I liked this book because it gave a completely different perspective on the experience of every day people in the Pacific Campaign of WWII. I am a huge history enthusiast, and this was definitely an interesting and heartfelt glimpse into East Asia during this time period. It is very common for people to not see behind their own horizons, and the atrocities of the Nazis are often spoke about, but it is rarer for people to understand the Japanese side of the war, and just how horrible it was. It's a good book that people should read to expand their understanding of the world and the many experiences of those in it. I gave this book 4 stars out of 5 because I thought that it was a bit more difficult to become invested. I think that it's just personal preference though. ( )

So Far from the Bamboo Grove

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t my favorite. I liked how the book was written from two different perspectives, because it kept me interested. This also showed gender roles in the Japanese community. This book contained some mature topics, so I would recommend it for older students, maybe starting in middle school. This story shows courage and kindness can change your life.

"So Far from the Bamboo Grove" shares the harrowing story of a family trying to survive and reunite. It is sobering to know this is the author's account from her childhood. She is forced to mature through her trials and learns there is no guarantee that challenges will end once out of the war zone. Although not graphic, the reader feels the harsh pain of war and the strength of the characters. Yoko tells her story in such a way that leaves the reader fervently turning pages until the very end and pondering humanity and the strength of the human spirit long after the book is closed. ( )

So Far From the Bamboo Grove is a really interesting book. I have also been fascinated with historical fiction, so I was excited to read this one. Although it is a fairly short book, there are a lot of deep topics in the book, such as death, suffering, rape, and war. I think this would be a good book for older kids probably middle school because of these tough topics, however, these are topics that happen in life and need to be talked about. The story is most intriguing because of the perspective it shows of war from an eleven year old's eyes. Although it was extremely sad at times, it's a beautiful story of courage and hope of this family in the midst of such tragedy and brutality. They were even able to get right back into "normalcy" when they reached Japan by enrolling right into school. Being that Hideyo and Yoko (and her sister and mother) have such different perspectives of the war, made it even more engaging. The character development of Yoko is also something to be admired by the kids who read this. It's good for kids to be exposed to more than just fantasies and fairytales because they need to learn what life is like, specifically events like war that they are unable to empathize with but rather sympathize with by reading stories like these. ( )

This book was difficult to read but I was able to enjoy it and see it for what it was; a fantastic memoir about resilience, family, and hope. I chose this book to read because my grandmother is a Japanese-American and was born on December 7, 1941. The day pearl Harbor was bombed during World War 2. This personal connection to the book really allowed me to connect to these characters. More times than not I found myself tearing up while reading. I was emotional when Yoko’s mother goes and finds out that her parents have passed away then later passes away herself the same day. How Yoko and Ko still manage to live after all they have lost and gone through was beyond me while reading. I enjoyed this book also because of the perspective it brought to World War 2. Reading these events from the eyes of an eleven-year-old girl was astounding. Even the small detail of the mother tying a rope around her two daughters’ wrists, so they wouldn’t get lost while fleeing, made my stomach turn. The amount of loss this family went through yet the mother still managed to try to make their lives as normal as possible. Such as keeping them in activities like tea serving and how the mother immediately enrolls them back into school when they arrive to Japan. Over all, this book did a great job at taking on the history of World War two and the effects it had on, what I can only imagine being many families much like the Kawashima family. ( )