Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Farewell to Manzanar

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 4,263 ratings · 467 reviews

Jeanne Wakatsuki was seven years old in 1942 when her family was uprooted from their home and sent to live at Manzanar internment camp. This is the true story of one spirited Japanese American family's attempt to survive the indignities of forced detention . . . and of a native-born American child who discovered what it was like to grow up behind barbed wire in the U.S.

Paperback

Published October 1st 1974 by Bantam (first published 1972)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Edelweiss Pirates ‘Operation Einstein' by Mark A. Cooper

YA Holocaust & WWII Novels

65th out of 156 books — 218 voters

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

Japanese American Internment

26th out of 36 books — 22 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Nov 13, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com

FAREWELL TO MANZANAR is the chilling autobiography of a Japanese-American girl who survived the interment camps during World War II.

When I began reading this book I had no idea what the "internment" camps were. This is a subject that not many know about and is not a very well-known time in history. "Internment" camps were camps that the American government put together after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor to house all of the Japanese-Americans who lived...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 28, 2007 Allison rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one.

Shelves: for-school

I did not enjoy this book at all.If it wasn't assigned for school,I wouldn't have given it a second glance.The plot was hard to follow as you see a Japanese girl put in a concentration-like camp.They have all they need, yet, she wants to run away.I didn't understand a lot of it and everyone in my class dreaded taking this book out.

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 29, 2008 Tammy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The scene where Jeanne's mother throws her china dishes onto the floor - one by one - in front of a salesman who wants to buy them for an offensively low price, just because he knows she has no choice -is one of the best moments of triumph of the human spirit over injustice that I have ever read. I will never forget it.

26 likes · like · see review

Jun 25, 2007 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was incensed at the government for the first time in my life after reading this at age 11. That was the first time I looked at the myths of our country critically. I think it's sad that they only way children learn about the Japanese internment situation is through reading outside of school.

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2008 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although I've read a lot of stories written by Holocaust survivors, this was the first book that I have read about the Japanese-American internment camps. This is a part of American history that many, many Americans seem to know nothing about.

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 19, 2012 James Schmalz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the heart warming story of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and her family's relocation to the camp Manzanar. It was a touching book that made me shed many a tear for the tragedy that we call World War Two. Farewell to Manzanar lets you feel the obstacles that plagued the Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. It starts with one of the only tastes of normal life Jeanne had before Manzanar and even this was not quite normal. All in all I'd rate this 4 out of 5.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 14, 2008 Jing rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: advisory

It was around the time when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, an area that reside to America. This arouse racism towards Japanese. Ever since then, people began to persecute this race. A young girl named Jeanne told of her story how hard to accept others doing to herself. Some people were challenged in where their loyalty resides.
America is not a perfect place, there are always some people who persecute other thinking that they are superior to others or by fear. If America live like that, it would...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 22, 2007 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: History Buffs

Great memoir that tells the story of Japanese internment through the eyes of a girl who was 7 when she arrived there. Great for history buffs and even more so for history teachers. The author describes her experiences at the camp in vivid detail and - even more powerfully - explains the impact of those experiences on her after she left the camp. Teachers of adolescents can do amazing things with passages from the book that relate to identity and self-image. Good, quick read that can be read on m...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 02, 2010 Erin Reilly-Sanders rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, juvenile, non-fiction

Reading as an adult, I think I enjoyed the book much more at the beginning. Initially, the story is intriguing, specific, and personal, setting the reader in the moment. It's strength is that it tells a particular and true tale of the Japanese Internment that is not just a story that happens during the time period, but a personal experience and the connections to events before and after the years in Manzanar. Compared to the horrible stories of human atrocities heard from other parts of the worl...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Corinne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As World War II looms, Jeanne's family is living a peaceful life on the shores of California. While her father fishes in the family's fishing boat, she goes to elementary school like any other American. When Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese, however, her life abruptly changes because although she was born in America, her parents are Japanese. Her father is taken away and her family is moved to a relocation camp out in the desert - a camp called Manzanar.

