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Reviewed by:
  • The Sound of Life and Everything by Krista Van Dolzer
  • Amy Atkinson
Van Dolzer, Krista The Sound of Life and Everything. Putnam, 2015 [272p] ISBN 978-0-399-16775-1 $16.99
Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-7

Ella Mae, her indomitable mother, and her aunt Mildred go to Caltech to see a miracle: the genetic regrowth of Mildred’s son Robby, who died a few years ago fighting the Japanese in World War II, from the blood on his dog tags. Instead of Robbie, however, what was generated was a young Japanese man, Takuma. Though Mildred responds with horror and hatred, Ella Mae finds herself drawn to Takuma, and her practical and compassionate mother brings him to their home rather than leave him in the facility. Takuma’s arrival causes considerable rifts not only in their immediate family but in their town as a whole, isolating Ella Mae and her mother, who feel Takuma fills the aching gap left by the death of Ella’s brother in the war. Van Dolzer’s discussion of racism, grief, and the effects of war digestibly emerges in Ella Mae’s narration of the emotional chaos around her, and the tidbits about the ongoing scientific discovery of DNA structure (Linus Pauling even has a cameo appearance) provide an intriguing but light-handed backdrop. Ella Mae’s tender, serious story is an approachable and meaningful coming of age tale that has connections not only to classroom history lessons but to modern racial tensions and their impact on our communities; she’s a brave character well poised to inspire brave discussions. [End Page 61]

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