About this title: Hana travels to America to escape the arranged marriages her sisters experienced in pre-World War II Japan, but the young businessman to whom she has corresponded turns out to be a middle-aged man who exaggerated his success.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Paper)
Date Published: 1988
ISBN-13:9780671668747ISBN:0671668749
Description: Good. Used item may show library stamps, stickers and marks. Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: University of Washington Press
ISBN-13:9780295976167ISBN:0295976160
Description: Very good. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Paper)
Date Published: 1988-06
ISBN-13:9780671668747ISBN:0671668749
Description: Very Good. 216 pages. [box 14] Same ISBN as stated. No highlighting or underlining within. Clean pages. Edge wear. Out of print. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr
Date Published: 1997-06-01
ISBN-13:9780295976167ISBN:0295976160
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780295976167. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780295976167ISBN:0295976160
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: Good. 1997 University of Washington Hardcover. Previous owner's stamp on inside cover, and crayon scribbles and names on first endpage, otherwise unmarked. Satisfaction guaranteed. read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. GOOD with average wear to cover and pages. We offer a no-hassle guarantee on all our items. Orders generally ship by the next business day. Default Text. read more
"I though this book was excellent. The story line seemed accurate, and the way Uchida presented various perspectives and insights on the different characters was nice. So much happened in the book (from the affair to the miscarriage to the camps to Taro's death) that it seemed a bit too much, if that is possible. Additionally, I thought the physical copy was awesome, nice type, easy to read."
"I liked this book. I thought it was a great read. I loved the historical imprint on it with the Japanese-American internment camps, since this is a section of American History that is often overlooked.
While I didn't find it to be the best writing, I found it to follow the direction of the main character, Hana. Though the sub-plots were pretty see-through. I felt like it could've had some more depth.
I couldn't help but wonder why there was no mention of the Depression in this book. It was a formidable time in America's history and most certainly one that would've hit close to home for the Takeda's because of their shop. Interesting.
Otherwise, a great story. Especially towards the end."
"This was a wonderful book about a picture bride from Japan and eventually her experiences during WWII. When I returned it to the library, I found out it's on some high school reading list this summer. I'd highly recommend it."
"I kinda wanted to give this two stars because I think the subject matter could be interesting, BUT (HUGE HUGE HUGE BUT) this is one of the most poorly written novels I have read in a long time.
It was bland. Uchida loves herself some adverbs. The dialog was laughable. The characters one-dimensional. The setting is vague.(Seriously, if it is 1918 and I can't feel that, see it, know it...understand the almost century difference? That's a problem.)
Marrying a man you don't love? Internment camps?? This is EXCELLENT fodder for a truly emotional journey. Instead everything plods along - covering the life of a woman from 21 to her 50s in less than 200 pages...huge milestones given pages of time? Plus, it switches viewpoints? Taro has ONE scene where it is from his point of view...but she doesn't do that again for the rest of the novel?
I found myself editing this novel. THAT is how bad it was.
When a character is worried about her mom dying, the author writes this:
I thought Sumiko could bury her head in her hands or turn away from the group or explode into tears...but the whole book is like this. The characters don't actually do anything or feel anything. They just say things "anxiously" or "wearily" a lot. They are anxious and weary most of the book, but I don't know what that looks like at all. Does Taro sweat when he's anxious? Does Hana shuffle her feet? Look at the ground? The whole SHOW don't TELL thing kinda goes out the window...
Come on. I'm not being too picky. I don't ask for much...but I ask for my writers not to be lazy. You can write a badly written book with a great plot and I'll forgive you - plot can save you. Or an incredibly written book with a weak plot and I can still savor your language. No plot and it's badly written AND you had some great material to start with? Unforgiveable."
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