January 21, 2011
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Favorite Author?
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
This book was about Japan before, during and after the war. Three generations of view. The story follows the life of two boys: Kenji and Hiroshi. These boys were orphaned at a young age and lived with their grandparents. Kenji would be a mask maker for the theater and Hiroshi a Sumo wrestler.
This book gave me a front row seat to an eye witness account of how WW2 affected Japan. Gail wrote in such a way as for me to feel the heat, experience the pain and see the results of the atomic bomb. It will be life long memories of a nation at war under a brutal regime and how Japan came through it. I will never look at Japan the same.
At the end of the war a character says, “The number of lives lost abroad and at home was staggering. And in the end, what was it all for?” The author did a good job at showing the futility of the war. As I read I saw the senseless loss of families, the dislocation of the same. It was heart wrenching to experience these tragedies through the eyes of the characters.
I highly recommend this book. It’s not a book of surprises but of normal (if you can call it that in a war) Japanese lives. I had to will myself to keep reading at times but was so rewarded when I did. I came away with a great appreciation of peace time and a greater love for the Japanese people.A fellow xangan recommended this book and I’m glad she did. Gina
Do you have any books/Authors that you recommend and why?Lately I’ve been in such a pensive mood. I’m attempting to get my goals and direction solidified for the year and I’m not been very good at paying attention. I don’t mind seasons of pensive thinking but I can’t live there.
Comments (9)
Nope, no books or authors I would recommend. Most my reading is technical magazines and textbooks.
I really don’t have any Favorited Authors or recommendation since all mine come from others. Like this one, I will go look fro this book to read.
Sounds like a really great book.
I have a lot of books/authors I could recommend, but it really depends on what type of books you like to read. I read a lot of Young Adult and fantasy books so I’m not sure if you are into those.
@C_L_O_G - -lol - We use to have a secretary that would read technical books. I was always amazed.
@looking_inside_me - It was a good book. It has changed my heart about Japan.
@stephensmustang - It was a good book. It showed the horrible results of war upon people.
@Shining_Garnet - I wouldn’t mind reading young adult. I like to read a variety of different books so I can relate to different age groups. I suppose the the type of book I don’t read is romantic novels although I don’t mind a little sprinkled into a good story.
@Randy7777 - Ok, I’ll recommend you a few then.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
If you read those and like them I could recommend some more.