Reviewed by Mr Llewellyn-Evans
In 1941 on the eve of Pearl Harbour about 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry lived on the US mainland, mostly along the Pacific Coast. About two thirds were full citizens, born and raised in the United States. That situation changed when on December 7 Japan attacked Pearl Harbour (Hawaii) and in doing so declared war on the USA.
This graphic novel follows the Takei family as they lose their home in Los Angeles and travel to various camps in increasingly isolated parts of the USA. The novel is told through the eyes of George as his younger brother Henry and his mother and father are increasingly ostracised from American society. The novel highlights the contradictions of Executive Order 9066 which imprisoned thousands of loyal Americans whose only crime was they were either Japanese or descended from Japanese parents/grandparents.
While there are some moments of light, the family experiences the darkness of confinement and the fact they were treated like traitors to the country where over two thirds were citizens. In a war against totalitarianism, dictatorship, and prejudice they experienced all three aspects. Was this a good read?
Over the last year I have read a few books about the experiences of children during conflict, including a graphic novel on the Vietnam war. There was something about this novel which did not match the intensity of the other novels and I think it is the author’s propensity to make judgements and preach. He obviously wrote this book to point out the terrible experiences of imprisonment and at times he captures this from the children’s and parents’ perspective and when he does so it is certainly worth reading.
So, is it a good read? Yes, but there are better books on children’s experience of war out there.
3 stars out of 5