Clark and Division

By: Naomi Hirahara

Narrated by: Allison Hiroto

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in 1944 Chicago, Edgar Award-winner Naomi Hirahara’s eye-opening and poignant new mystery, the story of a young woman searching for the truth about her revered older sister's death, brings to focus the struggles of one Japanese-American family released from mass incarceration at Manzanar during World War II.

Twenty-year-old Aki Ito and her parents have just been released from Manzanar, where they have been detained by the US government since the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, together with thousands of other Japanese Americans. The life in California the Itos were forced to leave behind is gone; instead, they are being resettled 2,000 miles away in Chicago, where Aki’s older sister, Rose, was sent months earlier and moved to the new Japanese-American neighborhood near Clark and Division streets. But on the eve of the Ito family’s reunion, Rose is killed by a subway train.

Aki, who worshipped her sister, is stunned. Officials are ruling Rose’s death a suicide. Aki cannot believe her perfect, polished, and optimistic sister would end her life. Her instinct tells her there is much more to the story, and she knows she is the only person who could ever learn the truth.

Inspired by historical events, Clark and Division infuses an atmospheric and heartbreakingly real-crime fiction plot with rich period details and delicately wrought personal stories Naomi Hirahara has gleaned from 30 years of research and archival work in Japanese-American history.

©2021 Naomi Hirahara (P)2021 Recorded Books

Strong female protagonist educational window into internment of Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans in the USA

Good Twisty mystery, first person account of internment of young Japanese American woman and later resettlement with her parents in Chicago, a strange city to them. lt made me realize people were not able to go back to their old lives in America after the war ended. Their property, businesses, homes, cars, were stolen and they were not returned or compensated for them after the war ended. This family ended up living in poverty in Chicago.

Impressive story telling

Historically accurate, yet intriguingly mysterious, Hirahara crafts a compelling story set in Chicago illuminating WW2 treatment of Japanese Americans.

Engaging story of sister love and honor

Naomi Hirahara's CLARK AND DIVISION (the name of a subway, or "L" station in Chicago) is basically about two sisters in a Japanese-American family living in Los Angeles after Pearl Harbor was bombed. It touches briefly on the years before that event when Aki's older sister Rose stuck up for her, and then in the Japanese detainment camp Manzanar how she became the strength of the entire family.
But most of the story takes place in Chicago when families were allowed to resettle in American heartland cities. Rose went first and when things were arranged, the family followed. The tragedy they faced on arrival was devastating, and Aki was determined to find the truth and to honor her sister.
The journey for Aki is long, painful, and increasingly dangerous. She makes good friends and bad enemies along the way. But she is determined and pushes forward to the explosive ending.
Hirahara has a way of writing strong human emotions with minimal words. And her characters are memorable and stay with you after the book is finished. Justice is served, but there are some loose ends, hopeful but unresolved, that I hope will be addressed in the next book, EVERGREEN.

Excellent representation of Japanese American Intergenerational Relationships

I loved this book so much, especially the wonderful addition of so much recognizable vocabulary, food and culture. So many of the characters were people I could visualize from the Japanese community in Denver. I want this to have a sequel or be a movie.

Historical Fiction

I would have enjoyed an ending. But I also understand it is valuable for each reader to have their own.

Story is better than writing or narration

The story is engaging, set in an interesting historical setting. I did feel compelled to find out what happened to Rose. However, the quality of the writing was mediocre. The narration was sub-par. She read the book, but had no drama, no expression, not much distinction in voices of the characters, and was kind of sing-song in her intonation. The story deserved better. I also was troubled to hear a possible rapist described as a sex-maniac. Maybe then they did not understand that rape is a crime of violence and misogyny, but somehow there had to be a better way to reflect people’s thinking at the time without reducing the severity of the crime or the personalities of such criminals.

At the Intersection of Culture, Crime and History

Naomi Hirahara adopts a fictional memoir of generational contrasts that begins in pre-WWII Los Angeles with the odyssey her Japanese/American family takes when the uprooting of homes and businesses forces their relocation to the Manzanar internment camp for the war's duration. Young teen Aki is tasked not only with her first person point of view but later takes on an unwitting role as she moves to Chicago to join her older sister Rose in establishing a new life whereupon the family could follow. By the dint of determination, the maturing Aki must assimilate the new norms of Midwest urban life and negotiate the multiple social constructs facing her heritage with an unforeseen quest to solve the mystery of her sister's fate. While most of the major elements of the plotting and perspectives are supported by historical grounding and the limitations of first-person narrative, I wished there had been an epilogue to gain a more reflective and satisfying summation of the events and outcomes. Despite some of the negative reviews of Alison Hiroto's narration, I found her reading/voicing quite focused on character, enunciation and measured pacing.

Great Story

I am from Chicago and loved the references to many parts of the city. I enjoyed the story.

engaging, historically valuable

Engaging, not too deep in character development but a fun read.

I think it is also important to remember that not all stories need to be deep or complex. Sometimes, a simple story can be just as powerful, especially if it is told well. Clark and Division may not have been the most groundbreaking fiction story ever told, but the historical and contextual value makes it a worthwhile story that deserves to be told.

The author clearly did her research and made sure to get the details and the lingual references right, which helped to make the writing feel authentic. These stories can help us to understand the challenges and triumphs of this community, and help us appreciate their contributions to American history.

The narration lacked drama and may have taken away from the authentic feel of the writing.

Wonderful!

A heart-wrenching, hopeful, and mesmerizing mystery set mainly in WWII Chicago. The story was fantastic and the narration spot on. Absolutely loved this book! Highest recommendation.