Obasan

JOY KOGAWA

  • English

  • Japanese internment in Canada during World War 2, displacement, trauma, anti-Asian Racism, family separation

  • Young Adult +

A Japanese-Canadian woman named Naomi Nakane reflects on her childhood experiences of internment, displacement, and discrimination during and after World War II. Obasan is a work of historical fiction that is based on Kogawa’s own experiences growing up in Canada during the war. The novel explores themes of memory, trauma, and the importance of bearing witness to historical events.