Stories of Life

"The characters in my WWII historical novels face loss and grief. With perseverance and support from others they find joy and meaning in life again."  Author, Diane Dettmann

The Fiction Shelf Book Review

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief

Midwest Book Review

Yasu's Quest: A Tale of Triumph by Diane Dettmann
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134 http://outskirtspress.com/yasu

 Synopsis: With a keen sense for detail, author Diane Dettmann skillfully draws readers into an engaging story about an unexpected friendship that develops between Yasu Sakamoto and Martha Annala, a university professor. When they first meet on a train headed to Minneapolis, Yasu is afraid to trust Martha with any information about her past and lies about her identity to protect herself and her family. Alone and with no place to go, Yasu eventually tells Martha about leaving her home in Glenville and the three years she spent imprisoned in the internment camp. Martha feels Yasu's pain and opens her heart and home to her.

As the war intensifies anti-Japanese attitudes escalate in America and the hostility runs rampant. Martha's decision to befriend Yasu ultimately creates hardships and challenges in her own life. Relationships with university colleagues become strained, but Martha remains committed to her friendship with Yasu. Negative looks and anti-Japanese comments surround Yasu everywhere she goes. She deeply misses her parents, her brother, Haro, and Kenta, her loving German shepherd, but knows she must push forward.

Critique: One of those gifted writers with a genuine flair for originality and engaging storytelling, "Yasu's Quest: A Tale of Triumph" by Diane Dettmann is a skillfully woven coming-of-age story of Yasu Sakamoto as she continues her journey that began in Diane Dettmann's award-winning "Courageous Footsteps: A WWII Novel".

"Yasu's Quest: A Tale of Triumph" carries Dettmann's readers into the next phase of Yasu Sakamoto's life so smoothly that this novel can be read independently or as a sequel. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Yasu's Quest: A Tale of Triumph" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.99). Information about all Diane's books at

https://www.amazon.com/author/dianedettmann

About the Author: DIANE DETTMANN is the author of Courageous Footsteps: A WWII Novel, Yasu’s Quest: A Tale of Triumph and Twenty-Eight Snow Angels: A Widow’s Story of Love, Loss and Renewal. She is also the co-author of Miriam Daughter of Finnish Immigrants and a contributing author for the national Women’s Voices for Change organization in New York City. She has presented her books at women’s organizations, book clubs, grief groups, libraries, history centers and international conferences in Turku, Finland and Thunder Bay, Canada. Diane lives in Afton, Minnesota where she continues to follow her writing dream.