Everyone has a weak spot when it comes to books. Mine is anything about WWII. If a book’s synopsis mentions anything about WWII, it goes immediately on my wish list, which is exactly why I was so excited to read Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield. I’ve actually lived near a few abandoned Japanese-American internment camps.
In 1978 San Francisco, Reginald Forrest is murdered in the basement of his boxing gym. The next day, policemen visit the home of Lucy Takeda, a middle-aged Japanese-American woman who matches the description of a woman seen leaving Reg’s gym around the time of his death. Witnesses say a lady with a scarred face was present at the crime scene, which is why it’s hard to deny that Lucy was involved given her face matches the witness’s description.
Patty Takeda, Lucy’s daughter, is instantly confused when she learns her mom is a murder suspect, and she’s never heard the name Reg Forrest. When she starts looking into Reg Forrest’s background to find a connection between him and her mom, she finds a box of old photos. In one of them, her grandma and Lucy’s mom Miyako are sitting on the lap of an American soldier at Manzanar, a Japanese-American internment camp located just miles away in central California. Patty also sees photos of her beautiful mother before she was permanently scarred and disfigured, which intrigues her even more. Lucy’s story unfolds as Littlefield takes us back to 1941 Los Angeles, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Lucy and Miyako arrive at Manzanar feeling lonely, confused, and desperate. Miyako, who suffers from bipolar disorder, uses her beauty to secure a promising future for both her and daughter. But her beauty only causes more problems. Eventually, Miyako is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice in an effort to keep her daughter safe from the soldiers at camp.
Little by little, we learn how certain horrifying, unspeakable acts can be committed out of love and desperation with hopes of achieving the greatest possible outcome in a terrible situation.
Garden of Stones is a true page-turner. Lucy’s story is intriguing and painful at the same time, knowing that at some point in the story, you’ll learn how she gets her scars. Learning what Miyako does behind the scenes to keep her daughter safe and alive is also sad and powerful. You may need a box of tissues nearby when reading this one.
Also, there’s no way you’ll guess how this novel ends. You’ll be hooked from page one. Getting back to Garden of the Stones was my favorite part of every day while reading this novel. It was so good, and so difficult to put down.
Other books by Sophie Littlefield include:
- The Moon Pool (2014)
- Infected (2015)
- The Guilty One (2015)
Last Updated on November 24, 2025 by Sarah Ann
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