The Emperor of Any Place

This was a phenomenal book! Wynne-Jones does an incredible job of weaving the story of a long dead Japanese soldier into the life and imagination of a 17-year old Canadian boy who has just had his entire life rearranged when his father suddenly dies.

I do not like war books and I'm not a huge WWII history fan, but I could not put this book down. The pacing and tension throughout the book had me on the edge of my seat. And I wasn't just interested in what happened to Isamu but I became invested in Evan's own story as well. The books moves seamlessly back and forth from present day Ontario to 1944 and a Japanese island dubbed Kokoro-Jima by the Japanese soldier who finds himself stranded there.

The characters in this book have a depth that show more one doesn't typically find in these stories. From the protagonist Evan to that long-ago soldier, Isamu Oshiro, to Evan's retired marine grandfather, Griff, each character had his own complex reality that made him come alive.

The book has everything a successful story has: adventure, mystery, heartbreak and resolution. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great read. I think it will especially resonate with tween boys, who are reluctant readers. show less

Two stories merge into one in this interesting mystery. After 16 year-old Evan's father passes away, his grandfather comes to help him sort things out. His hippie(ish) dad and grandfather didn't get along, and Evan has never met "Griff" - a tough career army man. But before Griff arrives, Evan begins reading a book he found in his father's room. The book is the diary of a Japanese soldier on a small deserted island, and something in it had prompted Evans dad to believe Griff had murdered someone. And when Griff shows up, he's every bit as scary as Evan worried he might be, and Evan's fears seem to be coming true.

I'm not normally a fan of the 'story within a story' novels, and nearly quit reading this one. On the day I had decided to show more give it up, suddenly the story of the Japanese soldier took a very weird turn - and I mean "weird" in a good way! All of the sudden I could barely put it down. I hope it's not a spoiler to say there are some fantastical elements to the story, and if you're looking for historical fiction, this way strays a little into the realm of ghosts and monsters. Some other reviews I looked at were disappointed with that element, but I loved it. show less

from James:

from page 310--
Griff laughs. "What I said was, the truth is bigger than the stories people tell themselves and bigger than the lies they live with."

I really liked this book. It got a little long in the final chapters when I just wanted the story to progress, but otherwise, it's a tight story within a story. Or rather, a book within a book. A haunted island with pre-incarnated family is a main character, but it's handled in such a way as to be interesting, not in a Lost-tv-show-you-never-know-why-there-are-suddenly-polar-bears way.

Other favorite passages:

from page 56--

"A book called Heart?"
"Ah," said my grandfather, "there are shades of meaning. It could refer to 'the heart of things' or 'feelings.'" I remember how he show more patted my chest gently, where my heart was. "It can mean 'Heart and mind'--many things."
I remember frowning, shaking my head at this. What was the use of a word that meant many things? When you said "carburetor," it meant carburetor. When you said "piston," that's what you were talking about. Even as a small boy, I was wild about automobiles and motorbikes--anything that roared and belched smoke. I remember Ojiisan smiling at me kindly. "If only life worked as simply as an automobile. In books things can mean more than one thing, and that makes you work at the meaning."
I stood and looked out at my new home. In honor of my ojiisan, and in honor of things not being as simple as automobiles, I called the island "Kokoro-Jima."

from page 315--
Finally he can talk again. "When you say 'speak for you,' does that mean I'm doing what you direct me to do or what I think you should do?"
Griff puts down his fork with a clatter. "For God's sake, son, if I wanted you to do what I want, I'd just do it myself." show less

A darkly beautiful imagining of a piece of WWII history that most Americans never read about in textbooks--POWs and relations between American and Japanese soldiers in the Pacific.

Evan's father died when he was 18 and the only other relative he had was his estranged grandfather, a veteran of World War II. As Evan tries to deal with his grief, he finds a self-published book his father had been reading. He begins to read the story of a Japanese soldier who was marooned on a small heart-shaped island in the Marshall Islands. Then his grandfather shows up, a military man who never forgave his son, Evan's father, for emigrating to Canada to evade the draft.

The reader follows the days of tension between Evan and his grandfather and reads the story of the marooned soldier (the Japanese was joined by the navigator of a downed American plane). The story features ghosts of people not yet born, flesh eaters called show more jikininki, and an unkillable monster called Tengu.

Will the two men be able to form a relationship? Will the truth of what happened on that island be revealed? show less

This novel traces the relationship of three generations of men – 17-year-old Evan, his dad who unexpectedly died at the beginning of this tale, and the grandfather who was never part of their lives due to the strained relationship with Evan’s father. However, due to the circumstances Evan’s grandfather is contacted and comes to stay with him to help Evan deal with all that surrounds a death in a family. What makes this book so compelling is the inclusion of the contents of the book that Evan’s father was reading just before he died – the diary of a Japanese soldier who had become stranded on a small island in the Pacific during WW II. Evan begins to read the diary and along the way comes to a greater understanding of his show more grandfather, changing their relationship forever. Included in this tale is a unique concept – preincarnation, where ghosts exist of those yet to be born, not just ghosts of those who died. This is a lovely tale filled with great insights. show less

THE EMPEROR OF ANY PLACE by Tim Wynne-Jones tells the engrossing, multi-generational story of family relationships and survival during war.

After his father dies, Evan’s estranged grandfather comes to visit opening family secrets reaching back to World War II. At the heart of the story lies the truth behind a soldier’s diary. With elements of magical realism, readers will become immersed in conflicts both past and present.

The author’s use of dual storylines will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Librarians will find a broad readership for this story that includes those who enjoy realistic fiction with hits of fantasy, multi-generational mysteries, as well as young history buffs.

To learn more about the author, go to show more target="_top">http://www.timwynne-jones.com/.

Published by Candlewick October 13, 2015. ARC courtesy of the publisher. show less