Kira-Kira

Kira-kira (Japanese) means glittering and shining. It's the first word Katie's sister (Lynn) taught her.
The setting of this novel takes place in the 1950s in the countryside of Iowa and Georgia. The plot is developed by one of the three popular story themes as Loh mentioned on p. 265--adjusting & assimilating to an American lifestyle.
Although both Katie's parents were American born Japanese, they still couldn't fit in well in the American society. They and other Japanese Americans were isolated and left alone in their own community. Both parents work in a poultry processing plant (one of the limited work they were permitted to do), working overtime with a little salary. The big sister Lynn was the smart one at school, and she always needed to help Katie with her homework and explain why people see them as air no matter where. Lynn and Katie enjoyed most to lie down on the country road and looked at the beautiful sky and all the glittering stars. They made wishes, hoping some day they can have a bright future and live in a big house in California by the sea.
However, things underwent a sudden change after Lynn was diagnosed cancer and eventually died. Katie had to grow up, take care of her parents and younger brother, and she would try to carry out her sister's dreams.
This novel was written by Cynthia Kadohata, an Asian American writer who embedded facts into her story. The conditions of post-war factories, the struggles of American-born Japanese, and the limitations imposed on them. Those were all what Kadohata observed or experienced in her life. The cultural and racial background of the author helps to enhence the cultural authenticity of the story and the community that has been depicted.