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The Little Exile
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After Pearl Harbor, little Marie Mitsui’s typical life of school and playing with friends in San Francisco is upended. Her family and thousands of others of Japanese heritage are under suspicion and forcibly relocated to internment camps far from home. Living conditions in the camps are harsh, but in the end Marie finds freedom and hope for the future. Told from a child’s
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Jeanette Arakawa's autiobiographical novel is a solid addition to the canon of work addressing the Japanese internment in the US during WWII. Little Marie Mitsui takes us from a child in San Francisco to Stockton, CA, to Arkansas then Denver and back to the city of her birth. The journey is told with child's fresh point of view--making friends at home and in the stark, enclosed camps; her fears and triumphs and embarrassments. We learn about the impact of all the upheaval and prejudice on her fa
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Some readers may not be aware of it, but following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the loyalty of Japanese-Americans instantly came under suspicion. Shortly thereafter, they were rounded up and sent to internment camps, mostly for the duration of the war. This is the story of Jeanette "Marie" Arakawa, who was 9 years old and living in San Francisco at the time. She ended up at Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas.
Although written by a woman now well into her mid-80s, th ...more
Although written by a woman now well into her mid-80s, th ...more
Advance review copy courtesy Stone Bridge Press via Amazon Vine program
A Manzanita Among Sequoias
Jeanette Arakawa was 9 when the post-dawn bombing runs on Pearl Harbor changed her life. Three-quarters of a century later, she revisits the impact of an extraordinary act on ordinary lives -- hers and those of her family members.
Although others have written memoirs of what it was like to be "othered" during wartime, Arakawa explores these long-ago days from the vantage point of seeking commonalities ...more
A Manzanita Among Sequoias
Jeanette Arakawa was 9 when the post-dawn bombing runs on Pearl Harbor changed her life. Three-quarters of a century later, she revisits the impact of an extraordinary act on ordinary lives -- hers and those of her family members.
Although others have written memoirs of what it was like to be "othered" during wartime, Arakawa explores these long-ago days from the vantage point of seeking commonalities ...more
Recalling a 9 year old's memories is the basis for this book......about the author who ended up in the same concentration camp as one of my family members.......and then shortly living in Denver before returning to California. Small world - in her acknowledgements I recognize more family member names. A good read for anyone interested in the WW2 Japanese American experience.
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I’ve always known the broad story of Japanese internment during the Second World War, both at home in Canada and next door in the United States.
The Little Exile by Jeanette Arakawa brings this tragic time to life through a unique novel that carries a lot of reality in its pages.
The Little Exile traces aftermath of this shift from normal child to prisoner through various camps and ultimately a return to freedom. It’s an illuminating glimpse inside a stolen life.
T ...more
I’ve always known the broad story of Japanese internment during the Second World War, both at home in Canada and next door in the United States.
The Little Exile by Jeanette Arakawa brings this tragic time to life through a unique novel that carries a lot of reality in its pages.
The Little Exile traces aftermath of this shift from normal child to prisoner through various camps and ultimately a return to freedom. It’s an illuminating glimpse inside a stolen life.
T ...more
The Little Exile, a novel by Jeanette S. Arakawa is a fictionalized account of the life of Marie Mitsui, Arakawa’s alter ego, a Japanese American youngster around World War II.
I want to thank the author for having the courage to chronicle the events of her life during a painful time when many that had gone through it are reticent to talk about it even 75 years later. I thank her for using this story to open the eyes of those that are still unaware that the United States of America incarcerated J ...more
I want to thank the author for having the courage to chronicle the events of her life during a painful time when many that had gone through it are reticent to talk about it even 75 years later. I thank her for using this story to open the eyes of those that are still unaware that the United States of America incarcerated J ...more
The Little Exile is a wonderfully written memoir about what happened to Jeanette Arakawa's family after Pearl Harbor was bombed. While the book is being categorized as fiction, it is actually nonfiction, and suitable for both adults and teenagers. When I first started reading it, many things in Mrs. Arakawa's story seemed strangely familiar. Finally, it dawned on me that she must be the younger sister of George Omi, who wrote American Yellow. Sure enough, that's who she is; so, if you want to re
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"The Little Exile" is autobiographical fiction describing the author's life around the time of WWII. It reminded me of reading "Little House on the Prairie." We get stories about interesting things that happened in her life, but it also shows how they were treated. It's written from the viewpoint of a child rather than an adult looking back to when she was a child. She started by describing her life in San Francisco leading up to WWII, then how they were treated after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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I read this book because my mother in law and her family experienced similar circumstances to this author. Both grew up in CA and were incarcerated at Rowher in Arkansas when war was declared on Japan. I have read several other books on this subject that were more informative and give a clearer picture of the injustices done to Japanese Americans. This author tells a simplistic story.
Written as a fictional memoir, Jeanette retells her personal history through the character of Marie. Starting life in San Fransico then forced to internment camps during WWII, Marie recounts U.S. history powerfully through the eyes of a young girl trying to find her way under difficult circumstances. This novel would make a good addition to high school reading lists.
I won a copy of this novel from goodreads, in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there were so many emotions wrapped into one. I had a difficult time putting this book down.
A truly phenomenal book! I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is especially pertinent in today's world. A must read for all.
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Really interesting perspective on life before camp, in camp, and after camp. Highly recommend to anyone interested in the Japanese American Incarceration.
This book should be required reading in every history class in the United States. So many people are unaware of this shameful part of our history. Jeanette brings to life the desperation and sadness and despair of the people who were forced into internment camps during World War II. I'm from Arkansas, so I grew up with an awareness of this history. I've toured a few of the internment camps, including the one where Jeanette was sent. Loved this book.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for ...more
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for ...more
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