Reviews with content warning for Rape - Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir by Elizabeth Miki Brina

14 reviews

neurostellar's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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theblandfalafel's review

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emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

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kobayashi's review

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emotional sad medium-paced

3.0

A book dedicated for her parents. I could feel how sorry the author was towards her parents and how hard she is trying in life no matter what age she was at. A decent memoir also to speak about Okinawa. The author had a good quote to “ Love is to stay “

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sofiadanielle's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

Ah, a lot to unpack in this book from the relationship a mixed child has with their two cultures, the feeling of being ‘othered’ for not being White, the rocky relationship of an immigrant mother with her daughter, the history of Okinawa…

It’s a bit heavy, I won’t lie. I saw some of my my own habits, thoughts, emotions, all laid out in front of me in this book, as a first generation Asian child born in America. I saw my mother and I in Elizabeth and her mother, even when I wish I couldn’t. I understand her emotions, why she went through some of the situations she did, when you just want to say: well, why would you ever do that?

Beautiful read. I find the second half to be more moving. I hope to find peace with my mother in the way Brina managed, too.

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aweekinthelife's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

i really appreciated this memoir and the ways Brina wove together her personal story with Okinawa history. she brought nuance to the story - every person in her family (including herself) with their own flaws and strengths to tell a story about what it means to be family across languages and oceans and the power dynamics enmeshed in all of that.

for a historical perspective that i think pairs really well content-wise, i'd suggest checking out How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr.

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boba_n_books's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

I loved how this beautiful memoir took its genre to a new level by including some of the history of Okinawa amongst personal stories. It was a creative way to juxtapose her mother’s immigration journey with the past.

This book also made me question American military presence in other countries like Okinawa. It seems to have caused more harm than good and continues to do so.

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seoul0613's review

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dark sad medium-paced

2.5

Although I appreciated the author’s reflection on her childhood and grappling with her identity, I found the self-hate experiences that she included and the way she treated her mom as a kid too uncomfortable for me.

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