The story is set in the United States during World War II and told from the perspective of 12-year-old Japanese-American Sumiko.

[3] By the end of February, more than 2,000 people of Japanese ancestry, including American citizens, have been wrongfully arrested and relocated to prison camps.

[4] When Sumiko arrives at her "permanent" camp in Poston, she meets many people, including Sachi, Mr. Moto, and a Native American boy called Frank, who eventually becomes her first real friend.

The School Library Journal said "the concise yet lyrical prose conveys [Sumiko's] story in a compelling narrative that will resonate with a wide audience".

Publishers Weekly stated that "Kadohata clearly and eloquently conveys her heroine's mixture of shame, anger and courage".

[10] On the other hand, VOYA Magazine criticized that the book has "inconsistent and flat characterization and a narrative tendency to tell rather than to show, as well as an overabundance of exclamation points".