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This is the most harrowing book I’ve ever read in my life. Most of the books that I read that are traumatic affect me, but this was on a visceral level because it was real life. 
Japan doesn’t get enough flak for the atrocities they committed in Nanking. 
I find it very disturbing that when there is war going on or any onset of violence taking place in a town/city/nation, you will always find men raping women. It is so beyond me that in the midst of chaos, you choose to inflict more pain on another person. 

I read independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, there was a scene in the book where one of the sisters had to run for her life as a fire was fast approaching her home, it had already burned through the neighbourhood. While she was running, there was also a man running and he saw her and immediately wanted to assault her. I was so taken aback because your life is in danger but you’ve seen a woman who’s in danger as well and you want to traumatise her even more. 

The Japanese soldiers in this book committed such depraved acts, it is truly beyond me how a human being can do that to another human being. They saw them as pigs which in itself is deeply problematic. 

I came to find out that the author died by suicide and oh my heart breaks for her. I do not know her personally but I imagine that researching and interviewing the victims of this genocide as well as the backlash she received might have contributed to her decision. 

I also cannot help but draw parallel’s to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Although it is not new, settlers have been systematically killing and displacing Palestinians from their homeland. I’ve read The Blue Between Sky and water  by Susan Abulhawa & Minor Detail by Adania Shibli. Both these books  documented women getting raped by an Israeli soldiers. This is neither just fiction, nor is it new. It has been happening and still happens till today. We have also seen in real time how Isreal does not take accountability for the atrocities they’ve committed and are still committing. 

For posterity, I think it is important that we document all the acts of violence of all kinds inflicted by people who think themselves important and untouchable. 

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horrifying but important history

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Beyond all else, this book has a key advantage of a very readable prose — clear, cogent, accessible; to be read in great quantities. 

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