Book Review: The Buddha in the Attic
31 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in New Release Reviews Tags: fiction, historical fiction, immigration, japanese internment camps, japanese women, picture brides
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (pub date 8/23/11)
This went on my Christmas list after I heard it was nominated for the 2011 National Book Award. I read it all in one day, and can honestly say that it was every bit deserving of the nomination.
The Buddha in the Attic is a historical fiction book, written from the perspective of the thousands of Japanese women who came to America pre-World War II. They came to America as “picture brides,” leaving behind their lives in Japan to marry men they had never met in person, in the hope that they would have better lives in their new homeland.
In eight brief chapters, Otsuka tells us the cruel fate of most of these women. Many of them found that their husbands were not the men they claimed to be, and most of them were put to work as field laborers or maids. Despite their best efforts to assimilate into American culture, they found themselves feared by most of their neighbors. Their children would grow up resentful of them, and would shun their Japanese heritage in favor of American culture. And after Pearl Harbor, many of them were forced to leave their homes.
This book is proof that big things do some in small packages. Though only 129 pages and a small trim size, it contains a fury of emotion. Otsuka’s understated prose style, reminiscent of a Greek chorus, allows her subjects’ voices to shine without ever being preachy. In this book, she has given names to the nameless and brought to light the experiences of a group of all but forgotten women. If you’re interested in history or women’s issues, this is an absolute must-read.
