Obasan

by Joy Kogawa

Winner of the American Book Award

Based on the author's own experiences, this award-winning novel was the first to tell the story of the evacuation, relocation, and dispersal of Canadian citizens of Japanese ancestry during the Second World War.

• ISBN10: 0780742389
• ISBN13: 9780780742383
• Publish Date: 1 December 1993 (first published 1 January 1981)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 13 September 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Perfection Learning
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 300
• Language: English

Reviews

[Linda]

This book was filled with melancholy, beautiful prose, and aching memories.

The point of view shifts between adult Naomi, and the child Naomi was just before, during and right after WW2. The things the child didn't understand, and that the adult still has trouble dealing with. The fact that she was born in Canada, both of her parents were also born in Canada, but were of Japanese origin made their lives very difficult.

The camps the Japanese Canadian were sent to were cold, hard and segregated families and whole communities. Their possessions were taken from them, none of them were ever the same again.

Naomi continued to struggle with her dual ancestry, but didn't really want to do so. When people asked her 'where are you from?' she was always amazed they had to ask - she was from Vancouver, even if she had a Japanese-looking face.

A very touching story, and I know that even if I don't have to read the second book about Naomi for my class, I will read it for myself. The quiet, beautiful prose, the hauntingly beautiful descriptions and the subject that is so hard made this a very agreable reading experience.