A former Hood River Valley resident who was taken to internment camps in California and Wyoming during World War II, and then faced abuse when she returned home, will be in Hood River later this week to discuss her recently published memoir, From Thorns to Blossoms.  In the book, 91-year-old Mitzi Asai Loftus details how she rejected her Japanese heritage and changed her name, but then reconnected with her roots in Japan.  Loftus says she hopes people don’t feel bad about some of her stories, but instead remember to help those who are in need. Loftus will speak about her life and the book at the Hood River Library on Friday evening at 6 p.m.