Although this is a work of historical fiction, the author's thorough research about the boys of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and his meticulous descriptions of battle scenes bring the story to life without boring readers familiar or unfamiliar with the military lifestyle. As the war wages on, however, Yuki realizes that he must respect himself and where he came from, and that neither war nor changing others' minds is as easy as he had imagined. Although depressed about their situation, Yuki and friend Shig decide to join the army to fight for their country and to prove once and for all that they are loyal to the United States.

His family is one of the thousands of Japanese American citizens arrested and forcibly transferred to internment camps in the rural desert. He was born in California, wears jeans, and has never even visited another country-but at the start of World War II he becomes aware that other Americans see him as a foreign enemy. Yuki emerges as a true hero during this dark period of American history., Yuki Nakahara is American. Before Yuki returns home-if he returns home-he'll come face to face with persistent prejudices, grueling combat he never imagined, and friendships deeper than he knew possible.Įvents, characters, and dialogue create an indelible sense of time and place. When Yuki and his friend Shig ship out, they aren't prepared for the experiences they'll encounter as members of the 'Four-Four-Two,' a segregated regiment made up entirely of Japanese-American soldiers. But Yuki isn't willing to sit back and accept this injustice-it's his country too, and he's going to prove it by enlisting in the army to fight for the Allies. Like many other Japanese Americans, Yuki and his family have been forced into an internment camp in the Utah desert. But it's the start of World War II, and America doesn't see it that way. From the author of Soldier Boys and Search and Destroy comes a thought-provoking, action-packed page-turner based on the little-known history of the Japanese Americans who fought with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II.

Four-Four-Two by Dean Hughes