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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Listened to this on Audible - had to listen at 2x speed because it was such a slow moving story. The author hasn't mastered the "show don't tell" trick and I found nothing charming in the writing style. I got the sense that this was a book about Asian people written for white people (many cultural/historical aspects were over explained, and character's dialogue/actions often seemed performative).
Denne boken er helt fantastisk! Den griper deg i nesen og drar deg inn i historien, og du kommer ikke ut før du er ferdig med boken.
Boken skifter mellom nåtid og fortid, på en så elegant og fengende måte at du aldri mister den røde tråden. Men det som var kjipt, var at jeg alltid ble skuffet når de skiftet til nåtid, siden da var boken minst spennende. Fortiden hans var veldig interessant og jeg gledet meg alltid til å lese mer, og få vite om hemmelighetene hans. Mange av dem kom som et sjokk, akkurat slik som jeg liker det ^^
Den er skrevet i 3.persons synsvinkel, og vi får vite hva Henry tenker og føler og det er han vi følger hele veien. Selv om hans tanker kan bli litt kjedelig i lengden. Det å få vite om jentes tanker ville vært veldig gøy.
Jeg liker veldig godt alle karakterene, de er så fargerike og fulle av liv. Historien er vakker, men trist. Det var perioder der jeg kjente at hjerte mitt knuste.
Men jeg liker bøker med action, og det manglet denne boken. Det var en vakker kjærlighetshistorie, men ikke noe spenning så boken får 4. Stjerner fra meg.
Boken skifter mellom nåtid og fortid, på en så elegant og fengende måte at du aldri mister den røde tråden. Men det som var kjipt, var at jeg alltid ble skuffet når de skiftet til nåtid, siden da var boken minst spennende. Fortiden hans var veldig interessant og jeg gledet meg alltid til å lese mer, og få vite om hemmelighetene hans. Mange av dem kom som et sjokk, akkurat slik som jeg liker det ^^
Den er skrevet i 3.persons synsvinkel, og vi får vite hva Henry tenker og føler og det er han vi følger hele veien. Selv om hans tanker kan bli litt kjedelig i lengden. Det å få vite om jentes tanker ville vært veldig gøy.
Jeg liker veldig godt alle karakterene, de er så fargerike og fulle av liv. Historien er vakker, men trist. Det var perioder der jeg kjente at hjerte mitt knuste.
Men jeg liker bøker med action, og det manglet denne boken. Det var en vakker kjærlighetshistorie, men ikke noe spenning så boken får 4. Stjerner fra meg.
Reminded me of stories that my grandmother told me about the Japanese internment and how her friends were taken away during that time period.
“I had my chance.’ He said it, retiring from a lifetime of wanting. ‘I had my chance, and sometimes in life, there are no second chances. You look at what you have, not what you miss, and you move forward.”
This was a lovely little escape about a sliver of life during WWII that I haven’t explored. Henry is a Chinese-American living in Seattle after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He meets a young Japanese-American girl, Keiko, at school and they become fast friends. Through Henry’s eyes, we see the treatment Japanese-Americans endured during the war and how it spilled over to all Asian Americans. Despite their different settings and time periods, this book reminded me a lot of The Stationery Shop, which I also loved!
This book rekindled my interest in several areas: Asian tea culture (which I realize is a vast topic), books about the Asian American experience during WWII, books set in the Pacific Northwest, and cooking Japanese and Chinese food. It set my imagination on fire!
This was a lovely little escape about a sliver of life during WWII that I haven’t explored. Henry is a Chinese-American living in Seattle after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He meets a young Japanese-American girl, Keiko, at school and they become fast friends. Through Henry’s eyes, we see the treatment Japanese-Americans endured during the war and how it spilled over to all Asian Americans. Despite their different settings and time periods, this book reminded me a lot of The Stationery Shop, which I also loved!
This book rekindled my interest in several areas: Asian tea culture (which I realize is a vast topic), books about the Asian American experience during WWII, books set in the Pacific Northwest, and cooking Japanese and Chinese food. It set my imagination on fire!
As much as this book essentially unfolded as I’d expected it to, I enjoyed reading it, and following Henry back and forth between his time as a young boy becoming a young man and his life as a father watching his own grown son choose his future. The writing was never too saccharine for me—I appreciated the book’s tone, very matter-of-fact and honest. Henry’s youth occurred during Japanese internment, and this book explores this occurrence and World War II, shedding light on the nuances of racism and oppression. I particularly liked the theme of family ties and influence in this book, seeing Henry’s father in him, watching Henry seeing himself in his own son. Henry’s parents versus Henry as a parent. Families living uniquely. Always a topic I find engaging,
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this book speaks for itself. sentimental and a little male-centric but cute and captivating
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
I didn’t know much about the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Henry, a Chinese American has just lost his wife. He has spare time now, so he goes to,a hotel that has found the belongings of Japanese people who were forced into internment camps. His first love was a Japanese girl who was sent away with her family. Dual timelines follow Henry and Keiko’s relationship and that of his domineering father, and also Henry as an adult as he navigates his relationship with his grown son while piecing together his past.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No