Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
While staying with her grandmother on the coast, Mary becomes intrigued by the neighbor, Mr. Hiroshi, and his beautiful yet mysterious garden. His yard is filled with sand and pebbles carefully raked into patterns, blue iris flowers that grandmother calls "flags", and koi that come to the pond's surface when you clap your hands. One day during the war, two soldiers come and tell Mr. Hiroshi that he has been ordered to submit himself for relocation to a war hostage camp. Worried that the garden will fall to ruin, Mary takes over its care until it becomes evident that Mr. Hiroshi will never return.
Maxine Trottier's poignant and moving tale is exquisitely painted by award-winning artist Paul Morin.
Synopsis
I will take care of your garden, Mr. hiroshi," I offered. He smiled. "That would give me great comfort, Mary," he said. "The koi are greedy, you know. Do not let them get fat." We watched the bus drive away. For Mary, too young to fully understand about war and far-off places, the promise was meant to last only until Mr. Hiroshi came back. But after a while it was clear the her friend wouldn't be coming home. Still, Mary faithfully kept her word all through that long summer. And when the new people came to live in Mr. Hiroshi's house, she knew exactly what to do. Once more, Maxine Trottier takes a small piece of a larger story, nurtures it with care, and grows a tale as elegant as a Japanese Garden. Flags is a simple story of innocence and friendship set against a backdrop of fear and suspicion. A story that must be told and told again--but never allowed to recur.