The narrative follows an unnamed Japanese American family—a mother, daughter, and son—living in Berkeley, California, in 1942. After the father is arrested by the FBI on suspicion of treason, the remaining three are evacuated to an internment camp in the Utah desert. The prose tracks their experiences through various perspectives, documenting the loss of their pet dog, the scarcity of water, the dust storms of the barracks, and their eventual return to a hostile neighborhood where their house has been vandalized and their father is a broken shell of his former self.
This book serves readers interested in the psychological specifics of the wartime incarceration of American citizens. It provides a stark look at how state-mandated xenophobia erodes individual identity and familial bonds. Readers finish the text with a technical understanding of the logistics of internment and the long-term mental effects of displacement. It is a study of how ordinary people internalize shame and suspicion when their own government labels them as enemies based on their heritage.
Inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2002
- Language
- EN
