Obasan by Joy Kogawa

320 pages first pub 1981 (editions)

fiction historical emotional reflective sad slow-paced
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Description

Winner of the American Book Award

Based on the author's own experiences, this award-winning novel was the first to tell the story of the evacuation, relocation, and dispersal of Canadian citizens of Japanese ancestry during the Second World War.

Community Reviews

3.7
based on 1,161 reviews

Moods

emotional: 83%

sad: 81%

reflective: 76%

dark: 53%

informative: 52%

challenging: 50%

tense: 16%

inspiring: 11%

mysterious: 9%

hopeful: 4%

adventurous: 1%


Pace

4% of readers chose fast
52% of readers chose medium
43% of readers chose slow
fast
medium
slow

Plot or character driven?

10% of readers chose Plot
24% of readers chose A mix
59% of readers chose Character
5% of readers chose N/A
Plot
A mix
Character
N/A

Strong character development?

45% of readers chose Yes
38% of readers chose Complicated
12% of readers chose No
3% of readers chose N/A
Yes
Complicated
No
N/A

Loveable characters?

55% of readers chose Yes
30% of readers chose Complicated
12% of readers chose No
1% of readers chose N/A
Yes
Complicated
No
N/A

Diverse cast of characters?

69% of readers chose Yes
15% of readers chose Complicated
9% of readers chose No
5% of readers chose N/A
Yes
Complicated
No
N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus?

31% of readers chose Yes
29% of readers chose Complicated
35% of readers chose No
3% of readers chose N/A
Yes
Complicated
No
N/A

Content Warnings

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