Obaasan’s Boots
Written by Janis Bridger
and Lara Jean Okihiro
Published by Second Story Press
Cousins Lou and Charlotte don’t know a lot about their grandmother’s life. When their Obaasan invites them to spend the day in her garden, she also invites them into their family’s secrets.
Grandma shares her experience as a Japanese Canadian during WWII, revealing the painful story of Japanese internment. Her family was forced apart. Whole communities were uprooted, moved into camps, their belongings stolen.
Lou and Charlotte struggle with the injustice, even as they marvel at their grandmother’s strength. They begin to understand how their identities have been shaped by racism, and that history is not only about the past.
Primary ISBN:
Publication Date: October 2023
Available As: Paperback, eBook
Chapter Book, Age 09 or older
Community Represented: Japanese/Japanese American
Themes: Canadian Connection, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Storytelling, Discrimination: Racial, Family Relationship: Grandparents, Generation: 2nd, Genre: Biography, Genre: Historical, Human Rights Violation: Abduction & Internment, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Trauma & Healing, Trauma & Healing: Intergenerational
Setting: Canada
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 2nd Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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Author Lara Okihiro describes the novel Obaasan’s Boots
Source: laraokihiro.ca