This book is her memories of that pl...more

like · see review

Apr 26, 2013 Paul Z rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jeanne Wakasuki Houston is only seven years old and lives Monterey area in California when Pearl Harbor is attacked. Her parents are both from Japan but had been living in the United States for most of their adult lives. Jeanne and her eight older siblings were all been born in this country. Jeanne's father is a fisherman who owns two of his own fishing boats with her two older brothers as deck hands. Even though the family has struggled in the past, now they are semi-successful.

All of their suc...more Jeanne Wakasuki Houston is only seven years old and lives Monterey area in California when Pearl Harbor is attacked. Her parents are both from Japan but had been living in the United States for most of their adult lives. Jeanne and her eight older siblings were all been born in this country. Jeanne's father is a fisherman who owns two of his own fishing boats with her two older brothers as deck hands. Even though the family has struggled in the past, now they are semi-successful.

All of their success and safety ends when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. All of a sudden, people begin looking at Japanes Americans as enemies who could be spies and could possibly harm us. The American government is worried that people of Japanese background will pass secrets to the Japanese who are attacking us, so the government takes rights away from anyone who has Japanese blood. This was all arranged by the president and military generals on the west coast, regarding the american peoples safety.

Jeanne's family is considered a particularly dangerous, because they live on the west coast and they fish. They are no longer allowed to fish, mainly because there have been accusations against them for supplying Japanese submarines with fuel and supplies. Their boats are confiscated and they have to sell their house and all their belongings. They are then sent to Manzanar, a relocation camp further inland, where thousands of Japanese American families are sent to live in a fenced-in area until the war is all over.

When they first arrive at Manzanar, things dont look good. The barracks have been constructed in a short time and do not do much to keep out the cold or the dust out. They are not large enough for families to live comfortably even though the Wakasuki's have two huts. The food that is served is almost inedible, because the people planning the meals have no concept of what Japanese people eat, for example they gave them white rice with sweet sauce. The worst part for these people living here is the knowledge that their government doesn't trust them. Jeanne and her family are forced to live at this camp for many years. This book is an true look at what the camp was like and what effect it had on Jeanne's family to live there.

I liked that Jeanne doesn't write about her family as perfect. They have as many problems as any other family, and her father is especially bad. Before I read this book I didn't know much about the Japanese internment camps, so it was interesting for me to get to know a whole new aspect of the World War II that isn't discussed as much even though it took place here in the U.S. This was one person's story, that really portrayed life at the camps. It offers a first-hand account of daily life, but it lacks in historical information. I would like to know what the government's reasoning was, and how the authorities justified keeping these people in these camp for so long.(less)

like · see review

Apr 21, 2013 Blake Maier rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The best part of this book was the historical facts it gave. Many Japanese americans during the second World War were moved from the west coast of the United States and moved inward to concentration camps in places like Nevada. Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family are forced to move their during the war, and are literally ousted from their daily life. At the camp, the Japanese Americans find cramped living conditions, badly-prepared food, unfinished barracks and dust blowing in through every crack an...more

like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Slmr rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Farewell to Manzanar was a well written book; however, I was not a huge fan of it. I chose the book mainly because I intended it to be focusing on World War 2. Instead the book was the story of a young girl's experience in an internment camp, and the effects she and her family felt as a result of it.

The book included good diction and the word choice was skillfully chosen. I liked the characterizations of Jeanne, but I just had a lot of trouble getting immersed in the plot of the book. The struc...more Farewell to Manzanar was a well written book; however, I was not a huge fan of it. I chose the book mainly because I intended it to be focusing on World War 2. Instead the book was the story of a young girl's experience in an internment camp, and the effects she and her family felt as a result of it.

The book included good diction and the word choice was skillfully chosen. I liked the characterizations of Jeanne, but I just had a lot of trouble getting immersed in the plot of the book. The structure was good and flowed in a way that was easy to understand; However, it was hard to connect with.

