A Jar of Dreams is Yoshiko Uchida's work of unforgettable historical fiction about a young girl who grows up in a closely-knit Japanese American family in California during the 1930's, a time of great prejudice. Eleven-year-old Rinko grows up in a closely-knit Japanese American family in California during the Depression, a time of great prejudice.

Twelve-year-old Rinko is looking forward to her summer vacation. But when her mother asks her to spend a month helping Mrs. Hata, a widowed friend, Rinko is sure her summer will be ruined. Everyone has told Rinko Mrs. Hata is crazy, and a series of unpleasant incidents don't help Rinko's outlook. But by summer's end, Rinko comes to understand that people are not always what they seem, and what appears to be a "bad thing" can sometimes be something very good!

When twelve-year-old Rinko learns that a neighbor's daughter is coming from Japan to marry a stranger twice her age, she sets out to change this arrangement and gains new insights into love and adult problems.