Customer Reviews

Yoshiko and the Foreigner

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this book for my 7 year old daughter. We read it over and over again. Her favorite part is when I cry at the end. This is a beautiful story that young children will love, especially when they see the real photo on the last page and realize it must be true ! This is a treasured part of our collection and I can't recommend it highly enough.

This story is indeed both convincing and touching. By the end of the book, I truly came to respect the kindness and dignity of the characters. In addition, this is a nice introduction to Japanese culture and modern history, as well as Japanese-American history. The illustrations, though at first a bit harsh-looking and odd (the Japanese people seem to have stern, wrinkly faces when riding on the train in Tokyo), lovingly depict the warmth of family life in rural Japan, as well as the development of the unlikely relationship between Yoshiko and the American soldier.

While on my "mixed kids educational kick", I happened upon this beautiful book about forbidden love between a Black military man and a Japanese woman. Trying to give more understanding to my children on how lucky they are to be biracial, I found this story easy to follow (for my kids), beautiful watercolored images, and a lovely personal touch on the last page. This book highlights the deep Japanese traditions and shows my kids that sometimes, love & understanding can conquer all :)

This is a sweet story about a big topic: interracial romance and marriage. The story, though short, evolves slowly. Yoshiko breaks a taboo and speaks to a foreign man; her GI sweetheart, forbidden to meet her family, nevertheless learns about her world and quietly shows his honorable intentions with thoughtful tokens (fish for her father's pond, wine and rice for the family shrine and, most importantly, learning to speak and write in Japanese). Because of his patience and earnestness, Yoshiko's family is eventually won over.

The best part of the story is on the last page- you'll have to see to figure out why.