dlberglund's review against another edition
4.0
Very hard to describe. The whole book is written in first person plural: "We came... some of us were.... one of us, named so-and-so, was...." It makes for a dreamlike book, the voices ringing out from a larger Greek chorus. There isn't one story line; there are threads that make up a larger picture of what it might have been like to be a mail-order bride/wife/mother in the early 20th century, adapting and adapting again. It's so full of pain, and longing, and acceptance of disappointment. It made me sigh again and again. A rather fast read, but nothing near "light".
findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this slim book in one sitting. I'm not sure what to say here. On the one hand, I don't like the rarely used first-person plural narrative. It feels like I'm reading about these intense experiences from 10,000 feet. I like to be on the ground and in the mind of a novel's characters. For me, a book hinges on whether or not there was at least one character I can relate to or at least root for. There isn't a single character in this book! Yes, people are named but you don't get to know or remember any of them by name.
But. Despite all of this, I felt such empathy and sadness at their collective experience. I wanted better for them, and for our country to be better. This book causes the reader to reflect on the experience of the Immigrant in America, how people come here in desperate need of a better life, how they work the jobs white Americans don't want and are mistreated as The Other. This book was written in 2011, but it felt all too relevant as a reader in 2017: the nationalist fervor, the violence and distrust against foreigners, the U.S. government's response. There is much to think about and discuss here.
I also started thinking about how many WWII novels there are, and new ones are being written all the time. These books almost always take place in Europe, using the horrors of the Nazis and the Holocaust as the drivers of the story. There are hardly any novels written about the experience of the Japanese in America during that time, however. Could it be because Americans like to read novels about evil things that have happened in history when we are the good guys who come to the rescue? It's a lot less comfortable to read about evil when we were the perpetrators, or at the very least, the silent majority who did not stand up for what was right. I suspect novels about slavery are far less popular in the Southern states than in the rest of the country. Obviously this book gave me a lot to think about and process, which is why I'm giving it four stars!
But. Despite all of this, I felt such empathy and sadness at their collective experience. I wanted better for them, and for our country to be better. This book causes the reader to reflect on the experience of the Immigrant in America, how people come here in desperate need of a better life, how they work the jobs white Americans don't want and are mistreated as The Other. This book was written in 2011, but it felt all too relevant as a reader in 2017: the nationalist fervor, the violence and distrust against foreigners, the U.S. government's response. There is much to think about and discuss here.
I also started thinking about how many WWII novels there are, and new ones are being written all the time. These books almost always take place in Europe, using the horrors of the Nazis and the Holocaust as the drivers of the story. There are hardly any novels written about the experience of the Japanese in America during that time, however. Could it be because Americans like to read novels about evil things that have happened in history when we are the good guys who come to the rescue? It's a lot less comfortable to read about evil when we were the perpetrators, or at the very least, the silent majority who did not stand up for what was right. I suspect novels about slavery are far less popular in the Southern states than in the rest of the country. Obviously this book gave me a lot to think about and process, which is why I'm giving it four stars!
emmllrcll's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
freyagee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
mamalemma's review against another edition
3.0
A uniquely told tale of a set of Japanese mail order brides in the years leading up to and including their deportment to World War II internment camps. It is told in first person plural form "one of us did this, one of us did that." It was effective in painting a picture of many lives, but could be tedious, and at times, felt more like a list than a novel. It's an important story that does a good job evoking time, place, and humanity. Solid, but not amazing.
_y_oshi's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
agrajag's review against another edition
4.0
A interesting but unconventional book. The entire thing is written in "we" form, i.e. there's not any single narrator or protagonist, but instead the book is written in the voice of the sum total of these women.
Fairly dark most of the time, and especially the first half of the book is incredibly harsh on the husbands with only a few sparkles of light in a sea of abuse and mistreatment.
It's however, despite the dark tone, a short and light book to read; well worth the couple of hours you'll spend reading it.
Fairly dark most of the time, and especially the first half of the book is incredibly harsh on the husbands with only a few sparkles of light in a sea of abuse and mistreatment.
It's however, despite the dark tone, a short and light book to read; well worth the couple of hours you'll spend reading it.
cephaloverlord's review against another edition
5.0
I love the way this story is told. You get the perspective of a large group of women, without focusing on any one person. You're brought into each of their worlds one or two sentences at a time. It's a brilliant way to tell a story of which I knew very little.
drgnhrt968's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75