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Snow Falling on Cedars is a 1994 novel by David Guterson that explores the lingering effects of World War II on a small island community in the Pacific Northwest
. The novel opens in 1954, when a local fisherman is found dead in his net. The ensuing murder trial reveals the deep-seated racism and prejudice that has festered in the community since the war, when Japanese-Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in internment camps. The novel explores themes of prejudice, justice, and the enduring impact of wartime trauma.Explore a plot summary, an in-depth analysis of Ishmael Chambers, and important quotes.