Though I wasn't an enormous fan of the book I admire Jeanne greatly. She was thrust into a sad predicament when she and her family were put into an internment camp. The sort of behavior she sees from the different characters takes her from being a young, naive girl, to a young woman with a firm grasp on the world. I can draw parallels to her in my life. Growing up I have learned that the world is often an unforgiving place filled with pain and hardship; because of this I empathize with Jeanne’s situation. She realized all of this far earlier than anyone should. Though she was essentially stripped of her childhood, I still feel that she managed to keep a relatively optimistic outlook and because she tends to see the best in even the worst situations

The setting plays an integral role in the story through the character’s development and the overall mood. The shifts in scenery are a primary way in which the reader can understand the pain and struggles the Watkasuki family experiences. For example, on arrival at Manzanar, Jeanne recognized the terrible living conditions, and unjust treatment of her people. The setting is an incredible tool for authors to utilize. Through the weather, colors, and especially light imagery, the mood and overall feeling the reader experiences is achieved. In Manzanar, the paint chipped walls and the way dirt permeated all places was a large factor in my perception of the drab and depressing setting. The setting is perfect for symbolizing the feelings of the Watkasuki family. Papa progressively deteriorated as his pride was slowly eaten away. The food was prepared in a sub par fashion. The whole family was subjected to cramped living areas. All of the themes and feelings that these problems carry with them are bolstered by the creative scenery the author used. If the setting wasn’t set up in the fashion it is, the reader would not be able to understand the level of distress the characters felt. It wouldn’t make sense for a sad story to be filled with sunny days and warm weather.

I would recommend it to a person interested in the hardships of Japanese-Americans, or someone intersested in Internment Camps. (less)

like · see review

Mar 01, 2013 Taylor McLemore rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Farewell to Manzanar" is a book about the Japanese American war that is happening during the 1940's. This is talks about a young woman and her family being uprooted from their home to a camp with other Japanese Americans. It was a struggle for the little girl because she was one of the youngest in her family and she had to look after them.

Jeanne Wakatusuki was the name of the little girl. When her family had to be uprooted from their home in 1942, she was only seven years old. Her and her fami...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: school-forced-me-to-read

When Jeanne Wakatsuki was seven, her family, along with every other Japanese person in America, was forced to live in Manzanar. The reason being Pearl Harbor. This books tells her story.

Jeanne didn't even know what Pearl Harbor was and what made it worse was that she was born in America. The innocent always have it worse.

The thing I remember most about this book was the whole bathroom situation. They didn't even have doors. Women would put up cardboard boxes whenever they had to go. Imagine the...more

like · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Kaciev rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

People living in this generation take advantage of everything. Our freedom, our rights, etc. Everyone thinks they have the easy life. However, when I read the memoir Farewell To Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, I realized that back in the 1940’s life for Jeanne was really hard. To be honest, I was one of those people who was really appreciative. However, after reading this memoir, I learned to be more grateful for the liberty I have and for the life I am living.
I thou...more

like · see review

Oct 15, 2012 Haleyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'It Can't Be Helped'

Although many people have heard of major events in history, you don’t really understand it fully until you have heard it from someone who has experienced it. Like from the diary entries from Anne Frank, Farewell to Manzanar made me sympathize with those who lived through the tragedies in the internment camps during World War II. Not only do I know/understand the events that occurred during this time more clearly, but now I understand what people went through and can apprecia...more 'It Can't Be Helped'

Although many people have heard of major events in history, you don’t really understand it fully until you have heard it from someone who has experienced it. Like from the diary entries from Anne Frank, Farewell to Manzanar made me sympathize with those who lived through the tragedies in the internment camps during World War II. Not only do I know/understand the events that occurred during this time more clearly, but now I understand what people went through and can appreciate even more the life that I have.

Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston shares her experience as a young girl of the events that occurred after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. At such a young age she doesn’t realize the severity of everything that’s happening around her. Her own race is being excluded by the country she lives in wasn’t she born here? making her a citizen?and sent away. “Papa burned the flag he had brought with him from Hiroshima thirty-five years earlier... He burned a lot of papers too...anything that might suggest he still had some connection with Japan” (6). Having to stay there Being forced to live in internment camps because the Japanese, who they had almost no contact with anymore, had done something wrong to America, made everything a burden on them as a family. I don’t think I would be able to survive knowing that my own country is kicking me out.

When they get to their place in Manzanar she describes the harsh conditions there as, “... bitter cold when we arrived, and the wind did not abate. All they had to use for room dividers were those army blankets, two of which were barely enough to keep one person warm” (22). Their extreme living conditions made it even harder for them to keep on going when they know they hadn’t done anything wrong. Most people in this generation would not be able to survive and would only complain. But, the Wakatsukis kept a positive attitude and worked through it because it was their only choice.

