How Much Do You Love Me
by Paul Mark Tag
by Paul Mark Tag
Published: August 2014, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, 256 pages
My Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Description: Lovers James and Keiko
marry quickly before James goes to World War II and Keiko to an
internment camp. Sixty years later their daughter Kazuko, born in the
camps, uncovers a secret that could overwhelm the family. Discover the
very definition of human love and self-sacrifice in this saga of war,
mystery, and romance.
My Review: I haven't read a book that deals with the Japanese-Americans during WWII and was interested to gain some insight. The story goes back and forth between late 1942/early 1943 and the fall of 2000.
James and Keiko marry quickly before he is sent off to war and she is sent off to a camp. I loved the way the two families were so supportive of their decision, even if it took them off guard. They had a daughter, born while Keiko was in the camp and James was at war, who uncovers a big family secret in 2000 when her mother is in a coma after suffering a stroke. The author has definitely done a lot of research and the story had a lot of information about this time in America's history. I felt that a lot of the book was telling me what was going on, instead of showing me. I did learn a lot, but didn't feel a lot of emotional connection to the characters until the second half of the story, but I'm sure that was due to setting up the plot.
I thought the Kazuko was a great character and was very resourceful in finding ways to aid her in the search. She came across as very kind and loving, as well as loyal and grounded.
I was surprised at the way things ended--I didn't see it coming and was a little upset, but not in a bad way, if that makes sense. If you're in the mood for an informative novel about the latter part of WWII, be sure to pick this one up!
Content: Clean!
I was surprised at the way things ended--I didn't see it coming and was a little upset, but not in a bad way, if that makes sense. If you're in the mood for an informative novel about the latter part of WWII, be sure to pick this one up!
Content: Clean!
Goodreads || Amazon || Cedar Fort
About the Author:
Paul
Mark Tag received BS, MS, and PhD degrees in the field of Meteorology
from Pennsylvania State University, the last in 1977. He worked for the
Naval Research Laboratory as a research scientist for over thirty years
before leaving his job to write fiction.
In the late 1990s, in preparation for a career in writing, he began writing short stories. Author/Publisher Arline Chase became his mentor. In early 2001, when he made his career change permanent, he spent a year writing only short stories. These stories have been published in StoryBytes, Potpourri, Greens Magazine, and The Storyteller.
In 2002, Tag started his first novel, a thriller entitled Category 5, that took advantage of his knowledge of meteorology and weather modification. Prophecy, the sequel to Category 5, was published in July of 2007. White Thaw: The Helheim Conspiracy, is the third in the series and came out in April of 2013. In between writing this trilogy of thrillers, he published a book of his short stories entitled The Errant Ricochet: Max Raeburn's Legacy.
Paul lives with his wife, Becky, in Monterey, California. Please visit his web site at www.paulmarktag.com.
In the late 1990s, in preparation for a career in writing, he began writing short stories. Author/Publisher Arline Chase became his mentor. In early 2001, when he made his career change permanent, he spent a year writing only short stories. These stories have been published in StoryBytes, Potpourri, Greens Magazine, and The Storyteller.
In 2002, Tag started his first novel, a thriller entitled Category 5, that took advantage of his knowledge of meteorology and weather modification. Prophecy, the sequel to Category 5, was published in July of 2007. White Thaw: The Helheim Conspiracy, is the third in the series and came out in April of 2013. In between writing this trilogy of thrillers, he published a book of his short stories entitled The Errant Ricochet: Max Raeburn's Legacy.
Paul lives with his wife, Becky, in Monterey, California. Please visit his web site at www.paulmarktag.com.
Great review! I'm not quite halfway done so haven't learned the family secret yet, but I think I'm getting close.
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by the story line and since I usually see things coming,I love to 'get caught' as it were. This goes right onto my TBR list. I wish Paul Mark Tag all the best.and would like to know his inspiration for this story and how he did his research...ut I guess he "knows which way the wind blows"!
ReplyDeleteIn answer to Tonette's question, as I say in the preface, I picked the Japanese internment for the crux of my story because this injustice is being forgotten. I live in California, where many of the internees came from. Because World War II is some 70 years ago, many of those interned are no longer with us; not infrequently, in the newspaper here, we see obituaries that mention the internment. In terms of research, I read a lot of books. However, an online database, Densho (you can Google it) proved an invaluable source for the richness of detail I was hoping for. For example, aside from interviews with internees, included are copies of camp newspapers that gave me so much information (in my case, for the Tule Lake camp.
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