A few years ago I read the book Moloka'i by Alan Brennert for my local book club and everyone enjoyed it. When I saw that the sequel was in the works, I was very excited to see Rachel's story continue.
Daughter of Moloka'i is a book about Rachel's daughter, Ruth, who was born inside a lepers' colony in 1917. Because Rachel was quarantined for most of her life to due leprosy, (those with the disease were forced to live on Moloka'i and be quarantined...a life sentence), Rachel was forced to give up her daughter for adoption immediately after birth. This book continues the story of Ruth's life after she was adopted. This book is divided into three parts: Hapa (a native Hawaiian word that means half - Ruth is half Japanese and half Hawaiian) Gaman: Japanese term of Buddhist origin that means "enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity: Ohana: Hawaiian word that means family The first part details Ruth's life in the orphanage, and her transition into her new life as an adopted daughter. The story follows this family's journeys to begin a new life in California in the 1920s. Ruth is adopted into a loving Japanese family and she quickly learns what it means to be Japanese and learn their customs and traditions. They begin a new chapter in California where there are many anti-Japanese groups in the Sacramento area. As time passes, and the WWII attack on Pearl Harbor occurs, President FDR then orders for all residents of Japanese descent (citizens or not), to be sent to live in the Internment Camps. The second part of the book is about their life preparing to go, and to eventually live in the Internment Camps. This sparked my curiosity in learning more about the families who made up the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were sent to live in these awful camps for 1-2 years. The family endured hardships, both physically and emotionally, (they lived in a horse stall!), but strived to stick together in order to endure. The third part of the book centers around an adult Ruth, who is learning the story of her origins and how her family grows and adapts as she reconnects with her past. This is my 3rd novel to enjoy by Alan Brennert and his writing is very strong, thoroughly researched, and really draws you in. His character driven novels draw you close to Rachel and her family. I truly enjoyed the book, and I appreciate the opportunity to access an Advanced Readers Copy for review. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Daughter of Moloka'i will be released on Tuesday, February 20! To learn more about the Japanese Internment Camps here are a few links: The History of Japanese Internment Camps www.historyonthenet.com/world-war-two-japanese-internment-camps-in-the-usa Ceremony to Honor Survivors of Japanese Internment Camps www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/Ceremony-To-Honor-Survivors-Of-Japanese-13623267.php The Injustice of Japanese-American Internment Camps Resonates Strongly to This Day www.smithsonianmag.com/history/injustice-japanese-americans-internment-camps-resonates-strongly-180961422/
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As a native Mississippian, I am embarrassed to say that I was not aware of Richard Wright until I was well into adulthood. He was born in Roxie, MS which is only a few miles away from my maternal family origins, and yet I had never heard of this groundbreaking author.
I picked up Black Boy as I began to grow this blog...after all...how can I call Mississippi my home and still haven't read his books? Black Boy, which was published in 1945 after Wright had become an established writer, details Wright's childhood and early adult years growing up in the Jim Crow South. His narratives about his childhood detail their family's abject poverty, constant malnutrition, ever present familial tension in his home, as well as the daily racial tension and anxiety in his daily life, After his dad leaves and his mom is paralyzed due to a stroke, Richard is shuttled around among relatives, and spent several years of his childhood in Jackson, MS. His education was very disrupted and he rarely finished a school year in the same school in which it started, ending his education in the 9th grade. Despite his lack of formal education, he was a voracious reader and would borrow a library card (from a white coworker since there was no library access for African Americans), to read novels from worldly authors. Considering he had so little education, this book is so well written, easy to understand and pulls you in from the first chapter where he set fire to his Grandmother's house as a young child.. His book Native Son is now officially on my TBR pile! From the Publisher: "Richard Wright grew up in the woods of Mississippi, with poverty, hunger, fear, and hatred. He lied, stole, and raged at those around him; at six he was a "drunkard," hanging about taverns. Surly, brutal, cold, suspicious, and self-pitying, he was surrounded on one side by whites who were either indifferent to him, pitying, or cruel, and on the other by blacks who resented anyone trying to rise above the common lot. Black Boy is Richard Wright's powerful account of his journey from innocence to experience in the Jim Crow South. It is at once an unashamed confession and a profound indictment—a poignant and disturbing record of social injustice and human suffering." More information about Richard Wright: blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/ten-things-you-should-know-about-richard-wright When this book began racking up the awards, it caught my attention. And when I saw that the author was born and raised in Jackson, MS, I found the book and began reading/listening to it the next day. The author's narration of his memoirs were well done, and the audiobook greatly enhanced my experience.
Wade Davis, an American speaker, activist, and former football player, has been quoted by saying that everyone should read books by people who are not like you...read to understand them, to gain empathy, until they are you and you do not see them as the other. Heavy was chosen for this book's title because of the level of 'heavy' content that was described in Laymon's memoir. It is also 'heavy' because Laymon was always considered to be a 'big guy' and has had to deal with weight issues and eating disorders. The book is an open letter to his mother, and describes what it means to grow heavy, black, and male in America, in particular Mississippi. Kiese attended school at St. Joe High School, college at Millsaps, and eventually went on to become a professor at Vassar College. His memoir is haunting, compelling, and drew me in from page one. It is definitely 'heavy' in nature, but is a book I won't long forget. I gave it a 5 Star Rating on Goodreads. While I was reading Heavy, it won the The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. This award comes with a $5,000 prize and Kiese Laymon has announced he will donate the prize money to programs that benefit underserved youth in Mississippi. I saw this book on sale through a Kindle Daily Deal and decided it looked like a great way to check out what other people are reading and to be exposed to titles that are 'life changing.'
Each chapter is a contribution piece from a different notable person, and they write a few pages on what book changed their life and why. Some reasons the book changed lives was because of the intersection of a particular time of their life and the impact the book had on it. Or perhaps a life experience happened while reading the book and therefore that title left an imprint on the contributor. Or perhaps a book sparked an idea or a motivation inside that person and will forever be attributed to that event. Regardless, it was a great peek inside who-is-reading-what and gave me a whole new list of titles to explore in my reading life. Some notable contributors (or rather names I recognized) include Rosanne Cash, Margaret Atwood, Sofia Coppola, Nelson DeMille, Tim Gunn, Tommy Hilfiger, Beverly Johnson, Meg Worlitzer and more. It was a great book to read a few pages each night before bed or when I was in-between books! But now my TBR pile is that much longer! Happy Reading! |
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