrative will leave you guessing until the very end.
Mark Landau is a Librarian at the Brighouse Branch of Richmond Public Library. For more reading suggestions visit Richmond Public Library's Web site at www.yourlibrary.ca/goodbooks/.
