About Within These Lines

Evalina Cassano’s life in an Italian-American family living in San Francisco in 1941 is quiet and ordinary until she falls in love with Taichi Hamasaki, the son of Japanese immigrants. Despite the scandal it would cause and that inter-racial marriage is illegal in California, Evalina and Taichi vow they will find a way to be together. But anti-Japanese feelings erupt across the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Taichi and his family are forced to give up their farm and move to an internment camp.

Degrading treatment makes life at Manzanar Relocation Center difficult. Taichi’s only connection to the outside world is treasured letters from Evalina. Feeling that the only action she can take to help Taichi is to speak out against injustice, Evalina becomes increasingly vocal at school and at home. Meanwhile, inside Manzanar, fighting between different Japanese-American factions arises. Taichi begins to doubt he will ever leave the camp alive.

With tensions running high and their freedom on the line, Evalina and Taichi must hold true to their ideals and believe in their love to make a way back to each other against unbelievable odds.

Within These Lines is a story about the gritty, exhausting side of love.The kind of love that seems to only invite heartbreak, but is tenacious and unrelenting all the same. It’s available in stores now!

What people are saying about Within These Lines

“… the author’s extensive research helps to create a rich and engaging atmosphere that will transport readers.” –School Library Journal

“Within These Lines will both break your heart and awaken it. Evalina and Taichi’s story not only navigates a precarious romance, but it challenges racism, injustice, and the temptation to stay silent. Their boldness and call to action will stick with you long after you turn the last page. I applaud Morrill’s storytelling and cannot recommend this book enough—a must-read for all historical fiction fans!”
—Nadine Brandes, author of Fawkes

“Morrill produces a historical novel that blends devastating true events with lifelike fictional characters as it brings history to life.” –Booklist

“Poignant and evocatively relevant, Within These Lines is a tale of star-crossed love and heartrending discrimination with characters that leap off the page and challenge us to stand against the injustice in our own time. A gripping read!”
—Lorie Langdon, author of Olivia Twist and the Doon series.