Harmony Becker

A beautiful and thoughtful graphic novel from Harmony Becker, the artist behind George Takei's "They Called Us Enemy". The story focuses on three young women from different parts of Asia who end up staying at the same sharehouse in Japan as they study, struggle, laugh, and come to a deeper understanding of who they are and what they want from life.

Becker does a fantastic job of showcasing each girls journey individually all while tying them together into the bigger narrative. While they each are grappling with different feelings (like Nao feeling like she isn't fully Japanese or American, or Hyejung coming to terms with her break from familial expectations) they learn from each others rich backstories and cultural experience, weaving a multicultural story that is highly immersive and informative.

I also enjoyed the fact that not every single little thing was wrapped up tidily with a bow or gave the expected "happy" ending. That's not to say the ending is not sad, necessarily, it's just super realistic. Sometimes family struggles go on a while, or people have to leave places they love, or not everyone has a big, grand plan for what they want to do in life and are instead just taking life day by day. At times I forgot this was fiction because each character felt so deeply realized and full of emotion that I thought this must be autobiographical - but no, it's just a very honest and heartwarming read that I think many readers will enjoy.… (mehr)

Reading an inside perspective on Executive Order 9066 and the Japanese American interment camps that followed is a totally heartbreaking but important experience, and I deeply believe everyone living in the USA needs to read this book ASAP. I've always admired Takei, and this book just heightens that. He does a marvelous job recounting not only the time he and his family spend in the camps, but also the state of political affairs during and after that time, and how this experience affected his entire life. I really don't know how to say anything that will do this book justice - just read it!!… (mehr)