This is one of the best books I have ever read, and I read a *lot* of books. Valerie Miner's prose reads like poetry and her characters are rich and complex. The book is about the friendship of two women who have been estranged for 25 years but were best friends growing up. They now find themselves alone together on what had been planned as a reunion camping trip with the gang of five girls who had been best pals in high school. Valerie Miner uses the California Sierras as almost another character and I felt like I could see, hear and smell exactly what she was describing. This is a book that engages your brain as well as all of your senses.

This book is alright. I did enjoy reading it somewhat even though the stories all seemed to be the same after a while. Although it paints a clear picture of Japanese-Americna struggles, most stories end with the predictable outcome. I did not like the ending of most of the stories. Furthermore, I am unhappy with the skewing of the plays "And the Soul Shall Dance" and "The Music Lesson" by the short stories similar to them. "Shirley Temple Hotcha-cha" is the best story in the book, offering a different end for Japanese-American women.

Yamauchi is a great example for Asian women to follow. Her plays are always an inspiration. Since I saw And the Soul Shall Dance on stage, I've become a fan of hers.