Above the East China Sea

"Army brat" Luz James is new to Okinawa with her MP mother but now without her closest confidante, older sister Codie, who was killed while on duty in Afghanistan. As Luz combines mourning with partying with her friends, questions arise about her complicated family history and ties to the island. The discoveries of an antique lapel pin and a letter hidden away by her mother propel Luz into an unexpected journey through the streets and the past of Okinawa. Interspersed with Luz's contemporary story is the tale of Tamiko Kokuba, an Okinawan high schooler trapped with her older sister amid the chaos of the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. At once a history lesson, a suspenseful and magical mystery, and a YA-level romance, this is a rich and engrossing achievement; a testament both to the sacrifices of the "Himeyuri Corps" of teenaged nurses during World War II and the modern military family.