We Are Not Strangers

Tuininga (Why Blue?) presents an uplifting historical graphic novel that employs the fictional pairing of two fishing buddies from disparate backgrounds to map the rippling effects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. Marco, a first-generation Sephardic Jewish immigrant, has carved out a modest living in Seattle’s ethnically diverse Central District. When time allows, he baits his hook to cast on the waterfront, often alongside Sam, the Japanese American proprietor of a local fish market. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Marco hears news of orders to forcibly relocate and incarcerate Japanese Americans. Dismayed by the fearmongering and jingoism, he devises a plan to help Sam’s family retain their home and business. Tuininga augments the straightforward plot with extensive historical detail, portraying the region’s immigrant neighborhoods and documenting conditions in incarceration camps. Pages awash in autumnal brown and overcast gray-blue exude a sense of perpetual worry in the community, while the characters’ affable faces signal hope for a path forward. As a bonus, Tuininga includes archival newspaper headlines and a guide to historical landmarks in an appendix. The result is both a forthright condemnation of a shameful chapter of American history and a heartening reminder of the value of community. Agent: Elizabeth Wales, Wales Literary Agency. (Sept.)