My one true love will always be historical fiction, specifically about people and periods of time that I know little to nothing about. My Hawaiian knowledge starts and ends with its forced entrance into the Union and obviously Pearl Harbor. What I found really moving and powerful about this book was that it not only shows a common time period (WWI), but through the perspective of Korean immigrants who live on the Hawaiian sugar plantations.
Now the "picture marriages" of Korean men in Hawaii was something I knew nothing about. The fact that the U.S. marketed this prospect so wholeheartedly while in reality many of the men lied to Korean women that immigrated, which led to abusive relationships, economic hardships, and other harsh realities. Basically, these women were tricked into coming to Hawaii, and the main person it benefited were the planation owners. I was disgusted and not surprised at all because its suchhh a capitalistic norm within the U.S.
My only real problem with this book was the heavy emphasis on showing rather than telling when it came to the writing style. I wanted to see Willow feel more than simply tell me her emotions and actions. It's just not my personal preference.
Now the "picture marriages" of Korean men in Hawaii was something I knew nothing about. The fact that the U.S. marketed this prospect so wholeheartedly while in reality many of the men lied to Korean women that immigrated, which led to abusive relationships, economic hardships, and other harsh realities. Basically, these women were tricked into coming to Hawaii, and the main person it benefited were the planation owners. I was disgusted and not surprised at all because its suchhh a capitalistic norm within the U.S.
My only real problem with this book was the heavy emphasis on showing rather than telling when it came to the writing style. I wanted to see Willow feel more than simply tell me her emotions and actions. It's just not my personal preference.