I didn't go into this book totally blind as to the historical nature of this book. In high school I remember doing a report on Japanese Internment (I chose the topic, it was not assigned to everyone), which I would consider laid a VERY bare minimum foundation of knowledge. Then I read George Takei's They Called Us Enemy when it came out not too long ago, which added another, more complete layer of knowledge to what I had. Truthfully, I was not sure how much more We Are Not Free would add to my bank, and of course I was an idiot for thinking that.

We Are Not Free gives context to the lives of Japanese Americans before, during, and after the camps, and in doing so gives a complete look at the loss suffered by members of that community. I was most gutted by the depictions of interpersonal losses suffered within the community itself. Not only did the exclusion order rip away the J-As from their homes and livelihoods, but also each other, as evidenced by the divisions that grew within the community and families from the questionnaire.

Chapter 13 and 14 were devastating but for me also contained some of the most beautiful prose (especially chapter 13's end).

Highly recommend this book, especially in tandem with They Called Us Enemy, for anyone wanting to learn more about this part of our country's history that is so often overlooked.