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rarasreads 's review for:
Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir
by Elizabeth Miki Brina
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.