Summary

It is 1945 and Jim is now fourteen. He has been at the camp for three years. It is now his home and he has forgotten what his parents look like. He learns which camp where his parents are interned, but the Japanese refuse a transfer. Jim shares a room with a couple – Mr. and Mrs. Vincent – and their son. The couple inexplicably resents Jim. Even though there are boys Jim’s age in the camp, he is better friends with adults like Dr. Ransome, Basie, and, now, Mr. Maxted. He is happiest when inside his small cubicle because there he can indulge in fantasy and nostalgia, looking at souvenirs like cut-outs from magazines, his earlier possessions, and certain items he has since acquired.

In 1943, when the war was still in Japan’s favor, the prisoners formed an entertainment committee of evening lectures and programs. In...