Book finished: The Sound of Life and Everything by Krista Van Dolzer
What a strange, beautiful book. In 1950s California, Ella Mae's family is still dealing with their grief over losing Ella Mae's brother Daniel and cousin Robby in the war. When Ella Mae's Aunt Mildred responds to an ad in the paper claiming that scientists can bring Robby back if she has a sample of his DNA (which she does - the blood on his dog tags), Ella Mae thinks she's crazy. Crazier still is what happens next. It wasn't Robby's blood on the dog tags, but the blood of a Japanese soldier. When Takuma is brought back to life, lost and alone in this strange land, Ella Mae's mother ends up taking him in. But anti-Japanese sentiment runs strong in this small California town and it won't be an easy ride for anyone.
This is a really interesting blend of historical and science fiction that made me think of the tone of classic science fiction stories like Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land.
Challenge update:
Time spent reading/blogging: 18 hours 20 minutes
Pages read: 1574
Books finished: 7
