A Line Can Go Anywhere - by Caroline McAlister (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A sweeping picture book biography about influential Japanese-American sculptor Aiko Ruth Asawa and her childhood spent in an incarceration camp, by award-winning author Caroline McAlister and rising star artist Jamie Green.

Growing up on a dusty farm in Southern California, Ruth Aiko Asawa lived between two worlds. She was Aiko to some and Ruth to others, an invisible line she balanced on every day.

But when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, suddenly she was only Aiko, no matter how much her family tried to cut the lines that connected them to Japan. Like many other Japanese Americans, Ruth and her family were sent to incarceration camps.

At the Santa Anita racetrack, Ruth ran her fingers over the lines of horsehair in the stable stalls the family had moved into. At the Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas, she drew what she saw--bayous, guard towers, and the barbed wire that separated her from her old life.

That same barbed wire would inspire Ruth's art for decades, as she grew into one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. Throughout her career, she created enchanting twisting sculptures and curving shapes that connected, divided, and intersected.

This gorgeous biography delves into the magnificent life of Ruth Asawa and her timeless contributions to the art world.

Review Quotes

Four starred reviews

★ "A title worth moving to the head of the line." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Remarkable justice is done to Asawa's art through the thoughtful, intricate drawings." -- BCCB, starred review

★ "This unblinking and timely look at racism is also an inspiring, thought-provoking story." -- Booklist, starred review

★ "Thoughtful and well-researched." -- Horn Book Magazine, starred review

"Rich...[and] thoughtful." -- Publishers Weekly

"A first choice for any library seeking books about history, inspirational women or artists, and social justice." -- School Library Journal

About the Author

Caroline McAlister teaches English at Guilford College and is the author of Finding Narnia and John Ronald's Dragons. She lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Jamie Green is a book illustrator based in Chicago. They graduated from Ringling College of Art + Design with a BFA in Illustration. Their work explores an intersection between illustration and design, identified by its vibrancy, curiosity and playful nature.