The synopsis of this book sounds promising - Set in the midst of WWII and centered around a young Japanese American woman named Aiko whose family is forced into an internment camp in California, they are granted to opportunity to make a whole new life in Chicago because of Aiko's older sister Rose. But when they get to Chicago, they discover Rose has died and it's been deemed a suicide. Agast at such a hasty proclamation, Aiko is determined to discover the truth behind Rose's death. Even with danger lurking around her inquiries.

This book started out really great. I loved the flashback to Aiko's childhood trauma of the pool party she was asked to leave because of her race, and Rose's unabashed, forthright response. It showed that Rose was a force of nature, unafraid to make waves in an unfair world.

But the rest of the writing was just too bland and choppy. I didn't feel engrossed in the mystery and had a hard time buying into the details that linked to solving it. About 60% through, I just couldn't get through it. I have no idea what happened to Rose, and I'm not inclined to find out. I think if the writing style had been smoother and more true to the time period, I would have stuck with it.

A fascinating and different perspective with solid noir roots; Naomi's story of the post-Manzanar experiences of the Ito family in Chicago, and Aki's search for the truth behind her sister's death brought an entire new dimension of history alive to this West Coast reader.

Clark and Division is a groundbreaking book for the author and a welcome addition to the mystery canon. It's the story of a family caught up in an infamous moment of American history, when Japanese-Americans were uprooted and sent to concentration camps, removing them from the west coast, from their lives, and from their belongings and livelihoods. When one daughter is released from the camp and sent to Chicago to establish a new home for her parents and sister, she's eager to start over. But when the rest of the family arrives she has gone missing, and soon they learn she fell in front of an El train. Though the police rule it a suicide, her sister refuses to believe it and as she struggles to help her parents find new jobs and a home, she does what she can to find out what actually happened to her sister.

The mystery is a good one, but the book goes beyond the puzzle to take a wider look at the experience of internment and how Japanese-Americans were treated throughout the ordeal and during resettlement, viewed through the eyes of a young woman who idolizes her more sophisticated sister and struggles to keep her family together through tragedy and dislocation. It brings to life a historical moment and a community experience that every American should know more about - not just what happened, but what it was like, admirably made affectingly real through this novel.