Joy Kogawa

Obasan

Karis Ryu

jiaqi kang

while i wish this work had engaged more critically with ideas of citizenship, nation-state, settler colonialism, and the intimacies between japanese canadians and indigenous canadians in this period, i appreciate that this work was likely one of the first to ever confront this history. its prose is arresting and gorgeous and the portrayal of obasan in particular will stay with me for a very long time.

thank you to steph for the recommendation!

Lindsay Hollmann

The subject matter of this history is so evocative,p, the symbolism vivid and detailed in a way that creates patterns and consistencies throughout many different locations in the story, there's a fantastic twist at the end that made it all worth it, but truth be told I had the hardest time getting through this book. It's beautiful, it's written like poetry- which is why it's so DENSE and slow to read. Beautiful, but painstakingly so.

Penguin Modern Classics Edition

Brittney Wilson

Maria

Mina

Jackie Cunningham

Emily Burns

Pierke Bosschieter

Hanako T

Puffin Classics

Astor Reinhardt

Chelsea Chong 

Maggie Gordon

Maegan Kennedy

Athena Eloy

Ella Davis

Justin

Mahasin S Ameen

Nico J

Obasan

Reviews