All We Left Behind

A well written story about a Canadian whom loves a Japanese-Canadian woman during World War II. Harshness reality of POW camps and Japanese internment bring the story to the front of the reader's heart.

This book is amazing.. Everyone should read it. It was touching and beautiful. Highly recommend. I really enjoyed this story

A very good historical novel about the internment of Japanese/Canadian citizens during WW2.. Hayden and Chidori are childhood friends who fall in love. When Chidori is sent to the interior, Hayden feels his only option is to join the Canadian Air Force to hasten the war to conclusion so she can return. He gets shot down and ends up in a POW camp for his time overseas.. Chidori writes to Hayden to tell him where she is but his parents never pass the information on to him. When Hayden returns home to find out Chidori hasn’t returned home he falls into alcohol and depression. Finally his mother gives him the letters and he calls the farm where she lives only to find out there is going to be a wedding. Is it hers? You’ll have to read the story to find out.

This was a hard story to read due to the content. What a sad time in history, what a horrible time for the Japanese who lived outside of Japan.
This dealt with heartache, POW camps, suicide, loss and war. It was all dealt with kindly, but still so sad.
The writing was well done. I wish there were better transitions between time periods as there were lots of flashbacks. It was difficult to not know the year that things were taking place. But overall a good read.

Soul searching and heart breaking are just a couple of phrases to describe this book. This author really drew me into the story and didn’t let go even when I finished. I thought about this book for many days after simply because it wouldn’t let me go. I love books that pull that much emotion out of me! Definitely will be recommending this book to fellow readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this novel and learned things that I was unaware of. We don't often hear about what was happening in Canada during the war. The book brought those conflicts to light in great detail using fully developed and loveable characters. It was a quick and totally enjoyable read for me!

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed this novel very much and found it hard to put down until i was finished

Nicely done historical fiction. I know a lot about the war experience from an American point of view, so it was interesting to learn about it from a Canadian point of view. The author made you want to cheer for love and hope that love will conquer all, even war.

This is pitched as "For the fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz" and they are absolutely correct. The writing style is so beautiful and lyrical. The story is heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time. It had me in tears so many times.

The reason I read historical fiction is for what I can learn from it. This was a new top me perspective on the war. I found out some new and interesting things.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

All We Left Behind by Danielle R. Graham is her first historical fiction novel… and what a novel it is. I am relatively new to the genre but with storytelling like this – I am sure to continue on.

The story alternates between two different (albeit close) time frames – August 1941 and April 1944. It is a story that is set (at least to begin with) on Mayne Island, British Columbia. A love story between Chidori Setoguchi and Hayden Pierce that began when they were teens (though they knew each other since the age of six) but then they were torn apart as a result of WWII.

As the relationship between Chidori and Hayden progresses, familial concerns arise from both families when Hayden asks Chidori to go steady. Hayden sees engagement and marriage in their future but with hostilities towards Japanese Canadians growing…and the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 – their world as they know it is irrevocably changed. To begin with, there is the introduction of a curfew for Japanese Canadians, then they are considered enemy aliens, and finally the Setoguchi family is forced to leave town and sent to an interment camp. This separation is devastating for Hayden. So much so, he decides to enlist to help end the war sooner!

The story progresses in the two streams – we are lead through the trials and tribulations of Hayden enlisting, training as a pilot and then going to war. Many things happen to Hayden (which I will leave for the reader to discover). But suffice it to say – a very poignant story which had me feeling tremendous sadness, anxiety and at times hopefulness. We also get a glimpse of the life that Chidori had to live in the interment camp and then life following the end of the war.

I am appalled when I read about the treatment that we, as a nation, inflicted upon so many, many innocent people. All We Left Behind is a story of enduring love, hope, tragedy, how the Canadian government treated so badly those citizens of Japanese heritage (taking away their rights, property and freedom).The writing of Danielle R. Graham was easy to read, engaging. Her storytelling was delightful and kept me totally engaged throughout. I will have to seek out her other titles (under the name of D.R. Graham). So for fans of historical fiction (specifically WWII) – I highly suggest you pick this book up and have a read.

Thank you to @netgalley for the chance to review All We Left Behind by Danielle R. Graham. I am a huge fan of historical romance, especially WWII, but this took place in Vancouver, which I hadn't read much about previously. Chidori and Haygen were in love, but Pearl Harbor changed everything. Chidori and her family were placed in an internment camp. Hayden joined the air force, praying that his love would keep him alive and strong through the end of the war. This was heartwrenching, but so wonderful. Graham's writing was powerful - I ugly cried, especially when they were describing the psychological impact of the internment camps.