Update + Book Beginnings on Fridays/Friday 56: Nisei Daughter, and Book Blogger Hop

    Hello! It's been a while, hasn't it? Due to school, work, and other distractions I haven't had the time to get back on here and start regularly posting again. I'm so sorry about the wait!

    Looking at my schedule as of late, I don't think I'll be returning to weekly posts again soon. My own motivation to blog has considerably waned since 2021 ended. However, I do still believe in this blog's purpose and I do want to keep posting. That's why I've decided to aim for biweekly Friday updates: and if that doesn't work, trying to post triweekly. Stepping Stones Book Reviews may be less active, but in no way do I consider it a lost project. 

    I'm very excited to be coming back with another one of my book memes to restart my blogging schedule. This week, I'm pleased to spotlight Nisei Daughter! This is an autobiography that I consider an underrated classic. I read it for school, and was fascinated with the author's conversational style and personal experiences. 100/10 recommend!

 

Title: Nisei Daughter

Author: Monica Sone

Genre: Autobiography

Synopsis: With charm, humor, and deep understanding, a Japanese-American woman tells how it was to grow up on Seattle's waterfront in the 1930s and to be subjected to "relocation" during World War II. Along with some 120,000 other persons of Japanese ancestry—77,000 of whom were U.S. citizens—she and her family were uprooted from their home and imprisoned in a camp. In this book, first published in 1952, she provides a unique personal account of these experiences.

First Line: The first five years of my life I lived in amoebic bliss, not knowing whether I was plant or animal, at the old Carrollton hotel on the waterfront of Seattle.

My Thoughts: This first sentence has huge implications about the rest of the book. The mention of "plant or animal" both conveys the innocence and carelessness of a young child, as well as a hint toward the type of identity issues and conflicts Sone struggled with as she grew up. Seattle and the Carollton hotel also give us a setting!

    Something I really appreciated about Nisei Daughter was that it felt like a genuine portrayal of the nuances of what Sone went through as a second-generation Japanese American. Yes, Sone details her own struggle to find herself, but it isn't all about the angst. This snippet comes from a humorous anecdote where Sone's mother was mistaken for a high-ranking lady and dragged to the wrong gathering.

From Nisei Daughter: With tears of laughter in her eyes, Mother told us the whole story. She had gone to our Mickey Mouse party. The taxi driver had delivered her to the front of the Coliseum theater. Just as soon as she had stepped out of the cab, a suave, beautifully groomed woman pounced on Mother and escorted her into the theater.

    And now for this week's Book Blogger Hop question! I thought it would be fun to answer given that I was the one to come up with it in the first place. It also feels like a fitting way to re-introduce my purpose after my hiatus.

This Week's Question: What inspired you to start book blogging?

My Answer: I've always loved stories: both reading and writing them. There's nothing more satisfying than finding a great new read. One thing I love most about literature is that it connects  people of all backgrounds, cultures, and personalities. With all of the books in the world, however, it can be hard to sift through the hastily written or even dangerous ones out there. I know I've had several bad memories of finding an interesting-looking read, before starting it and realizing that I had misjudged or misunderstood the message or content choices. So, in 2020, I started Stepping Stones Book Reviews as a way to recommend good books, connect readers to authors they'd want to hear from, and stretch myself as a teenager pursuing a career in writing.

    Thanks for taking a look at this post! I hope you enjoyed the small excerpts of Nisei Daughter as well as the answer to this week's question.

    What about you? Have you read Nisei Daughter? If so, what did you think about it? If not,  would you consider reading? If you have a blog focused on books, what would your answer be to the Book Blogger Hop question? If you had a Friday post, please send me the link so I can read it.

    I'd also love to hear from my blog readers as well. What would you like me to focus on the most as I get back to blogging? Book reviews? Book memes? Or something else? If you have book , author, or series suggestions please don't hesitate to send them as well!

    Thanks again for reading. See you soon.