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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Strength of character in the face of tremendous struggle, February 14, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Picture Bride: A Novel (Paperback)
Picture Bride begins with Hana coming to America to escape the dead-end future her sisters experienced in arranged marriages to men they did not know in pre-WWII Japan. Her hopes rest on marriage to a young, successful businessman to whom she has never spoken. She finds instead a non-communicative middle-aged man who misrepresented his success and person in his letters, an unforgiving man who sees her as his property on their wedding night. The novel shows Hana's growth as she learns how to do what is best for the both of them while having to work around her husband's male ego and low self-esteem. She cannot merely take over the failing business; she must make her husband think it is his idea. The pathos of bigotry pervades the entire work: They are tolerated in their new neighborhood only after a "nocturnal visit" from individuals who are "looking out for the welfare of the community" because a Japanese family has moved in. Add the estrangement of a Nessei daughter who knows little Japanese and fears failure to assimilate from an Issei mother who speaks very little English and struggles to maintain her Japanese roots. Violence and intolerance heighten; the shell of humanity on the Pacific Coast disintegrates with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Throughout, the women in Uchida's novel are models of feminine strength in a male world, always emerging from struggle greater than they entered it. Great for Freshman English to U.S. History students and everyone else as well. I couldn't put it down as it plucked at my heart. A must-read for all Americans who don't want to repeat or continue the pattern of bigotry in the U.S. and for all descendants of Asian immigrants.
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An amazing look at US history and Japanese-American culture, December 1, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Picture Bride: A Novel (Paperback)
Picture bride, an excellent novel, boasts a wonderful cast of characters. As a story about Japanese-immigrant life in America during the 1930's and 1940's, Picture Bride tells a tale that the average American never hears. Best of all, after reading Picture Bride, a person understands current Japanese-American culture and its roots. The Japanese immigrants' fortitude and strength in Picture Bride amaze the reader. Hana a young Japanese woman, comes to America expecting to marry a young, prospering merchant. Instead she finds Taro, a kind older man with a low-class shop. Despite her disappointment, Hana accepts Taro and makes a relatively successful life with him, a testament to her inner strength. Taro himself endured changes in fortune upon arriving in America. He had to work as a houseboy but saved money and later started his own shop. all immigrants in the novel face the added trial of discrimination. Hana and Taro almost lose their home because of it. Reverend Okada, the Doctor, and Kenji Nishima give help to and support to others in the Japanese community while accepting the same hardships. The hard-working, accepting personalities of the characters make Picture Bride an intriguing novel. The story of the immigrants' new, American lives greatly interests the reader because many readers first learn about Japanese immigrant life by reading Picture Bride. Details of immigrant life, from funny anecdotes about a confused Japanese student and a bathtub to descriptions of Hana making breakfast tea, reside in the pages of the novel. Picture Bride also addresses the issues of discrimination and the interment of Japanese-Americans during WW2. After reading Picture Bride, the reader knows more about the Japanese-immigrant experience. Picture Bride gives the reader a better understanding of Japanese-American culture, also. The Japanese who came to America, like Hana and Taro, worked hard to fit into American society, but they still held onto their culture. Hana and Taro wanted their daughter Mary to lucubrate so she could earn her M.D. and earn respect from the San Francisco natives. Kiku, Hana's friend, helped Hana fit in when Hana first arrived by dressing her in western-style clothing. Henry Toda even changed his name to ease his assimilation. Japanese immigrants, from the farmers like Henry Toda to the houseboys and shop owners like Taro, worked hard to gain accept- ance into American society and make new lives for themselves. Japanese-Americans today have continued to be hard-working citizens. The Japanese immigrants retained their culture, too. Hana and Taro still ate pickled radish, rice, tea, and other Japanese foods. Hana kept her kimono and obi to wear on special celebrations like New Year, and Taro and Hana spoke Japanese with their friends and with each other. In present-day society, vestiges of Japanese culute, in food, language, and special traditions, still exist in Japanese-American homes. Picture Bride helps a reader understand and admire this unique culture and its roots. Picture Bride tells the story of America-the story of the immigrant. It is a story every American should hear.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Picture Bride, July 15, 2001
This review is from: Picture Bride: A Novel (Paperback)
"Picture Bride" is an unforgotten novel. This was a novel that I loved. The story was about a Japanese woman, Hana who came to the United States to married a man she had never met before. The story was happened from 1918 to 1943. The author, Uchda san, successfully combined the story with a very strong history background. He allowed the readers be able to "learn" the real life of Japanese-American particularly before and during the WWII. At the same time, he unveiled the "conflicts" between the second generations and with their immigrated parents in the United States. However, there is one thing I would like to point out. In the book, the author sometimes utilized the Japanese romanization style instead the English translation. For instance, he used "Oji san" instead of "uncle." If the reader has no knowledge of Japanese, I am afraid that they will lose their interests as the story was continuing.
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