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sassncriticism8's review
5.0
The main character, Hana is a headstrong independent girl from Japan who ventures to America as one of many picture brides. Though her husband is not as she had hoped he would be, the two of them endure years of life together filled with grief, pain, love and laughter. Friends surround and Hana comes to love life in Oakland, CA. She has three miscarriages but has a daughter, Mary, but she too causes grief to Mary. The couple are thrown into the troubles of WWII and Hana and her husband, Taro, endure. It's a very enriching tale of the dignity and the honor of the Japanese during the war. World War II did much too and even America had its mistakes. The Japanese had great endurance of their treatment and its a wonderful story full of the experiences of life and what you may endure.
lyricallit's review against another edition
4.0
We are told the story of Hana, the young & strong Japanese woman who leaves her family to marry a man in California she has never met. The story is one of pride & independence, but also of community & cultural assimilation. Hana struggles to maintain the familiar Japanese culture that is so dear to her, while also striking out to become an American and accept those associated ideals.
I read this in anticipation of teaching it in the fall. Though some portions might be awkward in the classroom, it is overall a wonderful novel that is especially relevant to areas of the country with high populations of immigrants. Students who are native born citizens cannot imagine the struggle between two cultures: struggling to determine who you are, who you want to become, and who you've left behind. I strongly hope that my students who read this can gain a better understanding & respect for immigrants of all countries.
I read this in anticipation of teaching it in the fall. Though some portions might be awkward in the classroom, it is overall a wonderful novel that is especially relevant to areas of the country with high populations of immigrants. Students who are native born citizens cannot imagine the struggle between two cultures: struggling to determine who you are, who you want to become, and who you've left behind. I strongly hope that my students who read this can gain a better understanding & respect for immigrants of all countries.
dreesreads's review against another edition
2.0
This book reads more like an autobiography/biography written by a non-writer. Simplistic dialogue (and I don't just mean formal conversations between characters, but ALL of it), simplistic thoughts, simplistic explanations, simple sentences.
This topic is not new to me, I grew up in the bay area and was surrounded by people who had been interred or their parents had been (one of my mother's best friends from childhood on was born in a camp). And this book is soooo simplistic.
I actually think this would be a pretty decent YA book--the only reason it got 2 stars and not 1. Easy read, not too long, and (without double checking) the timeline is correct. No excessive violence/gore, etc etc. Would not be bad for an 8th grade history class.
This topic is not new to me, I grew up in the bay area and was surrounded by people who had been interred or their parents had been (one of my mother's best friends from childhood on was born in a camp). And this book is soooo simplistic.
I actually think this would be a pretty decent YA book--the only reason it got 2 stars and not 1. Easy read, not too long, and (without double checking) the timeline is correct. No excessive violence/gore, etc etc. Would not be bad for an 8th grade history class.
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