BookDragon War Tag

Drawing From Memory by Allen Say and The House Baba Built by Ed Young [in The New York Times]

11 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Children/Picture Books, Chinese American, Japanese American, Memoir, Middle Grade Readers, Nonfiction, Repost

What formative experiences make a great children’s book illustrator? In the case of Allen Say and Ed Young, both Caldecott medalists, the journey begins with unusual childhoods in wartime Asia. Connecting the dots from those beginnings to what would become long and successful careers, Drawing...

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

10 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Fiction, Japanese American, Young Adult Readers

Almost 10 years after Julie Otsuka made her spectacular literary debut with When the Emperor Was Divine, I remain even more convinced that Emperor is the best book I've ever read about the Japanese American imprisonment during World War II. Truth be told, Emperor ranks so high on...

Chocolate Chocolate: The True Story of Two Sisters, Tons of Treats, and the Little Shop That Could by Frances Park and Ginger Park

01 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Korean American, Memoir, Nonfiction

On a long flight to Korea, I took the Park Sisters along to sweeten the tedious ride. I was barreling my way toward an international children’s literature festival where I was scheduled to talk about Korean American literature and, of course, the sisters and their...

Drifting House by Krys Lee [in Library Journal]

27 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Absolute Favorites, Adult Readers, Fiction, Korean, Korean American, North Korean, Repost, Short Stories

* STARRED REVIEW Krys Lee, whose peregrinations originated and are currently paused in Korea with formative stopovers in the U.S. and England, infuses the nine stories of her breathtaking debut with the consequences of dislocation – whether forced because of war, or chosen by virtue of...

Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

24 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Canadian Asian Pacific American, Fiction, South Asian, Sri Lankan

Before I let myself even open Michael Ondaatje's newest title, The Cat's Table, which hit shelves earlier this month, I was determined to read his previous novels that I had somehow missed. The realization that I have now earned access to Table is rather bittersweet as...

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại

19 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Fiction, Middle Grade Readers, Poetry, Southeast Asian, Southeast Asian American, Verse Novel/Nonfiction, Vietnamese, Vietnamese American

Half-way through reading this debut autobiographical novel-in-verse, I had a lively conversation about the cover with a delightful new friend who happens to be a bonafide kiddie-book expert. We had just finished sharing our shock over the recent fiasco surrounding the one-too-many finalists for the 2011 National Book...

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin

18 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Japanese, Translation

In less than a week, you can be holding 1Q84, Haruki Murakami's long-awaited spectacular title finally available in English, which hits shelves on October 25. You might choose to hold out until November 8 when the audible version is scheduled for release. All 944 pages (on paper...

The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine by Somaly Mam

12 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Cambodian, Cambodian American, Memoir, Nonfiction, Southeast Asian, Southeast Asian American

Before you open Somaly Mam's astonishing memoir, you need to be prepared to bear witness to some of the most horrific acts a human being can commit against another, especially helpless young girls. Once you begin, the frank, unmitigated writing will not allow you to...

You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon

08 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific, Short Stories

All is definitely not fair in love and war ...

Author Interview: Ha Jin [in Bookslut]

03 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Chinese, Chinese American, Fiction, Repost, Short Stories

Ha Jin has lived through difficult, defining events: the Cultural Revolution in his native China, military service that began when he was a young teenager, immigration and subsequent separation from home and family. On the page, he has vividly reproduced the repression of the Cultural...

Defiance: Resistance Book 2 by Carla Jablonski, illustrated by Leland Purvis, color by Hilary Sycamore

25 Aug, by SIBookDragon in European, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Middle Grade Readers, Young Adult Readers

The story of the brave Tessier children, begun in last year's Resistance, continues here with the focus on the middle child, teenager Paul and his courageous tenacity. The year is 1943, and the German occupation of France is an everyday nightmare. "[T]o ensure their continued control,...

Nanjing Requiem by Ha Jin [in Library Journal]

15 Aug, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Chinese, Chinese American, Fiction, Repost

*STARRED REVIEW In an introductory galley letter, National Book Award winner Ha Jin (Waiting, 1999) announces his intent to reclaim American missionary Minnie Vautrin’s heroism during the 1937 Nanjing massacre: “She suffered and ruined herself helping others, but she became a legend. At least her story has...

The Great House by Nicole Krauss

14 Aug, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Fiction, Jewish

Within minutes of finishing Nicole Krauss' The History of Love, I felt so bereft without Alma Singer and Leo Gorsky, that I immediately clicked my iPod to The Great House. [Thank goodness the hubby keeps my gadgets well-stocked!] How pleased I was to discover that, of the sizable...

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

03 Aug, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Japanese, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction

Clearly, Unbroken falls into the 'you can't make this stuff up'-category. Within the almost 500 pages of print (or 14 hours of listening – narrated with such dignity by award-winning actor Edward Herrman!), you'll experience just about every human emotion ...

Chanda’s Wars by Allan Stratton

02 Aug, by SIBookDragon in African, Canadian, Fiction, Young Adult Readers

In the six months since Mama passed away, Chanda's life has changed completely. As the sole provider for her sister Lily and  brother Soly, Chanda is unable to continue her own education and instead substitutes at the primary school. With Mama gone, Chanda's best friend...

Author Interview: Tahmima Anam [in Bookslut]

01 Aug, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi American, British Asian, Fiction, Repost, South Asian, South Asian American

In spite of the fierce, wrenching content of her books, Tahmima Anam in real life is a gentle, warm, incredibly youthful presence. We met in livetime a few years ago in Washington, DC, as her debut novel, A Golden Age, was winning major international awards,...

The Good Muslim [Bengal Trilogy, Book 2] by Tahmima Anam

18 Jul, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi American, British Asian, Fiction, South Asian, South Asian American

Tahmima Anam continues her outstanding Bengal Trilogy, which began with A Golden Age, her glowing 2008 debut that propelled Anam into a privileged literary circle filled with international accolades. From Rehana Haque, the protagonist mother in Age, Anam shifts her focus to the grown Haque...

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

17 Jul, by SIBookDragon in Audio, Fiction, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers

No matter what you ultimately think of the story here, reading this book will no doubt elicit strong  lasting emotions. As I'm convinced the less you know about Judy Blundell’s 2008 National Book Award for Young People's Literature winner, the better your own reading will be, you might...

World and Town by Gish Jen

14 Jul, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Cambodian, Cambodian American, Chinese, Chinese American, Fiction, Hapa/Mixed-race, Southeast Asian, Southeast Asian American

Hattie Kong's email inbox is full of desperate pleas from various relatives to please send back her parents' bones to the family plot in Qufu, China. Because her American missionary mother and her Confucius-descended Chinese father found their final rest in Iowa, the remaining Kong...

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

11 Jul, by SIBookDragon in African, Korean American, Middle Grade Readers, Nonfiction, Young Adult Readers

Since 2002 Newbery winner Linda Sue Park’s latest title was published in November 2010, borders shifted (again) and the world recognized the birth of the newest nation, the Republic of South Sudan, on July 9 at midnight. The weekend announcement makes A Long Walk to Water almost...