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Obasan
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
'A moving vision of an affront to democratic principles... A tour de force, a deeply felt novel, brilliantly poetic in its sensibility' - New York Times
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review
violabrain
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Pickpick

This is a heartbreaking and powerful book about the Japanese internment in Canada during World War II. I had no idea about a lot of this history being American.

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Come-read-with-me
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Pickpick

This is a breathtaking and heart-wrenching novel about the Japanese internment in Canada during WW II. This is an astounding piece of historical fiction.

24 likes3 stack adds
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xicanti
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Shame time: I'm halfway through OBASAN and I don't think I can finish it. It's a deeply important story, but Kogawa's writing is so lyrical and distanced that I feel like I've got dyslexia. I need to wrestle with the words until they make sense.

It's probably best if I put it aside and try again in a couple years. In the meantime, I'll find some nonfiction about Japanese-Canadian internment camps. Any suggestions?

RaimeyGallant Nothing is coming to mind, but you're in the right province for librarian recs on that subject. 6y
xicanti @BookishTrish unfortunately, I didn't like Sakamoto's writing either. 6y
See All 18 Comments
BookishTrish He‘s not the best writer but I found his story shaping strong 6y
xicanti @BookishTrish I couldn't get past the tangents and the invented dialogue. 6y
xicanti @BookishTrish I've stacked it now! I'm more interested in Canadian material, but it sounds good. 6y
BookishTrish It‘s a kids book though... not surely if that‘s your thing 6y
xicanti @BookishTrish I don't read a ton of kidlit these days, but I don't turn my nose up at it, either. Thanks! 6y
BookishTrish My pleasures 6y
twohectobooks Not a book, but there are letters from Japanese Canadians stored in the national archives that the National Post went through and provided a selection of last year: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/you-know-that-we-had-nothing-to-do-with-thi... 6y
xicanti @twohectobooks thank you! 6y
Larkken I think I read this in middle school and then we visited the camp... (edited) 6y
Larkken ⬆️ ugh not Canadian, sorry. Apparently I'm skimming not reading today 😕 6y
xicanti @Larkken thanks all the same! 6y
zsuzsanna_reads No shame in bailing - life's too short! 6y
xicanti @zsuzsanna_reads I normally bail with zero regrets, but I do feel bad about this one because it covers such an important topic, and because earlier this year I abandoned a different book on the same subject. 6y
53 likes1 stack add18 comments
review
Unphilosophize
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Pickpick

I was too lazy to take a new picture of this book because I already pack it but it was amazing. I really loved the narration style. Some of the book was really sad, so take that with a grain of salt. #books #canlit #canadianlit #japan #canada

SqueakyChu Do read the sequel to this book which is called Itsuka and is excellent! 6y
6 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Unphilosophize
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Marital status: Old maid. Health: Fine, I suppose. Occupation: School teacher. I'm bored to death with teaching and ready to retire. What else would anyone want to know? Personality: Tense. Is that past or present tense? It's perpetual tense. I have the social graces of a common housefly. That's self-denigrating, isn't it?

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brilliantglow
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Some of my favourite #diversereads #24in48

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brilliantglow
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Pickpick

This was a great read. A recounting of the experiences of Japanese Canadians during WWII told partially through the eyes of 5 year old Naomi.

27 likes2 stack adds
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brilliantglow
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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brilliantglow
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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I got a late start to #litsypartyofone and #eclecticreadathon so I'm only sitting at just under 2 hours right now. I've almost finished this book (130 pages left!) But I'm getting chilly and it's 230am so time to crawl in bed and switch to my ebook for another hour or so of reading.

brilliantglow The ebook I'm currently reading 7y
23 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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brilliantglow
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Which is why I'm outside hoping to finish up the last half of this book. If I'm really lucky today's weather will carry over to this weekend (instead of the rain they're calling for). International Food Fest starts tomorrow at 11 who's going this weekend? #londonon #forestcity #foodfest #omnomnom

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brilliantglow
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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I love reading history. Especially important history we aren't taught about in school. Like the treatment of Japanese-Canadian citizens during WWII or Residential Schools for the Indigenous peoples. It's important we learn from these past injustices. #shemakesagoodpoint #canadianhistory

21 likes2 stack adds
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Weaponxgirl
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Pickpick

Yes it's working again! Sooo I loved this book. Firstly I had no idea about this bit of Canadian history. Secondly it tells the story so well. There's a distance to the writing which as you go further in makes more and more sense. The control involved with the characters is portrayed perfectly by this. It's not a quick read style wise, it's a slow build up that finally releases a ending that is so inevitable and quietly devastating. #ownvoices

rockpools Yay! You're back! 8y
Weaponxgirl @RachelO I was starting to panic! I was getting recommendation withdrawal symptoms. What 8y
42 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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brilliantglow
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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This #bookface is on my tbr for the #litsyreadingchallenge (about immigration) and #readharder (central immigration theme). It will also count towards my #mounttbr #readjanuary @RealLifeReading

LeahBergen I read this years ago. I love this new cover! 8y
brilliantglow @LeahBergen I love this cover too, much more than the blurry face on the train. 8y
40 likes4 stack adds2 comments
blurb
brilliantglow
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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I missed yesterday's post so here's my #immigrantstories #day22 #booktober.

This is about Japanese immigrants to Canada and their time in interment camps during WWII.

22 likes2 stack adds
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readordierachel
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
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Pickpick

It's been quite a while since I read this, so many of the details are fuzzy, but I remember being affected by it. Probably time for a reread. #immigrantstories #booktober

14 likes1 stack add
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Babs_book_obsession
Obasan | Joy Kogawa
Pickpick

I was aware there was Japanese internment in Canada but never knew the details. It is too easy to choose to forget the negative parts of our history. This is one of those books where fiction helped me understand the reality for Japanese Canadians during WWII and how it must still affect their families today. It is alarming that Canadians behaved this way to fellow Canadians and that racism and xenophobia still seem to be driving politics today .