Yoko

Yoko is the eleven-year-old Japanese girl, who narrates the story. She does not understand much of why the war is going on, but she does understand that the Korean Communists want to kill her, her sister and her mother. She also understands that her brother and father are in grave danger as the Second World War comes to an end with a Japanese defeat.

Yoko's character changes from a whining eleven-year-old to a strong and resolved young woman, as she escapes Korea with her family. Her character also develops a depth of compassion not ordinarily found in girls of her age. Terror and suffering accelerate her into a wisdom that few adults attain in peacetime. She recognizes that the other students at the Sagano Girls' School have much to learn about life, while she befriends Mr. Naido, a man whom society usually ignores due to his stuttering.

Japanese...