The thought crossed my mind, as I was reading this, that it’s sort of funny how you can basically get me to read a history textbook if it includes loads of illustrations. This is obviously an oversimplification, but it’s true that graphic novels (or rather, graphic narratives) are increasingly being recognized as an effective way to deliver information, and especially, history (and perhaps especially especially, the history of minoritized people, or stories that don’t get told in ‘official’ accounts).
I heard about this one because one of my colleagues was reviewing it, and I checked out a copy because I am keenly aware of how little I know about the Japanese-American internment camps, and I wanted to educate myself. And I learned a lot from this book! It provides an overview but also delves into some of the complexities of the history by telling the stories of three different people, who exemplify (but not too narrowly) three different approaches to resistance. The way the three stories are interwoven was sometimes confusing to me — I almost wonder if it wouldn’t have been better to completely separate them and tell them one after another — but still, this was overall a really powerful read. And the artwork is excellent.
Kasia Reads 