Naomi Hirahara

Two young Japanese American men hired to investigate an art theft discover something much more sinister in turn-of-the-century California--from the Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of Clark and Division Pasadena, 1903: Eighteen-year-old Ryunosuke "Ryui" Wada staggers off the boat from Yokohama, Japan, ready to reinvent himself after the untimely deaths of his parents. Though battling loneliness and culture shock, Ryui does his best to settle into his work as an antique dealer's apprentice while adjusting to his new home. From his enigmatic photographer roommate, Jack, to the beautiful seamstress living downstairs, Ryui finds himself surrounded by colorful characters and unbelievable opportunities and is soon utterly swept up in all "Crown City" has to offer. But tensions are seething under Pasadena's bustling prosperity. Ryui is the victim of an anti-Japanese attack, and a painting is stolen from the studio of Toshio Aoki, Pasadena's most successful Japanese artist, who then hires Ryui and Jack to investigate. It's not long before their investigations lead them into real danger. Ryui is a naive young man in a foreign country--has he bitten off more than he can chew? In this fish-out-of-water mystery, studded with cameos by real historical figures, Edgar Award-winner Naomi Hirahara brings to life a fascinating slice of California history.

The perfect primer for kids ages 8-12, A Child's Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander History is packed with remarkable stories, groundbreaking events, and inspirational people, that have made a lasting impact on the history and culture of the United States. The latest entry in the award-winning Child's Introduction series is an inspirational and essential look at the impact and influence that AAPI peoples have made to the culture of the United States. The book is packed with profiles of dozens of AAPI trailblazers from from all walks of life, including political activist Grace Lee Boggs, Vice President Kamala Harris, actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and dozens of others who have made contributions to music, food, sciences, technology, and more. Kids will learn key terms like "Asian American" and "Pacific Islander," how to pronounce common Asian names, and the discrimination members of the community have faced (and continue to face). They will be introduced to a wide variety of traditions, from Diwali to Lunar New Year and signature dishes, like poi and pho, all giving greater visibility to Asian Americans for young learners. Featuring charming illustrations and a lively design, as well as a pull-out poster, A Child's Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander History is much-needed addition every home library and classroom.

Terminal Island tells the story of a small island in the Los Angeles harbor and the communities that called it home." The book offers a rich record of that community and more. As is true of just about everything in Los Angeles, peeling back the layers of a place leads to unexpected discoveries."--The Los Angeles TimesCalifornia Book Award Gold Medal Winner for Contributions to PublishingTerminal Island traces the history of a sheltered spot in the Pacific Ocean that once served as a resort for wealthy Southern California's landowners, as a refuge for its artists and writers and scientists, and eventually a community of Japanese families who made the island their own. This community was at the heart of one of Southern California's most important businesses: the fisheries. World War II devastated the community when the US government removed the entire population of Japanese and Japanese Americans and incarcerated them in camps. Terminal Island: Lost Communities of Los Angeles Harbor tells the story of this small place, the people who lived there, and the huge impact they had on the history of Los Angeles.

A Japanese American nurse's aide navigates the dangers of post-WWII and post-Manzanar life as she attempts to find justice for a broken family in this follow-up to the Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning Clark and Division. Los Angeles, 1946: It's been two years since Aki Ito and her family were released from Manzanar detention center and resettled in Chicago with other Japanese Americans. Now the Itos have finally been allowed to return home to California--but nothing is as they left it. The entire Japanese American community is starting from scratch, with thousands of people living in dismal refugee camps while they struggle to find new houses and jobs in over-crowded Los Angeles. Aki is working as a nurse's aide at the Japanese Hospital in Boyle Heights when an elderly Issei man is admitted with suspicious injuries. When she seeks out his son, she is shocked to recognize her husband's best friend, Babe Watanabe. Could Babe be guilty of elder abuse? Only a few days later, Little Tokyo is rocked by a murder at the low-income hotel where the Watanabes have been staying. When the cops start sniffing around Aki's home, she begins to worry that the violence tearing through her community might threaten her family. What secrets have the Watanabes been hiding, and can Aki protect her husband from getting tangled up in their mess?

A stunning anthology licensed in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, We Are Here celebrates 30 of the most inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in U. S. history. There are more than 23 million people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent living in the United States. Their stories span across generations, as well as across the world. We Are Here highlights thirty Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the impact they’ve had on the cultural, social, and political fabric of the United States. Profiles include: Amanda Nguyen * Bruno Mars * Grace Lee Boggs * Lakshmi Singh * Naomi Osaka * Philip Vera Cruz * Vishavjit Singh * Shirin Neshat * Thenmozhi Soundararajan * Schuyler Miwon Hong Bailar * Channapha Khamvongsa * Lydia XZ Brown * Etel Adnan * Cien-Shiung Wu * Jerry Yang * Carissa Moore * Craig Santos Perez * Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson * Eddie Aikau * John Kneubuhl * Kathy Jernil-Kijiner * Keanu Reeves * Kumu Hina * Manny Crisotomo * Momi Cazimero * Teresa Teaiwa * Mau Piailug * Taimane Gardner * Calvin and Charlene Hoe * Dinah Jane

