Proven in Blood: A Novel of War, Betrayal and Belonging

From History Channel's Top Shot Champion Chris Cheng comes an unforgettable novel inspired by one of the greatest true stories of World War II.Painstakingly researched through years of archival study, battlefield visits across Italy and France, and conversations with veterans, historians, and family members, this sweeping novel brings one of America's greatest lesser-told stories vividly to life.Daniel Tanaka has everything to live for-a promising future at UC Berkeley, the woman he loves, and faith in the country he calls home. Then Pearl Harbor changes everything.Labeled an enemy by his own government, Daniel and his family are forced into an American incarceration camp behind barbed wire and armed guards. When the U.S. Army opens enlistment to Japanese Americans, Daniel volunteers-not only to prove his loyalty, but to fight for the ideals America has failed to uphold.Daniel is assigned to the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit of Japanese American soldiers that would become the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. military history. Its storied legacy was forged alongside the 100th Infantry Battalion, whose extraordinary combat record earned it the nickname "The Purple Heart Battalion." Together, the 100th and 442nd would earn 4,086 Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor, and eight Presidential Unit Citations-a testament to the extraordinary courage of men whose families remained imprisoned behind barbed wire at home.Before facing the enemy overseas, Daniel and his fellow soldiers must first overcome deep divisions within their own ranks. In the mountains of Italy and the forests of France, they are tested by impossible odds, devastating loss, and the brutal realities of war.As Daniel struggles to survive the battlefields of Europe, those he loves remain imprisoned back home. Torn between duty, family, and the hope of returning to the life that was stolen from him, he discovers that courage is measured not only by the enemies you face-but by the principles you refuse to abandon.Proven in Blood is an epic story of love, honor, sacrifice, and survival inspired by the extraordinary legacy of the Japanese American soldiers who changed history while their families remained behind barbed wire.