I have to admit, when I first started reading this book, I had a problem with trying to stay awake: I found the writing dry. Then slowly as characters were introduced, a mystery started to unfold, and tension between neighbors rose, I could not put the novel down. Whether it was the vivid descriptions of the snow banks, or the emotional accounts of the townspeople, David Guterson's novel, Snow Falling on Cedars is a true piece of literary art. Snow Falling on Cedars is the fictional account of a Japanese immigrant, Kabuo Miyamoto who is on trial for the murder of a fisherman, Carl Heines. The majority of the residents of San Piedro have already found Kabuo guilty simply because of his race, physical stature, and history as a soldier. Guterson weaves this relatively simple tale through the eyes of many people giving points of view that are sometimes lost in stories of prejudice, thus creating a complex story where one finds themselves simplifying with every party involved. By doing this, Guterson establishes an emotional connection between the readers and the characters.
             The characters, although physically different, are very similar in that they don't trust anyone who is different than they are. For instance, Carl Heine's mother always believed that Kabuo was glaring at her. She felt that he was sneaky and was going to try and steal away her land. Through this statement, we see how some of the white residents feel about their neighbors from the Far East. Guterson also makes it known that the older Japanese do not trust the White's either when we read the conversation between Hatsue and her mother. Hatsue's mother tells her that the whites are evil and deceitful and will try and take away her purity. By writing these conversations, Guterson shows us that a lot of anxiety is built between different cultures when they do not understand each other.
             Snow Falling on Cedars has found a place in my h...