A New York Times Best Mystery Novel of 2021 Set in 1944 Chicago, Edgar Award-winner Naomi Hirahara's eye-opening and poignant new mystery, the story of a young woman searching for the truth about her revered older sister's death, brings to focus the struggles of one Japanese American family released from mass incarceration at Manzanar during World War II. Chicago, 1944: Twenty-year-old Aki Ito and her parents have just been released from Manzanar, where they have been detained by the US government since the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, together with thousands of other Japanese Americans. The life in California the Itos were forced to leave behind is gone; instead, they are being resettled two thousand miles away in Chicago, where Aki's older sister, Rose, was sent months earlier and moved to the new Japanese American neighborhood near Clark and Division streets. But on the eve of the Ito family's reunion, Rose is killed by a subway train. Aki, who worshipped her sister, is stunned. Officials are ruling Rose's death a suicide. Aki cannot believe her perfect, polished, and optimistic sister would end her life. Her instinct tells her there is much more to the story, and she knows she is the only person who could ever learn the truth. Inspired by historical events, Clark and Division infuses an atmospheric and heartbreakingly real crime with rich period details and delicately wrought personal stories Naomi Hirahara has gleaned from thirty years of research and archival work in Japanese American history.

It's the middle of the pandemic and Hawaii has been virtually closed to tourists. So when Leilani Santiago and her young sisters save a mysterious woman wearing an unusual lei from drowning in Waimea Bay in Kaua‘i, questions abound. Who is she and where did she come from? Leilani suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when the lei is traced back to her best friend, the very pregnant Courtney Kahuakai, and her family’s flower business. While the woman is in a medically-induced coma at a local hospital, Leilani sets out to discover her identity and her connections to the island. She is drawn deeper into the mystery, only to stumble into secrets that prove deadly. When Leilani’s investigation puts her family in danger, her survival and the safety of those dearest to her will depend on her sense of ingenuity and the strength of her island community.

It's the middle of the pandemic and Hawaii has been virtually closed to tourists. So when Leilani Santiago and her young sisters save a mysterious woman wearing an unusual lei from drowning in Waimea Bay in Kaua‘i, questions abound. Who is she and where did she come from? Leilani suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when the lei is traced back to her best friend, the very pregnant Courtney Kahuakai, and her family’s flower business. While the woman is in a medically-induced coma at a local hospital, Leilani sets out to discover her identity and her connections to the island. She is drawn deeper into the mystery, only to stumble into secrets that prove deadly. When Leilani’s investigation puts her family in danger, her survival and the safety of those dearest to her will depend on her sense of ingenuity and the strength of her island community.

“Hirahara has a keen eye for the telling detail and an assured sense of character.”—Los Angeles TimesAt Dodger Stadium it’s Japan vs. Korea in the World Baseball Classic, but before the first pitch is thrown, Mas Arai finds himself in the middle of a murder. Mysteries layer atop mysteries in this sixth in the award-winning series featuring the most unlikely of sleuths, an aging, widowed, not-exactly-communicative gardener from Altadena, California. Who is that unusual woman throwing knuckleball pitches to warm up the Japanese team? Who sent thugs to threaten Mas and accuse him of treason? And what were in the deleted files on the murdered sportswriter’s computer—and did they hold secrets that led to his death? The more mysteries Mas uncovers, the deeper he gets drawn into a situation that soon grows dangerous—including the danger of losing the affection of the woman he might someday admit he loves.“What makes this series unique is its flawed and honorable protagonist. . . . A fascinating insight into a complex and admirable man.”—Booklist (starred review)

What do you get when you pair the beach with some of today's most talented writers? The Silver Waves of Summer is a collection of short stories by a dozen of today's best storytellers, including New York Times best sellers, international best sellers, Edgar and Shamus Awards winners, and more. With a blend of styles ranging from literary fiction to crime noir, the beach is the common denominator in this incredible collection of summer stories. In "Lighthouse Scene for Miles," internationally best-selling writer Michael Scott Moore (The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast) takes us back to the famed Lighthouse Cafe in 1950's Southern California, in a story featuring the great jazz legend, Miles Davis. NY Times best-selling writer Tod Goldberg (Gangsterland, Living Dead Girl) brings us a compelling new short story, "The Summer of '86," where a recently released bank robber, Mitch Lenney, travels to a sleepy seaside town on the Monterey Bay to help his sister run a bike shop after her boyfriend suddenly disappears. This is a crime noir short not to be missed. In "Off the 405," Edgar Award winner Naomi Hirahara (Snakeskin Shamisen, Clark and Division) takes us on a beach excursion where three families meet on a hot, sunny day in Southern California that ends with a high-speed chase up the 405, against traffic. In a murder mystery that rivals Agatha Christie, "The Naked and the Dead" by Shamus Award winner Charles Ardai (Songs of Innocence, Little Girl Lost) transports us to a private nude beach on the East Coast, where a member is murdered in an impossible fashion. It is up to private detective Susan Jaffe to solve the case. In "In the Bank" by Antoine Wilson (Panorama City, Mouth to Mouth), two friends embark on an adventure to intercept a drug cartel's shipment by disguising an old fishing boat as US Coast Guard to disastrous consequences. In "The Five Thieves of the Bombay Beach" by Rob Roberge (Liar, More than They Could Chew), we follow Duane Reed to the Salton Sea with its postapocalyptic landscape in a search of a missing person: Duane's father, Walt Reed, who disappeared years before somewhere in Bombay Beach. Things take a sinister turn in a new horror story by the talented Samantha Tkac. In "Sundays are for Robberies," two sisters have each other's back at all costs, including when it comes to murder. And more...

