Some heavy subject material, strong themes, imagery, and emotions. The story moves along at a good pace, with significant detail but not extensive minutiae. I liked the contemporary story more than the historical one, but the historical one is the bigger point. Definitely a book for artists! Generally a quicker read, good for a discussion.

In the novel "Requiem," Frances Itani chronicles the internment of a young Canadian-Japanese boy named Bin, and his family; living in a fishing community, his family and their friends are considered threats to the security of the country. Their boats and fishing licenses are taken away, their property looted and sold, they themselves shipped on trains to camps where they are forced to pay for their own imprisonment, building shanties, hauling water, and trying to coax gardens out of the bare ground. Bin, a budding artist, captures life in the camp on scraps of cardboard, while his oldest brother helps to build shelters and his sister tries to keep up with her lessons by teaching some of the other children. In between chapters describing the destitute conditions of his childhood, an adult Bin writes of the events that led him to revisiting his past -- the sudden death of his Caucasian wife, Lena, and an impending reconciliation with his estranged father.

As an Asian growing up in California, I knew and read many books about the Japanese internment in America, and even visited Manzanar once, but I did not realize that this terrible act also happened in Canada. Events are presented in piercingly poignant detail -- the destruction of the dolls which the Japanese families treasured so dearly, burnt by their owners when they realized the imminent forced relocation; the looting of homes even as the families were being herded away onto boats, looters making off with sewing machines, furniture, artwork, wedding gifts -- the existence of which was to be denied by the authorities when the Japanese are finally released and hope to recover their belongings, their property, and pick up the threads of their lives. The prejudice that the Japanese encounter after the war -- being given the option to be shipped off to Japan, or relocate somewhere away from the west coast -- as well as what Bin encounters at the school from students and teachers alike: all these are rooted in real stories of citizens uprooted and dehumanized by their fellows and their government.

This is an extremely well-written, emotionally moving, and powerful novel. ( )

Another ten star read from Itani! I’m not sure how I missed reading this when it was first published in 2011. Luckily my book club picked this to read for September 2018 so I was able to make up the omission.
Bin Okuma was a young boy when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the government of Canada decided that all people of Japanese descent had to be moved to the interior. His family had to give up their home on the west coast of Vancouver Island and were relocated to an internment camp along the Fraser River. There Bin with his brother and sister and mother and father lived in a two room shack crowded onto a small shelf of land above the Fraser along with over 60 other families. Incredibly the Japanese had to pay for the lumber and other supplies to build their accommodations. Slowly the community brought some order to the place. They had a school for the children and a community garden where they grew produce to sell to Vancouver to raise funds for their needs. We learn about life through Bin’s remembrances in 1997 when he makes a cross-country drive from Ottawa to the site of the internment camp. Bin’s wife recently died and he is still grieving. He also thinks about their marriage and their son and his work as an artist. Since he was a young man rivers have figured prominently in his work and an Ottawa gallery is going to give a retrospective but Bin has to provide a few more works and also a name for the collection. Bin also must come to terms with the man he calls First Father. He has not seen him since 1946 and he has never dealt with his feelings of anger to him for giving him to a childless man in the community. Okuma-san raised Bin and was a good example of how to father which Bin could emulate with his own son. He also encouraged Bin’s artistic talent which First Father always called a waste of time. So in many ways Bin was lucky to have been adopted by Okuma-san but he never forgave First Father for giving him away. Now First Father wants to see him and Bin reluctantly agrees to include an encounter in his trip.
Every word and every phrase seems carefully chosen by Itani. She says that she took 4 years to write this book and it shows. She lovingly describes Basil the dog who accompanies Bin on his travels and it seems Basil is based upon an actual dog who was part of the Itani family. Itani is herself of Irish Canadian extraction but her husband is Japanese Canadian and experienced many of the same things Bin Okuma did. She is careful to say that Bin is not her husband and her husband did not read the book until it was published. Her research included many other sources than her husband and his family. The list of some of the books is at the back. I will be looking for some of those books myself.
Highly recommended. ( )

I found it a little hard to get into this book. A middle aged man, having just buried his wife, sets off on a journey of memory and healing. The chapters alternate between the present; his road trip with his grieving dog, his memories of his wife, his grief, and those of the past; as a child growing up in a Japanese internment camp on the west coast. This is a story not often told, certainly not often taught, and sadly, being forgotten. The writing is clear and matter of fact, the details disturbing (but not unreadable). In fact, the resourcefulness of the prisoners is inspiring. The facts behind the interment Canadian and American citizens of Japanese descent is yet another tale of racism, fear, jealousy, greed and hypocrisy. I will always be searching for books like this, books that teach me more about important historical events that we should all know about and never forget. I did not enjoy the present day chapters as much as I loved the chapters of the childhood, but they come together beautifully and bring the story to it's beautiful conclusion. ( )

Re-reading