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kisseslilith 's review for:
They Called Us Enemy
by Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, George Takei
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Informative. Powerful. Amazing.
Do you ever ponder how life was like to people in generations before yours?
I do, and I am forever amazed by stories with heroes that paid the price, survived the struggle, did the work, and made the next generations carry a lighter burden. This book is just like that.
They Called Us Enemy is simultaneously poignant and moving. It was history I never knew existed. In times of war, no one wins, and this is one example of it. While the US and Japan were at war with each other, the Japanese in America were torn between pledging loyalty to their hometown or to the land they are currently residing in and wanted to build a home in. They were caged and transported like animals, and though they were kept alive, I don't think it was ever a humane way of living.
Although the themes of war, poverty, and pain were rampant in the novel, what moved me the most were themes of family and community. Both things kept spirits alive. It was familial love that kept the Takeis and the other Japanese alive. It was community that made them persevere and keep going. It was child's play that kept the children distracted from the pain of loss and the crippling effect of fear. It was a stranger's help that helped them get back on their feet. It was food and magnet and the little things that kept the fire burning. All these helped them make it to their mornings.
For a graphic novel, this book has condensed so much historical information and insights, and made me ponder a thing or three. It was enjoyable and moving from start to finish.
Do you ever ponder how life was like to people in generations before yours?
I do, and I am forever amazed by stories with heroes that paid the price, survived the struggle, did the work, and made the next generations carry a lighter burden. This book is just like that.
They Called Us Enemy is simultaneously poignant and moving. It was history I never knew existed. In times of war, no one wins, and this is one example of it. While the US and Japan were at war with each other, the Japanese in America were torn between pledging loyalty to their hometown or to the land they are currently residing in and wanted to build a home in. They were caged and transported like animals, and though they were kept alive, I don't think it was ever a humane way of living.
Although the themes of war, poverty, and pain were rampant in the novel, what moved me the most were themes of family and community. Both things kept spirits alive. It was familial love that kept the Takeis and the other Japanese alive. It was community that made them persevere and keep going. It was child's play that kept the children distracted from the pain of loss and the crippling effect of fear. It was a stranger's help that helped them get back on their feet. It was food and magnet and the little things that kept the fire burning. All these helped them make it to their mornings.
For a graphic novel, this book has condensed so much historical information and insights, and made me ponder a thing or three. It was enjoyable and moving from start to finish.