In 1954, in the fishing and strawberry-farming community of San Piedro, Japanese-American Kabuo Miyamoto finds himself on trial for the murder of boyhood friend and local fisherman Carl Heiner. While all circumstantial evidence appears to point to him, following a land dispute with the Heiner family, the trial uncovers a far broader spectrum of factors impacting on human motivation: war, loss, and racial prejudice.
Local newspaperman and World War II veteran Ishmael Chambers has never been able to shake his obsession for childhood sweetheart Hatsue, Miyamoto's wife. But when he uncovers information with the potential to influence the outcome of the trial, he must face his own moral dilemma about whether to disclose or suppress what he knows.
Guterson skilfully combines elements of courtroom drama, mystery, love story and historical account to produce a truly poignant and memorable novel. It is a narrative rich in its sense of time and place, with Guterson displaying a vast knowledge of local landscapes and lifestyle. As the tale unravels we cannot help but be deeply moved by Guterson's principal characters, each deeply scarred by experiences of war, prejudice, loss and betrayal.
Equally however, we cannot help but be heartened by the conclusion. A sense that sometimes justice can prevail over prejudice, forgiveness over loss.
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