Review: Warriors in the Crossfire

Warriors in the Crossfire
Nancy Bo Flood
2010; Boyds Mill Press; ISBN 978-1-59078-661-1 (hardcover)

Historical Period/Events:  1940s Saipan; World War II

Summary:  As a native on the island of Saipan, Joseph is disdained by the occupying Japanese.  He dreams of going to a university like his cousin, the half-Japanese Kento who wants to be an engineer.  But Joseph would return to the island and open a school.  But such dreams must wait, for the Japanese Empire is fighting the Americans, and the native population is caught in the middle.  When the Americans attack the Japanese, Joseph and his family hide in a cave.  But with the Japanese facing defeat, they enforce a horrible policy, in an even that Joseph will witness.

Exploring a horrific event, this novel is also a look at the native population of the small Pacific island of Saipan.  The tension that existed between the natives and the Japanese is vividly portrayed.  There is also the beliefs of Joseph's people: their dances, their code of conduct, and more.  With simple words precisely selected like a haiku, Warriors in the Crossfire is a novel that honors the people of Saipan.  Use this novel in World War II displays or booktalks, as a complement to titles on the Holocaust.