Welcome to the Blog & Review Tour -and Giveaway -for
Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Within These Lines
Author: Stephanie Morrill
Publisher: Blink YA
Genre: Historical Young Adult Fiction
Release Date: March 5, 2019
When Evalina Cassano and Taichi Hamasaki are torn apart by the events following the attack on Pearl Harbor, they must fight if they want any hope of returning to one another before World War II steals their future together. Within These Lines is one unflinching, haunting, historical novel you don’t want to miss; perfect for fans of Monica Hesse, Ruta Sepetys, and Elizabeth Wein.
Evalina Cassano’s life in an Italian-American family living in San Francisco in 1941 is quiet and ordinary until she falls in love with Taichi Hamasaki, the son of Japanese immigrants. Despite the scandal it would cause and that inter-racial marriage is illegal in California, Evalina and Taichi vow they will find away to be together. But anti-Japanese feelings erupt across the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Taichi and his family are forced to give up their farm and move to a Japanese-American internment camp.
Degrading treatment makes life at Manzanar Relocation Center difficult. Taichi’s only connection to the outside world is treasured letters from Evalina. Feeling that the only action she can take to help Taichi is to speak out against injustice, Evalina becomes increasingly vocal at school and at home. Meanwhile, inside Manzanar, fighting between different Japanese-American factions arises. Taichi begins to doubt he will ever leave the camp alive.
With tensions running high and their freedom on the line, Evalina and Taichimust hold true to their ideals and believe in their love to make a way back to each other against unbelievable odds.
Within These Lines:
- Is a young adult historical novel set in the World War II era
- Contains themes of love, separation, social justice, war, and diversity
- Perfect for junior high and high school students
- A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie Morrill writes books about girls who are on an adventure to discover their unique place in the world. She is the author of several contemporary young adult series, as well as the 1920s mystery, The Lost Girl of Astor Street, and the WWII era romance, Within These Lines. Since 2010, Stephanie has been encouraging the next generation of writers at her website, GoTeenWriters.com. She lives in the Kansas City area, where she loves plotting big and small adventures to enjoy with her husband and three children. You can connect with Stephanie and learn more about her books at StephanieMorrill.com, Instagram, Facebook,and Twitter.
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: website |
facebook |
twitter |
instagram
GIVEAWAY
(1) Grand Prize winner will win a release copy of Within These Lines & a special designed poster of Within These Lines from the publisher, Blink YA. Featured quote on poster: "Be Brave Enough to Care and Bold Enough to Act"
(5) First Prize winners will each with a special designed poster of
Within These Lines from the publisher, Blink YA. Featured quote on poster: "Be Brave Enough to Care and Bold Enough to Act"
REVIEW
My Thoughts ~
I have been a fan of Stephanie Morrill's books since her debut, so when the chance came to review
Within These Lines, I jumped (virtually speaking, of course)!
And
Within These Lines did not disappoint! Seriously, I can't recommend this enough!
The story starts well after Taichi and Evalina have met and fallen in love. This surprised me at first, but I quickly realized how perfect this was.
Within These Lines is not a story of HOW Taichi and Evalina fell in love; it is about how they FOUGHT for their love while uncertainty and hatred surrounded them. They were so beautifully and realistically written! Their uncertainties, fears, anger, and passion was life on the pages! Their sacrifices show what it means to love in verb form!
Within These Lines is set in a sad period of American history that is -- frankly -- largely forgotten and mostly ignored today. The author's attention to detail and sensitivity regarding the horrors of the Japanese American incarceration is the kind of amazing that humbles readers as it speaks to the heart with its fiery truth!
At the core of the story is a call to action. To be brave. To care. To be bold. To act. Evalina's passion and Taichi's pain will inspire you to fight against prejudice in your everyday world! To speak. To love.
Five Stars ~
Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill is amazingly powerful and beautifully moving! This standalone, World War Two era, YA romance should be on your shelf. Period. It's one I will read again and again!
Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.
See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!
Hugs!
~V. Joy Palmer
V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.
