In Warriors in the Crossfire we meet Joseph, a young native of Saipan in the spring of 1944, and we follow him through a horrific time in that island's history. From the first page the tension is high and it remains high throughout the book, each page sucking you on to see what will happen to brave Joseph and the people he loves.
The book is written in the clipped sentences that Joseph would use if he were speaking English. The short commands. The staccato thoughts. The author, Nancy Bo Flood, once lived in Saipan, and she has transferred the speech of the people into the narrative voice of this novel. It was a joy to read, flowing with the native rhythm. More than capturing the flow of speech, though, I think the author gives us a rich encounter with islanders. The joys, the fears, the facial expressions---all of these felt right. All felt authentic.
The hero of the story, young Joseph, is called upon to be a man, to be a warrior, to save his family. He takes that calling to heart. I ached for him as he witnessed the atrocities of war. And I cheered with him as he fought and as he found the courage and the will to survive his many losses.
There are lessons on love and survival and obedience and honor in this book. Is it more honorable to die or surrender? Is it more honorable to obey the letter of your father's law or the spirit? Is survival better than fighting? Should you risk your life to save someone you love? All of these things went through my mind as I read.
This is a haunting story that will stay with you long after you read it, written with a wonderful voice, and following a worthy hero. I can't see any negatives in it. I'm definitely putting this one on the list of historical novels my children will read this year in school. You should put it on your list, too.
I will be looking for more from Nancy Bo Flood. She has lived many places and met many people and thought deeply about the human condition and these things give her work depth and make it worth digging into.
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Copyright © 2009 Sally Apokedak
