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A review by misomonkey5
Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir by Elizabeth Miki Brina
4.0
How the author's parents and ancestor's histories shaped who she was. Themes of: family, difficult mothers, attempts at reconciliation, making bad decisions, immaturity, okinawan history, war, war wives, immigrants, being Asian-American, being half-Asian, and so much more that I can't quite remember now. it's an incredibly powerful and touching book.
This was my first memoir and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it (I've tended to stay away from non-fiction books). It told her life sort of chronologically (iirc) with Okinawan history beautifully tied within. I also liked how you can tell that this story is just the beginning of a journey the author is making to understand her parents, especially her mother. She is flawed and has made many mistakes, but that should not stop us from trying to become better people.
This was my first memoir and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it (I've tended to stay away from non-fiction books). It told her life sort of chronologically (iirc) with Okinawan history beautifully tied within. I also liked how you can tell that this story is just the beginning of a journey the author is making to understand her parents, especially her mother. She is flawed and has made many mistakes, but that should not stop us from trying to become better people.