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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This book was really hard to listen to in many ways - there's some very painful and heartbreaking parts and part of it intersects with my own family history. I recommend it. Just be prepared.
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This was an interesting memoir that weaves together the author’s personal experience as a half Asian, half White woman and her family dynamics with the history of Okinawa. While I have not fact checked everything the author claims in her book, I appreciated learning about Okinawa’s past and present, which is not taught in American schools.
I will admit though that when I first started this book, it felt disordered and choppy. The author jumps from present day anecdotes and flashbacks to historical narratives quite a bit. However, I found the second half of the book far more interesting where I was able to witness the author’s gradual transformation as she begins to come to terms with her biracial identity and shifting relationship with her mom (for the better). The parallel mother/daughter experiences of their travels from both 1975 and 2015 were powerful and moving alongside the author’s apologies to her mom and grandma.
I will admit though that when I first started this book, it felt disordered and choppy. The author jumps from present day anecdotes and flashbacks to historical narratives quite a bit. However, I found the second half of the book far more interesting where I was able to witness the author’s gradual transformation as she begins to come to terms with her biracial identity and shifting relationship with her mom (for the better). The parallel mother/daughter experiences of their travels from both 1975 and 2015 were powerful and moving alongside the author’s apologies to her mom and grandma.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I recommend listening to it on audio as you can hear the pronunciations of words if you are not sure. I really enjoyed this book. It gave an insight into the life Elizabeth ,especially her mother. I would read more from this author. The writing was well paced and the descriptions were well written.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
i saw bits of my grandparents’ story in here so that was what kept me most intrigued — really hated the parts where she put herself in the shoes of okinawans at several points in the book, felt disingenuous without the use of interviews or at least citations of other books/scholars/primary sources. i get being disconnected from your mother & family thru language barrier, but then she didn’t need to include those at all.
i’m not sure why this book frustrated me so much! i had to skim my way through the end, save for the part about them traveling to japan for the first time in a while juxtaposed w her parents in 1975, which was interesting. maybe i just have difficulty reading about someone have so much contempt for their mother even if it’s a perfectly valid emotion to hold and write about.
i’m not sure why this book frustrated me so much! i had to skim my way through the end, save for the part about them traveling to japan for the first time in a while juxtaposed w her parents in 1975, which was interesting. maybe i just have difficulty reading about someone have so much contempt for their mother even if it’s a perfectly valid emotion to hold and write about.