Leilani Santiago is back in her birthplace, the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i, to help keep afloat the family business, a shave ice shack. When she goes to work one morning, she stumbles across a dead body, a young pro surfer who was being coached by her estranged father. As her father soon becomes the No. 1 murder suspect, Leilani must find the real killer and somehow safeguard her ill mother, little sisters, and grandmother while also preserving a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend in Seattle.

A Hawaiian Library Hot Pick Leilani Santiago is back in her birthplace, the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i, to help keep afloat the family business, a shave ice shack. When she goes to work one morning, she stumbles across a dead body, a young pro surfer who was being coached by her estranged father. As her father soon becomes the No. 1 murder suspect, Leilani must find the real killer and somehow safeguard her ill mother, little sisters, and grandmother while also preserving a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend in Seattle.

LA gardener Mas Arai returns to Hiroshima to bring his best friend's ashes to a relative on the tiny offshore island of Ino, only to become embroiled in the mysterious death of a teenage boy who was about the same age Mas was when he survived the atomic bomb in 1945. The boy's death affects the elderly, often-curmudgeonly, always-reluctant sleuth, who cannot return home to Los Angeles until he finds a way to see justice served. Naomi Hirahara is the Edgar-winning author of the Mas Arai mystery series, including Summer of the Big Bachi, Blood Hina, Strawberry Yellow, and Sayonara Slam. She is also the author of the LA-based Ellie Rush mysteries, published by Penguin. Her Mas Arai books have earned such honors as Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year and one of the Chicago Tribune's Ten Best Mysteries and Thrillers. The Stanford University alumna was born and raised in Altadena, California, where her protagonist lives; she now resides in neighboring Pasadena.

From the editor of the award-winning Children of Manzanar, Heather C. Lindquist, and Edgar Award winner Naomi Hirahara comes a nuanced account of the “Resettlement”: the relatively unexamined period when ordinary people of Japanese ancestry, having been unjustly imprisoned during World War II, were finally released from custody. Given twenty-five dollars and a one-way bus ticket to make a new life, some ventured east to Denver and Chicago to start over, while others returned to Southern California only to face discrimination and an alarming scarcity of housing and jobs. Hirahara and Lindquist weave new and archival oral histories into an engaging narrative that illuminates the lives of former internees in the postwar era, both in struggle and unlikely triumph. Readers will appreciate the painstaking efforts that rebuilding required, and will feel inspired by the activism that led to redress and restitution-and that built a community that even now speaks out against other racist agendas.

LA gardener Mas Arai returns to Hiroshima to bring his best friend's ashes to a relative on the tiny offshore island of Ino, only to become embroiled in the mysterious death of a teenage boy who was about the same age Mas was when he survived the atomic bomb in 1945. The boy's death affects the elderly, often-curmudgeonly, always-reluctant sleuth, who cannot return home to Los Angeles until he finds a way to see justice served.

"Hirahara has a keen eye for the telling detail and an assured sense of character."--Los Angeles Times At Dodger Stadium it's Japan vs. Korea in the World Baseball Classic, but before the first pitch is thrown, Mas Arai finds himself in the middle of a murder. Mysteries layer atop mysteries in this sixth in the award-winning series featuring the most unlikely of sleuths, an aging, widowed, not-exactly-communicative gardener from Altadena, California. Who is that unusual woman throwing knuckleball pitches to warm up the Japanese team? Who sent thugs to threaten Mas and accuse him of treason? And what were in the deleted files on the murdered sportswriter's computer--and did they hold secrets that led to his death? The more mysteries Mas uncovers, the deeper he gets drawn into a situation that soon grows dangerous--including the danger of losing the affection of the woman he might someday admit he loves. "What makes this series unique is its flawed and honorable protagonist. . . . A fascinating insight into a complex and admirable man."--Booklist (starred review)

A Taste for Strawberries: The Independent Journey of Nisei Farmer Manabi Hirasaki is the autobiography of Manabi Hirasaki - a Depression-era boy, a Japanese American World War II veteran, a savvy entrepreneur, and a generous philanthropist. Mr. Hirasaki, the son of a successful Gilroy, California farmer, vividly recounts his enduring relationship with the world of commercially grown strawberries and his rise to become the first non-European American board member of Driscoll Strawberry Associates, the world's largest commercial strawberry distributor.