Beneath The Wide Silk Sky is a raw and realistic YA historical story of a young Japanese-American high school girl and her family who experience the racism pitted against them during World War II, most notably after the attacks on Pearl Harbor.
Sam Sakamoto and her family live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States just barely trying to survive off the family farm, and the loss of her mother, as well as facing subtle discrimination by “real” Americans in their neighbourhood doesn’t help their cause either. Her dreams of becoming a photographer seem to only exist as such, and potentially losing the family farm to a final payment her family might not be able to make is the least of her nightmares.
Things take a turn for the worst when Pearl Harbor is attacked on December 7th, 1941, by Japanese forces. Hatred and prejudice against the Japanese-American population in Sam’s small-town Washington community is further exacerbated. As the discrimination and violence further ensue, Sam makes an unexpected but much needed friendship with her neighbour, Hiro Tanaka. When she thought her love for photography ceased to exist, Hiro offers her a way to fulfil her dream if only for a short while. Not only can she reignite her passion, but capture all of the heinous and vile acts that continue to occur with every passing day. When the U.S. government announces all people of Japanese descent (citizen or non-citizens) across the country are to be placed in relocation camps, Sam realises she either has the choice to speak up, or stay silent—for the sake of herself and her family.
Huey does a phenomenal job of writing this book in all aspects. The fact she was able to tell this story with the intent of voicing not only her family’s experiences, but the Japanese population in 1940’s America is what I think is the most important aspect to recognise. There wasn’t a single moment that went dull during this, and each chapter continuously depicted the growing intensity, violence, and discrimination.
Although this is a historical fiction book, this felt very real to read. The tone is set almost immediately in the first few pages, where readers are first introduced to Sam, and the life she lives taking care of the family. You could feel the depression and sorrow of the time already radiating from the pages. Sam’s position as the main protagonist is important for several reasons. Having her tell the story and describe the experiences she goes through in school, day-to-day life, and what she has to deal with to keep her family afloat was a lot to take in. Since America is always being portrayed as a place of dreams and seeking greater opportunity, it was never as wonderful as it seemed. By seeing Sam and her family struggle daily, the country is portrayed at its most ugly.
Being born and raised in America along with older siblings Kiki and Charlie, they never truly fit into society due to the culture and heritage of their parents. Being a young woman in 1940’s America is hard enough to imagine, but being a young woman of colour during this era was a completely different experience. Less privileges and opportunities are offered, and seeing the medium of photography as a form of creativity and another necessary voice is what adds a greater depth to the plot.
Aside from Sam being my favourite, the characters themselves all had different degrees of depth to them. Mr. Sakamoto, Kiki, and Charlie I really liked because you get to see their takes on assimilating into American society. Mr. Sakamoto was essential because you see him constantly fight for his children to have a better life, and striving to be as “American as possible”. Kiki tries to make moves on the Caucasian boys at her school, but her looming crush on Hiro seems to hold her back at times, and Charlie bears personal secrets of his own, but still feels burdened by his family obligations. Hiro and his father, Mr. Tanaka, were also fantastic additions because of the voices they portrayed for their community and those they care about in their own ways.
The writing of the story is greatly done by Huey. The first third of the book describes the life Sam and her family had lived and I think this was a smart approach on Huey’s part took because it shows how difficult their lives were to begin with. When the attacks on Pearl Harbor occurred, life only started to go further downhill for the 120,000 + Japanese in the country. Each chapter showed different types of experiences Japanese people had to go through post Pearl-Harbor. Some of these include being arrested for being “spies”, possession of contraband in their homes, and most of all, being placed into concentration camps across the country. Not to mention all the events Sam and her siblings go through, but these are definitely something worth reading for yourself.
I normally never give this type of rating (if ever) to books I’ve read, but this was just one of those that deserved it all. In this fantastic debut novel by Emily Inouye Huey, I was an engaged reader the entire time. There was tension, tears, and finger-biting moments when reading this. This isn’t a book of happy endings, but something that which encompasses the reality of racism in its rawest forms. But most of all, this was both an eye-opening, powerfully written story that I wish for everyone to read.
Beneath The Wide Silk Sky is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A portrait of the racism faced by America’s Japanese population during WWII.
Sam Sakamoto doesn’t have space in her life for dreams. With the recent death of her mother, Sam’s focus is the farm, which her family will lose if they can’t make one last payment. There’s no time for her secret and unrealistic hope of becoming a photographer, no matter how skilled she’s become. But Sam doesn’t know that an even bigger threat looms on the horizon.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese airplanes attack the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. Fury towards Japanese Americans ignites across the country. In Sam’s community in Washington State, the attack gives those who already harbor prejudice an excuse to hate.
As Sam’s family wrestles with intensifying discrimination and even violence, Sam forges a new and unexpected friendship with her neighbor Hiro Tanaka. When he offers Sam a way to resume her photography, she realizes she can document the bigotry around her — if she’s willing to take the risk. When the United States announces that those of Japanese descent will be forced into “relocation camps,” Sam knows she must act or lose her voice forever. She engages in one last battle to leave with her identity — and her family — intact.
Emily Inouye Huey draws inspiration from her own family history.
