Blu's Hanging

Rating:
Summary: This Hawaii is not for the faint hearted
Review: This book is about a human tragedy in one of the most beatiful settings of the world. The Ogata is a Japanese American family coming to terms with the death of their mother. Ivah, the oldest daughter, takes on the role of mother and caretaker to her younger siblings, Blu, a fat boy who grieves by eating too much, and Maisie,a sweet little girl who stops talking. Their father, Poppy, is too busy grieving the death of his wife to pay attention to the kids. Alone in the world, they must fend for themselves against the harsh realities of life, from sexual molesters to people who have nothing for them but contempt. The use of Pidging English gives authenticity to the main characters, especially Blu, with all his wordly wisdom. I can almost feel he is sitting next to me, and not Maisie, giving his opinion about many things that happen to him and others. With no adult to guide his life, he makes his own conclusions about everything he sees, from sex to religion. The book is full of bad language and very graphic descriptions of, for instance, sex and animal abuse. I had to stop reading many times because it was too painful to go on, and yes, I cried a lot, Sad to say, the author received a lot of criticism after the publication of this book, especially because of the depiction she does of the Filipino American community as sexual deviants. However, the Japanese and Caucasian characters of her book do not fare very well neither, and rather than criticise the author, one should applaud her courage for bringing up topics that are too convinient to ignore, but difficult to hide, such as the poverty many people still live under, not only in America, but basically everywhere else in the world.
I give Blu's Hanging a four out of five, because sometimes the book has a "soap opera" feeling to it, with cheesy bits here and there. Otherwise, kudos to the author, who dares describe the not very nice side of life in Hawaii.

Rating:
Summary: Lois-Ann's new one has broad appeal.
Review: Although I thought the style of Wild Meat... was a bit too cute, given its sometimes tough subject matter, I think Yamanaka's current book, Blu's Hanging, is much more controlled. Though she again uses a child's point of view, she expands her visions of life and death, Heaven and Hell, and love and sex, showing a variety of types of each and giving her book a strength and universality which I missed in Wild Meat....It is more a novel in structure, less a series of episodes in the life of the main character. The beginning of the book has some scenes which I wish had been more subtle, but she develops these unpalatable episodes and creates parallels to them throughout the book, giving a depth and symbolism which enhance her messages. In short, Blu's Hanging is a book to read because it is a good book which goes beyond its very specific setting of a poor family with children growing up on Molokai. Yamanaka is speaking with a bigger voice

Rating:
Summary: Lois-Ann's new one has broad appeal.
Review: Although I thought the style of Wild Meat... was a bit too cute, given its sometimes tough subject matter, I think Yamanaka's current book, Blu's Hanging, is much more controlled. Though she again uses a child's point of view, she expands her visions of life and death, Heaven and Hell, and love and sex, showing a variety of types of each and giving her book a strength and universality which I missed in Wild Meat....It is more a novel in structure, less a series of episodes in the life of the main character. The beginning of the book has some scenes which I wish had been more subtle, but she develops these unpalatable episodes and creates parallels to them throughout the book, giving a depth and symbolism which enhance her messages. In short, Blu's Hanging is a book to read because it is a good book which goes beyond its very specific setting of a poor family with children growing up on Molokai. Yamanaka is speaking with a bigger voice

Rating:
Summary: Accurate Portrayal of Kids in Hawaii
Review: As a former teacher on Oahu and visitor to Molokai, I can attest to the accuracy of this particular narrator's experience in growing up in the not-always-paradise atmosphere of the islands. That's not to say that every child has this kind of rough experience, but Hawaii is a multicultural society, and there is sometimes conflict among children of different ethnic backgrounds. The characters are full-bodied and believable. The widowed father's deep sadness at the loss of his wife, the narrator's attempts to protect her reckless brother, her own awareness of danger: completely believable. And it all takes place in a well-described location, possibly of interest to those who have been to the more well-known Hawaiian Islands. I'm giving this book as Christmas gifts to friends this year.

Rating:
Summary: "I know who the dreammaker is...."
Review: BLU'S HANGING by Lois-Ann Yamanaka

BLU'S HANGING by Lois-Ann Yamanaka is my introduction to the books by this Hawaiian native of Japanese descent. In this novel, Yamanaka takes us into the world of Ivah Ogata, the oldest child of a family that has just lost their mother, and a father who can barely feed and clothe them, let alone give them the love and attention that was given to them by their mother.

Ivah is the narrator of this heartwarming story. She looks after her brother Blu, a lost soul who is at a turning point in his life. He could go down the wrong path, or find the right one, and is getting involved with the wrong crowd. Maisie is the baby and for some reason has lost the ability to speak. Because of this, there are many misunderstandings about her at school, including by teachers that punish her for wetting her pants. She's scared, and trusts only her brother and older sister. On the peripheral of all this is their father, a custodian that lives in a fog since his wife passed away, and as he ages, Ivah worries about him, knowing that Poppy yearns to be with his beloved Eleanor.

The reader is given a glimpse of life on the islands, in particular the working class locals that are barely making ends meet. Life is rough, filled with hunger, pain and violence. A lot of Hawaiian flavor is mixed into the story, as not only are we told the story in the local pidgin, but we can also smell and taste the foods that are part of this unique Hawaiian American society. We also feel the pain that is Ivah, who does not want to be stuck on this island, who wants more to her life than having to raise her brother and sister who need her desperately. It is a sad tale, but told with a voice filled with hope for a promising future. The characters are endearing, and you will want to know more about them and how they fare once you are done with this book. BLU'S HANGING is highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: "I know who the dreammaker is...."
Review: BLU'S HANGING by Lois-Ann Yamanaka

BLU'S HANGING by Lois-Ann Yamanaka is my introduction to the books by this Hawaiian native of Japanese descent. In this novel, Yamanaka takes us into the world of Ivah Ogata, the oldest child of a family that has just lost their mother, and a father who can barely feed and clothe them, let alone give them the love and attention that was given to them by their mother.

