The Sound of Life and Everything

Gr 5–7—Growing up in California during the 1950s, 12-year-old Ella Mae Higbee understands the very real cost of war. Both her older brother, Daniel, and her cousin Robby were killed in World War II and their absences are a palpable part of Ella Mae's daily life. In the hope that she could bring her son back to life, Ella Mae's Aunt Mildred agrees to participate in a cloning experiment at a nearby laboratory. Ella Mae, Aunt Mildred, and Ella Mae's mother, Anna, arrive at Ingolstadt Laboratories expecting to see Robby emerge from what Ella Mae describes as a "giant red horse pill." But it's not Robby who appears, but a young Japanese man named Takuma. Aunt Mildred refuses to accept Takuma, and it is Ella Mae and her mother who bring him home. Ella Mae knows there are strong anti-Japanese sentiments among her family and neighbors, but is not prepared for the intensity of those feelings. The girl's father is unexpectedly cold to Takuma, and even the local department store clerk refuses to let Anna purchase clothing for him. Throughout the novel, the protagonist grapples with the difference between right and wrong, and at every turn, she considers Takuma's feelings. Although Takuma is underdeveloped as a young man in the center of conflicting loyalties, Ella Mae is a believable character—confused, impulsive, and sensitive.