title: When Mikan Road Was Outs
author: D.K. Furutani
publisher: Atria Books
publication date: July 28, 2026
pages: 320
peppers: 0, not a romance (on this scale)
warnings:
- alcohol use/abuse
- drunk driving
- racism
- actual, brutal American history
- death
- cancer
summary: Murano, a high school English teacher, reconnects with his cousin when her father/his uncle dies. At the funeral, she gives him two items that lead him on a journey of learning about his family, including his father, who recently died.
tropes:
- learning about the past = learning about oneself
- family secrets
- generational trauma
what I liked:
- relationship between the cousins
- scenes in an English classroom
- emails with a student's father
- American history that doesn't get much air time
what I didn’t like:
- too much alcohol
- past scenes too long for me
- connection between understanding of past and present changes wasn't clear to me
overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)
As always, you can click on the photo above if you want to buy the book.