The Wakatsuki family shows us that no matter how hard your situation is you just have to keep on going, and as they say, ‘shikata ga nai’, it can’t be helped. This book was very touching and informative at the same time and one that I would recommend. (less)

like · see review

Jul 14, 2012 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am always fascinated by people's accounts of how they managed to survive constraining situations. It's easy to jump to the conclusion that the interned Japanese must hate America just like former slaves. However Jeanne Wakatsuki's retelling of her experience proves that straightforward conclusions are overly simplistic because humans react and adapt to situations in myriad ways. To be sure, many Japanese probably developed a hatred for America due to the injustice and humiliation that occurred...more

like · see review

Jun 21, 2012 Jada Gonzales rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, historical-novel, autobiography

Farewell to Manzanar is a memoir published in 1973 by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston.The book describes the experiences of Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family before, during, and following imprisonment at the Manzanar concentration camp, which was due to the United States government's internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

History always fascinates me so when I saw this book from a bargain store with a cost of 5 pesos(very cheap price in the Philippines). I had to wonde...more

like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Jessica Griggs added it · review of another edition

This is the story of life as a Japanese descendant living through internment camps and racial persecution during WW2. What makes this story different, however, is our protagonist and narrator: a young girl named Jeanne.

As a reader, I personally was a little dulled by the events in the story. I was expecting something a little more emotional and active, but from the perspective of a child the story has a slow and inactive pace. It has a slice-of-life charm to it that makes it readable and if I h...more

like · see review

Sep 24, 2011 Anne Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this for my tutoring job as it's required reading for one of the classes.

Having recently read and enjoyed THE HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford, I was anxious to read and understand more about the internment of Japanese Americans. This story is told through the memories of a woman who was only seven when she and her family were moved from Los Angeles to the Owens Valley area of east-central California. Her POV is naturally quite different from that of Ford's Chinese A...more

like · see review

Aug 03, 2011 Timothy Hallinan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, here's a heartbreaker that filled me with simultaneous shame and pride at being human. Shame that I'm a member of the species that snatched these innocent people out of their homes and daily lives, shattered some of their families permanently, and forced them behind fences at the ass end of nowhere. Pride that I'm a member of the species that took this with such dignity, that created a community behind the wire, used took the only things they had -- rocks and sand -- to build rock-and-sand...more

like · see review

Mar 21, 2011 Bob Brickner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I chose this book because I am always interested with books pertaining to World War II and this book seemed to interest me. This is the story of a girl who grows up in California in a Japanese family During the early-middle 1900's. Her father was suspected of selling oil to Japanese soldiers off the coast of California. They are soon sent to a camp in which they stay with other Japanese families until the war is over. This story shares the struggles, hardships and highlights of her time in Manza...more

like · see review

Feb 06, 2010 Sam rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-became-movies, school-trash

Usually when you get a book to read for schoolwork it'll be a pain. That's not so with a select few books (and generally books are better if you read them for enjoyment, not work), nor is it with this one...but this one isn't exactly good, either.

Farewell to Manzanar is a memoir about the Japanese internment camps located in the U.S. during WWII. This was an interesting subject for me and it opened my eyes to something a lot of people don't know about. That's probably the best thing about this b...more Usually when you get a book to read for schoolwork it'll be a pain. That's not so with a select few books (and generally books are better if you read them for enjoyment, not work), nor is it with this one...but this one isn't exactly good, either.

Farewell to Manzanar is a memoir about the Japanese internment camps located in the U.S. during WWII. This was an interesting subject for me and it opened my eyes to something a lot of people don't know about. That's probably the best thing about this book: it has a unique story going for it, and being nonfiction as well as a memoir, it allows for a first-hand depth to the plot. But the good end of the stick ends there. If this book had been fifty pages longer, was more interesting in a lot of places, avoided redundancy (which there is a lot of), and didn't feel so weird, it would be a much better novel. But ultimately, Manzanar leaves the reader without something important in a book (though you can't ever figure out what it is that makes the novel feel so jilted) and by the last page, the story is a hollow, underwhelming and somewhat heartless experience.

