So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkin

So Far From the Bamboo Grove was my second book read out of this and Year of Impossible Goodbyes. I think that because of this I did not take to this book as much. After reading about the war from the Koreans point of view, I didn't feel very sorry for the Japanese in this book. I know that this was rude of me but it was true.

I also felt like when I was reading Year of Impossible Goodbyes, that except for the beginning, I felt like the rest went through my head like a movie. But this book I found myself not really wondering or caring what happened next. So I don't know if it was a good or a bad thing that I read these two books together.

The book was about a little girl and her family and were trying to escape from Korea and go back to Japan to try to escape from hardships. Before they left they left a note for their brother so that he would know where they went to because he was off at the factory making things for the war. Throughout the story they were spotted by a couple of soldiers but something always happened that ended up saving (one example is that a bomb dropped right when a couple walked up to them with guns.) The mom and two daughters made it to Seoul, where they were headed and did not see their honorable brother there. The went on to Japan then after standing in line and putting up signs for the brother that they were going there. Right when they got to Japan, the mother decided to send the children to school. I couldn't believe this. I know that education is important but geesh I think that she should realize what they just went through.

The Little One hated school because all of the kids made fun of her. The mother left to search for the grandparents and soon died after she returned. This turned the two sisters' lives upside down even more. They dug through trash cans for food, sold things they made door to door, and shined shoes for some extra money. Throughout the journey many kind people came into their lives to help them and finally in the end the brother found them from the signs they had put up (how predictable).

So I'm sorry that my summary of this story was so bland. It just felt like to me that it was almost too hard to believe. There were a few good parts throughtout the story but over all I just really couldn't get into what I was written. After reading the Year of Goodbyes it just made me not believe this story as much and therefore I didn't want to read it as badly (I know that sounds horrible but it's how I felt).