{"product_id":"the-blossom-and-the-firefly-9781524737924","title":"The Blossom and the Firefly","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eFlygirl\u003c\/i\u003e comes this powerful WWII romance between two Japanese teens caught in the cogs of an unwinnable war, perfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eSalt to the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLovely War\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eCode Name Verity\u003c\/i\u003e. Now in paperback!\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJapan 1945. Taro is a talented violinist and a kamikaze pilot in the days before his first and only mission. He believes he is ready to die for his country . . . until he meets Hana. Hana hasn't been the same since the day she was buried alive in a collapsed trench during a bomb raid. She wonders if it would have been better to have died that day . . . until she meets Taro. A song will bring them together. The war will tear them apart. Is it possible to live an entire lifetime in eight short days? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSherri L. Smith has been called \"an author with astonishing range\" and \"a stellar storyteller\" by E. Lockhart, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e-bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWe Were Liars\u003c\/i\u003e, and \"a truly talented writer\" by Jacqueline Woodson, the National Book Award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eBrown Girl Dreaming\u003c\/i\u003e. Here, with achingly beautiful prose, Smith weaves a tale of love in the face of death, of hope in the face of tragedy, set against a backdrop of the waning days of the Pacific War.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSherri L. Smith is the author of several novels for young adults, including the critically acclaimed \u003ci\u003eFlygirl\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOrleans\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ePasadena\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as the middle-grade novel \u003ci\u003eThe Toymaker's Apprentice\u003c\/i\u003e. She teaches creative writing at Goddard College and Hamline University and lives in Los Angeles, California.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50377856254226,"sku":"9781524737924","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4f49c08f-36e9-4445-8a17-2a23daf89a43.jpg?v=1728633799","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-blossom-and-the-firefly-9781524737924","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}