A review by lindsloveslit
Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir by Elizabeth Miki Brina
emotional
reflective
4.0
I am in awe at how much Elizabeth Miki Brina was able to pack into the 304 pages of Speak, Okinawa. Not only was I given Okinawa history that I knew nothing about, but it was a very introspective, honest, vulnerable, and reflective background of Brina's familial life, too.
It was beautifully written. Brina clearly and unapologetically communicated her lived experiences with me as the reader. I believed her and felt for her, but all that said? Something was missing for me. I can't pinpoint why it wasn't a perfect five stars for me... It could just be that it followed Isabel Wilkerson's 'A Warmth of Other Suns' and 'Braiding Sweetgrass' by Robin Kimmerer, which were both masterful! But, it just didn't feel memorable to me.
If you love/are interested in:
- multicultural familial relationships
- memoirs about belonging and identity
- complicated mother daughter relationships
- US military presence in other countries
then you should check Speak, Okinawa out!
It was beautifully written. Brina clearly and unapologetically communicated her lived experiences with me as the reader. I believed her and felt for her, but all that said? Something was missing for me. I can't pinpoint why it wasn't a perfect five stars for me... It could just be that it followed Isabel Wilkerson's 'A Warmth of Other Suns' and 'Braiding Sweetgrass' by Robin Kimmerer, which were both masterful! But, it just didn't feel memorable to me.
If you love/are interested in:
- multicultural familial relationships
- memoirs about belonging and identity
- complicated mother daughter relationships
- US military presence in other countries
then you should check Speak, Okinawa out!