Price of Silence

Rating:
Summary: Great book for all ages!
Review: Great book! I am normally a non-fiction reader but I'm glad I picked up Nadene Mattson's "Price of Silence." Although the book is fiction, it had such a believable story line and characters that it almost seemed non-fiction. This story really could have happened. The book seems well researched, especially considering the lack of information readily available about the Japanese American camps. This book gives a different perspective about World War II in the States, not the Hitler/Nazi/Jew story many tell about.

This is a great story that proved educational for me and I'm going to pass it on to my 13 year old to read. This book is very appropriate for a younger audience as well as adults. In fact, I think it would be great reading for a history class and would bring up interesting learning conversation with students. I think students would be thrilled to have assigned reading in school that is actually entertaining AND educational at the same time!

The cover is of award-winning caliber and perfect for the book. I hope to see more from this author!

Rating:
Summary: A Compelling Read
Review: My taste usually runs in the direction of the suspense novel, but when I was given Nadene Mattson's PRICE OF SILENCE I was hooked from the very first words.

Its well-portrayed characters, the suspense and the delicate romance are ingredients of this novel that describes a page of history, which I had only vaguely heard about. In PRICE OF SILENCE, I came face to face with the indisputable facts of this post-Pearl Harbor period and the inhumane treatment of the Japanese, many of them second generation Americans. It was something of a shock and a wake-up call for me to realize that prison camps were not the exclusivity or invention of the Germans. Whether you're interested in history or not, PRICE OF SILENCE is an insightful account of this page in the history of the United States. The story is both thought provoking and a learning experience.

We all have our preferences and reasons as to why one episode more than another captivates us. In my case, one of the main characters, Karl Brauer, caught my attention. He's a hardworking farmer, a family man, who lives by high ethical standards. After he caught my attention and the story unfolded I came to admire his honesty and quest to do the next right thing to correct racial injustice and xenophobia. He slipped into my heart to stay there when he courageously faces the demons of his past. Through his actions, his very presence, Ms. Mattson brings to bear this vital truth; that until we are committed to revisiting and making amends for the mistakes of the past that past will hold us prisoners and color our present day. I was deeply moved by Karl's struggle to adjust to the changes in behavior and attitude of his twin girls as they grow into young women. This issue is by no means new; practically every parent experiences a period of confusion and a sense of being out of his depth because our children grow up so fast. In PRICE OF SILENCE the issue is unique because of Ms. Mattson delicate and tactful handling of the experience.

On the surface, PPRICE OF SILENCE is a story about Japanese prison camps in the United States. But it is much more; it is a love story with many expressions and layers; it is an ode to courage and forgiveness. It is through forgiving that we can learn to forget.

Rayne E. Golay
Addictions Counselor
Geneva, Switzerland

Rating:
Summary: An impressively written historical novel
Review: Set during World War II, Price of Silence by Nadene R. Mattson is an impressively written historical novel that follows three people, all of whom are a kind of "prisoner of war" in one manner or another. One is enslaved by his own past; a teenaged Japanese girl is interned along with thousands of other Japanese-Americans who have committed no crime; and yet another is held fast by his own hatred. A profound and sweeping tale of human strengths and failings, offering unique perspectives into their individual plights when Japanese-Americans were held captive by their own nation -- throughout the years both during and after the war.

Rating:
Summary: I was touched by this book!
Review: This book was compelling. The plot revolves around Japaneese interment camps in Oregon during World War II. I learned many facts about this period in history that I hadn't known before. The Breuer family along with their friends and fellow residents of McGregor take us through this little known, turbulent time in our Nations' history. As well as being a great historical novel, I found myself drawn in by the human aspect of the characters and the intense emotions they had in relation to these historical events. Nadene skillfully puts you there in the little town of McGregor with her detailed descriptions intertwined with the intriguing plot. I drew many parallels to the turbulent world in which we now live and the wars and race issues those create. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: I was touched by this book!
Review: This book was compelling. The plot revolves around Japaneese interment camps in Oregon during World War II. I learned many facts about this period in history that I hadn't known before. The Breuer family along with their friends and fellow residents of McGregor take us through this little known, turbulent time in our Nations' history. As well as being a great historical novel, I found myself drawn in by the human aspect of the characters and the intense emotions they had in relation to these historical events. Nadene skillfully puts you there in the little town of McGregor with her detailed descriptions intertwined with the intriguing plot. I drew many parallels to the turbulent world in which we now live and the wars and race issues those create. I highly recommend this book.