Ivah is the narrator of this heartwarming story. She looks after her brother Blu, a lost soul who is at a turning point in his life. He could go down the wrong path, or find the right one, and is getting involved with the wrong crowd. Maisie is the baby and for some reason has lost the ability to speak. Because of this, there are many misunderstandings about her at school, including by teachers that punish her for wetting her pants. She's scared, and trusts only her brother and older sister. On the peripheral of all this is their father, a custodian that lives in a fog since his wife passed away, and as he ages, Ivah worries about him, knowing that Poppy yearns to be with his beloved Eleanor.

The reader is given a glimpse of life on the islands, in particular the working class locals that are barely making ends meet. Life is rough, filled with hunger, pain and violence. A lot of Hawaiian flavor is mixed into the story, as not only are we told the story in the local pidgin, but we can also smell and taste the foods that are part of this unique Hawaiian American society. We also feel the pain that is Ivah, who does not want to be stuck on this island, who wants more to her life than having to raise her brother and sister who need her desperately. It is a sad tale, but told with a voice filled with hope for a promising future. The characters are endearing, and you will want to know more about them and how they fare once you are done with this book. BLU'S HANGING is highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A Heart-Wrenching Tale
Review: I am Chelsey one of Yamanaka's 8th grade students from back in the day i am now 21 and I follow her books ever since her first one and she is the real deal. She talks and speak of the children in Hawaii as they are. I know she feels the pain and hurt that kids go threw and if it wasn't for her i don't think i'd be the way that i am today. I love her books I've read every one of them I may not be there in Hawaii but I still follow and support her 100%. She is a true to da' heart writer........ya gotta love her...cause I do. Inferrera if you do read your reviews and you do remember me please e-mail me back at [e-mail] I miss ya girl........chels

Rating:
Summary: At last, an authentic voice from Hawaii as it really is.
Review: I read an article recently about this new Hawaiian writer, Lois-Ann Yamanaka in "Poets and Writers Magazine". Blu's Hanging is her third novel and I understand she has two more coming out within the next year. She has a fresh, unique voice -- the voice of Hawaii beyond the tourist hype. All the dialog is in Pidgin, in spite of the fact that this holds much disfavor and is thought of as low-class and crude. But this is about a poor family of Japanese Americans in Molokai, who live at the lowest rung of the society. The language makes the book ring with authenticity and immediately transported me into Yamanaka's world.

The story is about the three Ogata children, reeling from the death of their mother. Their father is a janitor and the family is poor, eating bread with mayonnaise as a staple and being ashamed of the lunches they bring to school. Ivah, the oldest, at 13 years old is the narrator, and tries to keep the family together. There's Blu, her 8-year old brother, who stuffs himself with food and is victimized by perverted relationships. And Maizie, who at 5 years old, has stopped speaking and suffers in school when a cruel teacher ridicules her for wetting her pants.

I feel for these children and their struggles. I admire their courage. And I want to hold them in my arms and embrace them. The world they inhabit is brutal. I feel a wave of nausea as they have to deal to the cruelty to animals around them. They keep going though. And truly love each other. That comes across loud and clear as they deal over and over again with viciousness around them.

The title of the book refers to a time when Blu was so depressed he tries to hang himself, but his weight breaks the rope. In spite of being forced to care for misused and abused animals, his humanity shows through in the kindness he can show them. When his older sister gets her period and is ashamed to buy sanitary napkins, he buys her some as a Christmas present. He writes notes to his silent little sister and does everything he can to maker her world bright.

Family secrets are revealed during the course of the book. And each character is so well drawn that I feel I know that person. The family are Buddhists, a world I am just starting to understand. This makes it logical that they are in contact with their dead mother's spirit. And I understand how upset Blu is when, after singing in a Christian play, he realizes that to become Christian means that he would have to believe that his Buddhist mother is burning in Hell.

It took me just a few hours to read all 261 pages of this book. There was no way I could put it down once I started. It is both sad and inspiring. And many of the scenes are shocking in their brutality. But its true and real and the story needs to be told. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Should Have Won Every Prize in the Book
Review: I read this book some time ago, then read everything else by the author, then read this again. Both times I was stunned by the power, the honesty, the poetry, the passion, and the raw talent of Ms. Yamanaka's writing. I felt that I was in the presence of a major new literary voice and looked for the recognition I was sure she would receive nationally. Instead I fear that this book and others did not receive enough attention because the author happens to be from Hawaii, rather than, say, New York or L.A. I'm a writer myself and can only wish I had a tenth of the ability of this writer. I think Blu's hanging is a classic.

Rating:
Summary: Hang in there, the beginning is INTENSE
Review: When a mother dies, a family tries to cope and compensate. This is the setting brought forth on the Hawaiian island Molokai. The story line comes directly from the children, and the account is heart breaking and inspirational. At times, the story dealt with some intense events, and the anticipation is great as the story evolves and you fear for them all. But, the ending is life affirming and well worth the discomfort you are made to feel by the author's poignant narrative.