The Last Story of Thomas Haruki: A Novel of WWII

The Last Story of Thomas Haruki by Kristen Simmons is a dazzling adventure tale revealed as an allegory of one man's survival in WWII from internment camp to the front line.

His story. Her history.

In the storytelling tradition of The Princess Bride, a man and his great-granddaughter bond as he tells her an impossible tale about a young Thomas Haruki, who survived not only the demons that hunted him, but also the dangerous land he once called home.

But before he was a fish with golden scales,
before the castles of sand and cities of glass,
before the horns spiraled out from his skull…
Thomas was called Tomoe and he lived, worked, and loved just like everyone else.

This enchanting saga is revealed to be one Japanese-American soldier’s experiences during WWII from internment camp to the front line. It's an unforgettable journey out of the heart of the Pacific into the belly of the American mainland and onward to Japan where Thomas fights an enemy who looks just like him.

At once intimate and sweeping, The Last Story of Thomas Harukiis a book about what it takes to survive being held prisoner by your own country, including cutting ties from your roots, and how anti-Asian hate lives on through generations.

Perfect for book clubs, fans of allegorical historical fantasy like Pan's Labyrinth, Life of Pi, and Big Fish, and fans of nuanced WWII internment stories like Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Farewell to Manzanar.