Wives from Japan - Joly Otsuka
This is America, we used to tell ourselves, there is no need to worry. We were wrong.
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The novel "Wives from Japan" by Julie Otsuka is an artistic masterpiece that blends beauty and strength, as it tells with precision and deep feeling the story of Japanese immigrants in America, where families were built with women brought from Japan in a photo exchange manner.
Throughout its eight fascinating chapters, the novel follows the lives of these Japanese women, from their arrival by ships to an unknown land, to their early days as brides, then their hard work in the fields and in the homes of white women, as well as their struggles in learning the new language and culture, and their experiences raising children who quickly become embarrassed by their broken language and strange customs.
The novel also addresses the theme of the clash of civilizations and widespread racism in America, and the story of the Japanese community that was labeled traitorous, ostracized, and isolated during the war, revealing an unknown chapter of United States history.
Perhaps this distinctive narrative style, weaving collective experiences through individual stories, is the main reason for the excellence of this wonderful novel and its winning of three prestigious literary awards.
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"This book is a little gem" — The Guardian
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"An amazing literary work" — Al Dar Publishing Center Cultural Arab Magazine
Author's name: Julie Otsuka
Year of publication: 2020
Number of pages: 144
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