Weedflower

The novel that I read this summer, is called Weedflower. Sumiko is the main character. Sumiko lived on a small flower farm in Southern California. She spent most of her time taking care of the kusabana that her family grew. She lived with her aunt, uncle, her two older cousins, and her younger brother. They all lived as happy Nikkei (Japanese people born in America). Nothing could ruin their life. At least that's how it was, until the American government put them in an internment camp in Poston, Arizona. This is taking place in World War II, just when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Meanwhile, the government makes the Japanese sell everything they own. They could carry nothing but just a couple of clothes. At first, when the Japanese arrived at Poston, they found it hard to live there, but after some time, they gradually opened to new ideas of how to live in peace.
While Sumiko is there, she meets a Mohave boy named Frank, and becomes good friends with him. Frank can't get rid of the fact that the Japanese are on his land, and has to get over that. However, he does become very fascinated by how the Japanese bring some color to the desert by making their own flower farms.
Meeting Frank has brought some color into her life because of the fact that Sumiko has never had a real friend before. She's always had a very lonely lifestyle in California. It's possible that living is Poston could be better for her. The one problem is that if anyone leaves the camp, and tries to make a new life somewhere else, it's possible that they'll just be sent to another camp.
Weedflower has its heart-breaking moments, but other than that, it's filled with life, love, friendship, and a lot of history. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested.