A review by chaispicemoon
The Prison Memoirs of a Japanese Woman by Kaneko Fumiko

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This is legitimately the best book I have ever read. I consider it my favorite of all time. I’m so glad I pushed through to the end (I sometimes have a hard time sticking with a book and not putting it down, but if I remember right this was one I just could hardly put down). *spoiler* Kaneko’s story is one of childhood abuse, struggle and hardships as she grows and navigates political, race, gender, and class differences in the tense world of her time. Through her writing the reader can see the historical context of the era. But at times it’s just so heartbreaking. The moments I remember most are Kaneko’s early childhood as a servant to a family, her living in a small village, the death of her friend, her attending college, her struggling with her job selling newspapers outside for long painful hours, and the poem she wrote. I really connected with her through this book and at times related to her pain, which is why I cherish it so much. It’s a treasure to me.