The main article, “Beauty Out of Dust,” by writer Sierra Dawn McClain in the Sept. 4 Capital Press was commendable. I was impressed with the balance of historical content, human interest and educational content all done without forfeiting an underlying recognition of the tragic injustice done to an undeserving community of good people.

Some 60 years ago, as a child, I was going with my father, a veterinarian, on his calls to various farms. On one of the stops the hired man was a Japanese-American. I don’t remember my remark or my question, but my father told me that before the war he’d been a very respected farmer. Because of the incarceration he’d lost his farm and now, as an older man, was reduced to being a hired man. My father’s voice somehow conveyed to me how wrong and how sad it was. I recall it clearly all these years later.

I must have shown my distress because he then went on to tell me of another Japanese-American farmer whose good neighbor farmed his place and saved the profit and gave it to him upon his release.

It caught my attention when the article included both situations also.

There is a well-written book by Roger Daniels titled “Prisoners Without Trial.” It should be required reading for every high school history class, as should “Nazi Prisoners of War in America” by Arnold Krammer. The excellent movie, set in the World War II era, “The Magic of Ordinary Days,” has incorporated a poignant glimpse of the turmoil the incarcerations caused to families who once had been foundational in their communities.

The sepia-colored picture of these men, representative of so many others, compelled me to study each face and stance and wonder what stories they held.

I’m saving that article to put inside our copy of “Prisoners without Trial.”

I was impressed at how well Sierra incorporated diverse themes of historical injustice, the complexity of our humanity, love of horticulture and family — all into a cohesive whole.

Thanks for the article.

Melody Landis

Mountain Home, Idaho