Praise for Clark and Division
An ABA IndieNext Pick for August 2021
“Clark and Division is a moving, eye-opening depiction of life after Manzanar. Naomi Hirahara has infused her mystery with a deep humanity, unearthing a piece of buried American history.”
—George Takei
“Crime fiction is at its best when telling a compelling story while also analyzing the shadowy foundations of human nature. Very few writers do that better than Hirahara.”
—S.A. Crosby, The Washington Post
“A beautifully written novel. A telling and touching story that echoes across the decades. Naomi Hirahara uses the past to inspire us to be relentless in doing the right thing, right now.”
—Michael Connelly, bestselling author of the Harry Bosch series
“Naomi Hirahara’s Clark and Division opened my heart and mind to specifics of the experience of Japanese Americans during the Second World War. Rich in period detail, it is page-turning historical fiction, a tender family story, and a mystery that plays on two levels: What happened to Rose Ito? and At what cost are Japanese Americans finally seen as full Americans? It’s a story that moved me deeply.”
—Attica Locke, New York Times best-selling author of Heaven, My Home
“Part historical fiction, part thriller, all a deeply moving family story, set in 1944 Chicago against the backdrop of the shameful treatment of Japanese Americans by the US government. Hirahara’s gifted writing is a master class in how to bring a historical epoch to life.”
—Sara Paretsky, bestselling author of the Chicago detective VI Warshawski series
“Beautifully written and deeply moving . . . Hirahara’s novel is an accomplished and important story about a time in American history that I felt privileged bearing witness to.”
—Carole E. Barrowman, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Clark and Division does what crime novels do best: It uses a wonderfully wrought, ticking time-bomb of a story to illuminate a larger social issue, in this case the incarceration and resettlement of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. A jewel of a novel. Buy it, read it, enjoy it.”
—Michael Harvey, author of The Chicago Way
“Clark and Division is a heart-stopping crime novel woven inextricably into another, much larger atrocity: the treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. The story of Aki Ito and her family, newly released from Manzanar, transports us to an often ignored moment in our own history, while holding a mirror to the present day. In this immersive and resonant tale, Naomi Hirahara has given us the very best of what we hope for from historical crime fiction: a novel that is both intensely researched and deeply felt. It is the story of a crime—many crimes—but it is also the story of a young woman’s courage and triumphant spirit. Aki Ito is the kind of heroine that belongs not just to the past, but to every generation. We see ourselves in her tenacity, her sense of justice, and her love for her family.”
—Amy Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of the Kopp sisters novels
“One part mystery. One part historical fiction. In Naomi Hirahara’s expert hands that 1+1 equation somehow equals 10, leaving you with a story that is enthralling, enlightening, and edifying.”
—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
“Like no other work before, Clark and Division captures the day-to-day uncertainty of the post concentration camp Nisei world, where poverty, racism, and squalid living conditions co-exist with freedom, excitement, and dreams for a better future in wartime Chicago. Only Naomi Hirahara can mix a portrayal of a people in transition that feels authentic down to the smallest detail with an engrossing mystery filled with unexpected twists. Whether you are already a fan or are about to become one, this is not to be missed!”
—Brian Niiya, editor of the Densho Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia of Japanese American History
“Clark and Division is as much about communal trauma as it is about the anguish of the Ito family, who are at the story’s center. The grief of the Japanese community in Chicago infuses the atmosphere of this novel, offering a compelling, nuanced tale of loss.”
—BookPage, Starred Review
“The treatment of American citizens of Japanese descent during World War II comes to life in this mystery by Hirahara . . . Hirahara does a masterly job of incorporating extensive historical research into an emotionally compelling story. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy high-quality historical fiction with well-drawn characters and an engrossing plot.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review
“A thought-provoking novel featuring a Japanese American family transitioning from World War II imprisonment to resettlement in 1940s Chicago.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Part historical fiction, part thriller, Clark and Division is the moving and fast paced story about one sister seeking justice for another sister, against the backdrop of World War II. You haven’t read anything like this before . . . Atmospheric and heartbreakingly real.”
—Satellite Sisters
“Elegant prose matches the meticulous research. This well-crafted tale of injustice isn’t just for mystery fans.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Deeply researched . . . Hirahara peppers the mystery with a detail-rich portrait of Chicago during the war and of newly arrived Japanese Americans trying to negotiate a largely hostile new world.”
—Booklist
“An effective whodunit that’s also a sensitive coming-of-age story.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A perfectly-crafted and intensely atmospheric historical murder mystery set in the displaced Japanese-American community resettled to Chicago after being released from WWII internment camps.”
—CrimeReads
“[Clark and Division] is a fine mystery with an appealing amateur sleuth, but it’s as a work of historical fiction that it really shines. It is highly recommended to fans of historical fiction, especially World War II titles featuring exceptional women, readers of mysteries where most violence occurs off-stage, and readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories.”
—MAD Reads (Madison Public Library)
Praise for Naomi Hirahara
“Hirahara’s well-plotted, wholesome whodunit offers a unique look at L.A.’s Japanese-American community, with enough twists and local flavor to keep you guessing till the end.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“A brilliant, unique addition to mystery fiction, [Mas Arai] has straddled time, place, and culture, with roots in one of the most terrible acts of violence war has ever inflicted upon humanity. And Mas has prevailed while growing older in a country that does not always value the wisdom of its elders, or those who work with their hands . . . Kudos to Naomi Hirahara.”
―Jacqueline Winspear, author of the New York Times–bestselling Maisie Dobbs mysteries
“Like a Zen poet, Hirahara creates a quiet surface with a powerful storm beneath.”
―William Kent Krueger, New York Times–bestselling author of the Cork O’Connor mysteries
“In an age in which too many books are merely echoes of previous books, Naomi Hirahara has the distinction of writing a mystery series that is unlike any other . . . Mas Arai is one of the freshest, most realistic and fascinating characters in the mystery genre.”
—David J. Montgomery, Chicago Sun-Times
“A shrewd sense of character and a formidable narrative engine.”
—Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune
“Poetic, affective and artful.”
—Tom Nolan, Orange County Metro Magazine
“The offbeat characters are engaging, the humor gentle, the cultural insights many, and the writing briskly skilled.”
—Patricia McFall, San Gabriel Valley Newspapers
“Seamless and shyly powerful . . . Peppered with pungent cultural details, crisp prose and credible, fresh descriptions . . . [A] perfectly balanced gem.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
