The Blossom and the Firefly - Hardcover

Sherri L. Smith is the author of several novels for young adults, including the critically acclaimed Flygirl, Orleans, and Pasadena, as well as the middle grade novel The Toymaker's Apprentice. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Visit the author at sherrilsmith.com or follow her on Twitter @Sherri_L_Smith.

“Delicate and incandescent by turns, this jewel of a tale of war and love is breathtakingly courageous.”—Elizabeth Wein, bestselling author of Code Name Verity
 
“Sherri L. Smith continues to astound with The Blossom and the Firefly, an exquisite novel that shines with compassion and empathy as it illuminates the numbing terror of war and the healing power of music and love.”—Laura Ruby, Printz Award winner and National Book Award finalist for Bone Gap

“A beautiful, poignant, and heartrending journey of two souls toward an appalling inevitability. With the most delicate of touches, Sherri L. Smith creates a meticulous portrait of a nation and two of its children deceived, driven, and undone by the hubris of authoritarian rule. A gentle love story and a horrific warning for the ages.”—Matt Killeen, author of Orphan Monster Spy
 
“A sensitive and lyrical tale, full of redemption, sacrifice, and hope. Sherri L. Smith excels at shining a light into dusty corners of history, this time giving us an intimate look at the human cost of war in 1945 Japan. A stirring, sparkling gem of a novel.”—Stacey Lee, award-winning author of Outrun the Moon
 
“Written in gorgeous, lyrical prose, The Blossom and the Firefly transports readers to the impending doom hovering over an air base in Japan during the final days of World War II. This little-known slice of history comes alive through the voices of Nadeshiko girl Hana and tokkō pilot Taro, two teenagers whose sense of duty to their country is equal only to their shared feelings of loss as they hover between life and death. Many a tear will be shed over these pages. Absolutely stunning.”—Kip Wilson, author of White Rose