This autobiography presents an experience of discrimination in the America of the 1940s, during World War II. The author remembers her life as a young Japanese girl who is sent to an internment camp with her family. Perseverance and optimism help people survive the indignities of intolerance and to overcome hardship. The story explores prejudice in American culture and serves as a catalyst for in-depth scrutiny of people and prejudice, as well as occasion for students to examine their own responses to hatred and intolerance.

Students examine theme and the basis of the story in history. They make written and oral presentations. Students identify the importance of setting and examine character in the context of autobiographical form. They are presented with opportunities to write creatively, to perform, to personalize story’s themes, to think critically, and to participate in cooperative learning.