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A review by autumn_alwaysreadingseason
The Grave on the Wall by Brandon Shimoda
4.0
Most of the coverage surrounding this book paints it as being Brandon Shimoda's rendering of his grandfather's life, but I don't think that's accurate. His grandfather, Midori, is often at the center of his questions and he does journey to places looking for answers, but there are pieces that are much broader than the scope of one man's life.
Shimoda includes Japanese myths/stories (the ghostly telling of Okiku, for example), references to other people (the first Japanese to be photographed in the U.S.), mentions of other texts.
Zooming out, Shimoda places his family in context to other events. His grandfather grew up in Hiroshima. The atomic bombs are featured, circling around Midori's life. There are gruesome details, narratives like Sadako and the thousand cranes and other childhood remembrances of the horrific bombing, and the irony that someone Midori knew was flying in the sky as part of the U.S. Army, watching as the Enola Gay dropped the bomb.
Shimoda's family history is entwined with tragedy. Armed with little information but Midori's FBI file, he tracks down his grandfather's photographs and takes a trip to the place where he was incarcerated during WWII.
Yes, this book is a portrait of Brandon Shimoda's grandfather, but it's also an unflinching portrayal of the resilience of his family as well as a glimpse into the Japanese American experience and trauma faced in the 20th century that causes residual pain.
Shimoda includes Japanese myths/stories (the ghostly telling of Okiku, for example), references to other people (the first Japanese to be photographed in the U.S.), mentions of other texts.
Zooming out, Shimoda places his family in context to other events. His grandfather grew up in Hiroshima. The atomic bombs are featured, circling around Midori's life. There are gruesome details, narratives like Sadako and the thousand cranes and other childhood remembrances of the horrific bombing, and the irony that someone Midori knew was flying in the sky as part of the U.S. Army, watching as the Enola Gay dropped the bomb.
Shimoda's family history is entwined with tragedy. Armed with little information but Midori's FBI file, he tracks down his grandfather's photographs and takes a trip to the place where he was incarcerated during WWII.
Yes, this book is a portrait of Brandon Shimoda's grandfather, but it's also an unflinching portrayal of the resilience of his family as well as a glimpse into the Japanese American experience and trauma faced in the 20th century that causes residual pain.