Sound of Life and Everything

A fascinating speculative historical fiction debut set in 1950s Californiaperfect for fans ofWhen You Reach Me.Twelve-year-old Ella Mae Higbee is a sensible girl. She eats her vegetables and wants to be just like Sergeant Friday, her favorite character onDragnet.So when her auntie Mildred starts spouting nonsense about a scientist who can bring her cousin back to life from blood on his dog tags, Ella Mae is skepticaluntil he steps out of a bio-pod right before her eyes.But the boy is not her cousinhes Japanese. And in California in the wake of World War II, the Japanese are still feared and despised. When her aunt refuses to take responsibility, Ella Mae and her Mama take him home instead. Determined to do whats right by her new friend, Ella Mae teaches Takuma English and defends him from the reverends talk of H-E-double-toothpicks. But when his memories start to resurface, Ella Mae learns some shocking truths about her own family and more importantly, what it means to love.