No-No Boy

Rating:
Summary: The unknown story of World War II from an unappreciated man.
Review: What is important to realise about this book is that its publication made Okada infamous rather than famous as it should have done. People at the time did not want to resurrect the horror of the way the Japanese were treated during and after the war. Indeed, after the initial publication, this book was not re-released until 1976, almost twenty years after it was written. Apart from being a very well-written and tragic story, this book also raises one question that Okada himself declines to answer: What does it mean to be an American? What makes this book so good is that we get several different responses from the characters in the book. All of which have a different response. Overall, I think like any book that raises questions about dark issues from America's past and indeed present, (slavery, Indians, Japanese in WWII, AIDS, womens rights etc.) this particular book is an important voice in making sure that not one of these issues is forgotten.