In 1935, ten-year-old Alex Maki, from Bainbridge Island, Washington, exchanges letters with Charlie, a French girl in Paris, building a budding friendship across the Atlantic. Until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the growing Nazi persecution of Jews force both young people to confront the darkest aspects of human nature. From the desolation of an internment camp on the plains of Manzanar to the horrors of Auschwitz and the devastation of European battlefields, the only thing they can hold onto are the memories of their letters. But nothing can dispel the light between them.

Author Biography

Born in Manhattan and raised in Hong Kong, ANDREW FUKUDA earned a bachelor's degree in history from Cornell University and worked as a criminal prosecutor for seven years before becoming a full-time writer. Fukuda's experience volunteering with the immigrant teen community in Manhattan's Chinatown led to the writing of Crossing, his debut novel that was selected by ALA Booklist as an Editor's Choice, Top Ten First Novel, and Top Ten Crime Novel. He currently resides on Long Island, New York, with his family.