This book begins with Japanese "picture brides" on a boat to early 20th Century America to meet their husbands. These brides are young girls (some 12 or so) who have been shipped off by their parents with the intention of having them get married, have families and basically have better lives than they would in Japan. The end of the book covers the heart-wrenching years of the Japanese Internment Camps during the post-Pearl Harbor era in the Western USA.
I absolutely loved the story, the lyricalness, the lushness and the tone of this novel. Otsuka has a gift of being able to express series of complex emotions with just a few words. Her writing style seems natural, fluid, yet filled with power. She does a fantastic job of creating a scene with as few words as possible. Less, if definitely more here. After-all, the novel is around 120 pages.
Saying all of that, I still found myself wanting a little more. NOT more of the words...more of the individual characters and their own stories. This novel is told in the first person plural voice (or point of view). Meaning: WE did this, WE did that. With such powerful stories to tell, I wish Otsuka would have picked one or two women to focus on instead of the global "we." This does not mean I did not like the book. I loved it. I just would have loved it even more had there been a little more individual detail.
But, I understand why she choose the plural voice to write it. The subject matter here is highly emotional...and by keeping it in the plural, both Otsuka and the reader are able to keep a fair and appropriate distance. Either way, a must read for all...
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