Candle in the Wind - Softcover

Wartski, Maureen

3.78

23 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0449704424 ISBN 13: 9780449704424

Publisher: Fawcett, 1995

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On the night of a party celebrating his acceptance into Harvard, Harris Mizuno, a Japanese-American teenager, is shot dead by an elderly white man who mistakes him for an intruder when Harris asks to use the phone because his car has stalled.

It's up to fifteen-year-old Terri Mizuno to take charge when her family falls apart in grief and anger over the tragic murder of her brother. Worse, the sleepy town of Whiteriver, Massachusetts, erupts into hatred, bigotry, and vigilantism. Even Terri's best friend cannot avoid taking sides for or against the frightened old man in the sensationalized court case that follows.

As white supremacist groups descend on the town and attacks of hate graffiti, vandalism, and violence mount against Asian families, the threat of even more bloodshed emerges. Terri knows she must shine the light of reason and understanding on the torn community. And as she tries, she finds help in the most unexpected places....

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From Publishers Weekly:

Wartski's (The Face in My Mirror) taut novel centers on a Japanese American family grappling with an enormous loss?and extreme prejudice directed at them. When the car he is riding in breaks down in a Boston suburb, Harvard-bound Harris Mizuno goes to a nearby house for help and is fatally shot by the owner, who felt "threatened" by the stranger. Exacerbating the family's pain and rage, a pack of white-supremacist hecklers appears at Harris's funeral. Focusing closely on Terri, Harris's 15-year-old sister, Wartski chronicles the ugly, often violent incidents the girl and her family endure at the hands of the Society of Aryan Warriors. In a well-wrought subplot, the author brings Mr. Mizuno's mother from Japan for a visit, and through her provides an intriguing glimpse into Japanese culture. At the book's conclusion, this insightful, courageous woman prevents a clash between the members of SAW and their counterparts on the antithetical Asian Power Through Unity group when she delivers a moving speech on the destructiveness of hate. Believable characters and affecting scenes distinguish this sobering look at racism and its devastating toll. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 9 Up?Wrenched from recent news events, this hopeful novel will generate lots of thought and discussion. Terri Mizuno, a Japanese American, grapples with the death of her brother, who is shot when an elderly man mistakes him for an intruder. Caught in a flood of hatred and headlines unleashed by the man's trial, Terri's family is victimized again by the bigotry that Harris's death reveals in their Massachusetts community. This novel has what many YAs crave: compelling characters, a straight-ahead story, and a consistent tone. Terri's plight will engage readers' compassion and understanding while carrying them through a satisfying read. Well-crafted, inspired, and inspiring.?Doris A. Fong, Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland, OR
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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