Speak, Okinawa: A Memoir

Like last month, I'm pretty sure that my New Jersey book club will go back to holding outdoor meetings and my time zooming with them has probably come to a close. But I decided to read their May pick, Speak Okinawa, Elizabeth Miki Brina's memoir, anyway. It sounded interesting enough.

Before I even write my impressions, I realized almost immediately that I knew almost nothing about Okinawa. I was marginally familiar with the Battle of Okinawa, but that was about it. I guess I thought it was an island of Japan. Even after finishing this memoir, I can't claim to know much about the very interesting history of Okinawa. It makes me wonder how we know so little about so much of the world.

As Speak, Okinawa begins, I thought that this was going to be story much like Crying in H Mart. A young woman of mixed race, with an Asian mother and an American father. But while I related to much of Crying in H Mart, that wasn't true about Speak, Okinawa.

In addition to this being the story about Elizabeth and her mother, it was about so much more. It gave a bit of history of Okinawa through the centuries. It touched upon World War II and the Vietnam War. It focused on being clearly in the racial minority growing up in Rochester, New York. It was the story of someone trying to fit in.

It was the sad story of Elizabeth's mother and her family on Okinawa. It was part of her father's story and about the way Elizabeth's relationship with him changed with him as she got older and became more aware.

I liked this book but didn't love it. However, I think it will encourage a riveting book club discussion.