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A review by rachelhelps
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
4.0
This book is kind of like an epic lyric poem. It tells the story of multiple picture brides who traveled from Japan to America in many "we" sentences. I think some people compared it to a Greek chorus. It was touching and real and detailed. It was also fairly short, which was perfect for my attention span. My only complaint is that it was SO somber.
In Japanese-American literature, people who grew up in Japan but moved to America later are "Ikkei", sort of like first-generation. In my research on Topaz, there was a lot about the conflict between Ikkei and "Nikkei" (second-generation, often US citizens). After reading this book, I can understand it a little better. Also, for some reason I always imagined Japanese immigrants as being middle and upper-class, but most immigrants around the turn of the century were really poor and worked in farms or as maids.
In Japanese-American literature, people who grew up in Japan but moved to America later are "Ikkei", sort of like first-generation. In my research on Topaz, there was a lot about the conflict between Ikkei and "Nikkei" (second-generation, often US citizens). After reading this book, I can understand it a little better. Also, for some reason I always imagined Japanese immigrants as being middle and upper-class, but most immigrants around the turn of the century were really poor and worked in farms or as maids.