1001 Cranes (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: 1001 Cranes Karen Coats Hirahara, Naomi; 1001 Cranes. Delacorte, 2008; 230p Library ed. ISBN 978-0-385-90541-1 $18.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-385-73556-8 $15.99 Ad Gr. 5–8 Folding origami cranes is not twelve-year-old Angela Kato’s idea of a fun way to spend her summer, especially since she knows that the reason she’s been shunted off to her grandparents’ house is that her parents need to work out the details of their separation and imminent divorce. At first she’s all thumbs as she tries to learn to fold the cranes, which her grandparents arrange into decorative displays of 1001 for weddings and anniversaries, but soon she is as adept at the craft as she is at managing the sometimes awkward personal relationships that emerge as people in the neighborhood choose her to be their secret-keeper. An elderly neighbor whose cancer has returned, a difficult bride-to-be whose quest for the perfect wedding has overshadowed the fact that she doesn’t really love the groom, a young African-American girl whom Angela’s grandmother seemingly prefers to her granddaughter—all [End Page 76] of these, as well as a couple of boys to crush on, help Angela realize that life may be more complicated than she would wish but that she has room in her heart for more change than she thought. The story is solidly told, with concise sentences and generous helpings of dialogue making it an approachable read; this also makes a useful addition to the modest pile of books about contemporary Japanese-American families, in this case engaging in the traditional all-American pastime of using their heritage mainly as a way to keep their kids in line. Overall, though, this is a fairly ordinary tale of coming of age through divorce and dislocation, and Angela’s voice and perspective are not overly compelling or original; Hirahara hints at interesting events in Angela’s parents’ backstory as political radicals but never really brings anything so exciting to the foreground. Preteens may nonetheless welcome this account of one of their own finding that she has the strength to make it through a difficult time. Copyright © 2008 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois