Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Bookworm9

"Kira-kira," told through the eyes of unassuming middle child Katie, is about a Japanese-American family in the 1950's and 60s. When the family moves from Iowa to Georgia, they are met with new prejudices. Shunned at school and all but neglected by her parents, who have to work all the time in order to afford a house, Katie is especially close to her younger brother, Sammy, and her older sister, Lynn. Katie is convinced she is dumb, but she can always rely on Lynn to teach her about the important things in life, such as the three most beautiful and "kira-kira" (glittery in Japanese) things on earth-- the sky, the ocean, and people's eyes. But when Lynn becomes ill with a terminal disease, it's Katie who must become the responsible, take-charge sister, a role she accepts with trepidation. Although the book is pretty sad, the portrayal of family-- particularly Katie and her father-- is phenomanal.