Book Description from the Front Cover Flap

While wars are usually told in terms of great battles and major victories, the true story of war is often reflected in quiet acts of courage. Dear Miss Breed is the account .of how a remarkable librarian became a lifeline to "her children," as she called the middle- and high-school-aged Japanese Americans of San Diego whom she had come to know and love.

Joanne Oppenheim's narrative is woven with the voices of the incarcerated-the experiences, struggles, and challenges they faced before, during, and even long after the war. Thanks to the books, gifts, and mail sent by Clara Breed, they held on to their faith in better times to come. Told through letters, student essays, and recent oral histories with survivors of that dark time in history, this is a cautionary tale about what fear and hysteria can do even in the world's greatest democracy.

Background on the Author

Dear Miss Breed came about when Joanne began looking for a Japanese American childhood friend online. She not only found her classmate but a story that needed to be told.