This is the story of Japanese picture brides who come to America to marry who they think are established Japanese businessmen, only to find out the men are poor migrant workers who need another labor hand. The story chronicles their lives through poverty, illness, childbirth, child loss, infidelity, dispair, and some success until the internment during WWII when neighbors noticed "almost all traces of the Japanese have disappeared from our town."
Julie Otsuka's writing style is very original. It is written in the third person plural. Sometimes is sounds like a list, every sentence starting "Some of us..." At first, I was disappointed as I was hoping each chapter would select one bride and tell her full story. I was looking for good characterization. I wanted to get to know each bride. I only kept reading because the book is short--129 pages. But now that I am done, I realize the book is haunting. It will stay with me a long time and it is because of the writing style that the emotional impact is felt.