I am by no means a racist, and this story opened my eyes to another awful American injustice. This book, 95% of the time, avoids race-theme cliches, and that's good. Yet when it does fall into the all-too-familiar hole, things move like sludge. There are a few good sequences in the book, and a few characters you care about, but a few is all you get throughout the time-confused plot that uses too many unnecessary asides and flashbacks.

But the biggest crime is the ending, which infuriatingly doesn't want to end. This is another book that concludes sloppily, avoiding resolution in exchange for ambiguity and anything remotely moving. Besides sputtering to a strange, careless end, the book just feels empty, as I said before.

Though well-intentioned and different, its unique story and point of view lending to its good characteristics, Farewell to Manzanar lacks too much for it to be good, and just ends up being distant and unremarkable.

2.25 stars out of 5. (less)

like · see review

Oct 13, 2009 Alexa SOF2014 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: grade-8-ir-books-betts

Farewell to Manzanar is a true story of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and her Japanese family. They had been living in California for many years and her father was a fisherman there. Jeanne was seven years old when Pearl harbor was bombed in 1942. The Japanese were not given permanent immigration status so her entire family was put in an internment camp in Southern California (Manzanar). The family was treated like prisoners. They lived in cramped conditions, badly prepared food, unfinished barracks,...more

like · see review

Apr 09, 2009 Ken rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston has succeeded in writing a book that is readable and worthwhile for any reader -- I would say ages 12 to adult. I wish I had been assigned this in school, for I did not learn about Japanese internment camps until much later, probably my senior year in high school. I'd be willing to venture that even many high school students don't learn much about this part of American history.

The author wisely avoids pathos and melodrama, which allows the situation to speak for i...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Nick Solia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Jun 15, 2012 Sofia Ramirez rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, is a non-fiction historical memoir about Jeanne’s early childhood life during World War II, specifically right after Pearl Harbor. Jeanne skillfully writes detailed memories of her and her family’s life as they lived during a time of fear, confusion, and isolation within the walls of internment camps in the United States due to their Japanese nationality.

I enjoyed reading this book as it enlightened my minimal knowledge of the Japanese internmen...more

like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Isabella rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who enjoy history

Recommended to Isabella by: Sashi Kaufman

This book was interesting from a historical standpoint, but not action-packed. There was detail about what happened inside the internment camps, but I felt as though there could have been more detail added. The book was not very suspenseful or full of action mainly because I do not think that much happened in the camps that was shocking or exciting. I think that the author was trying to show that life at camp was not easy, and it took on a melancholy pattern.
One thing that made the book a bit...more

like · see review

Aug 20, 2011 Ptreick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just reread this book in preparation for teaching it to my seventh graders. The book is powerful, and the themes of nationality/ethnic heritage/prejudice/racism/acculturation are powerful; many of my students will relate to the Wakatsukis in one way or another.

I've probably read the book two or three times, and each time I do feel like I still don't have the best understanding of Japanese internment camps, specifically Manzanar.

Maybe this isn't so much a fault of this book as our culture over...more

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
In general would you prefer to see a movie or read a book? Give specific examples to why it helps you to read or watch a movie.	2	8	Mar 15, 2013 07:49pm
California Reads	1	9	Jun 05, 2012 05:22pm
1 view If you could ask one question to your favorite author what would it be? What do you think the author would reply?	1	5	Apr 24, 2012 02:47pm
If you could ask one question to your favorite author what would it be? What do you think the author would reply?	1	4	Apr 24, 2012 02:45pm
Book suggestions	1	7	Sep 07, 2011 04:50am

combine
Other Editions (16)

More editions...

Genres

Non Fiction

127 users

History

75 users

Autobiography > Memoir

62 users

Biography

45 users

Academic > School

38 users

History > World War II

25 users

Classics

19 users

Academic > Read For School

17 users

Biography > Autobiography

13 users

War

13 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Farewell to Manzanar

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Farewell to Manzanar

“The reason I want to remember this is because I know we'll never be able to do it again.” — 12 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Farewell to Manzanar
avg rating	preview: Farewell to Manzanar Goodreads rating: 3.44 (4263 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210507.Farewell_to_Manzanar?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1367548608l/210507.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210507.Farewell_to_Manzanar?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Houston[/url]

Farewell to Manzanar

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (16)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Farewell to Manzanar

Quotes from Farewell to Manzanar

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (16)