ecame. His disillusion of what he believed to be a great country would not destroy his proud, tall heritage, which he believed nothing could touch. The focus of the book emphasizes the internal struggles of a young girl longing for acceptance in a harsh world of prejudice. Wakatsuki-Houston describes her struggles after Manzanar as most difficult and frustrating. The idealization from American values she learned about what female teens were like did not at all fit her description. "I'd reached an age where certain childhood mysteries begin to make sense. This girl's guileless remark came as an illumination, an instant knowledge that brought with it the first buds of true shame." The author was growing into a world of ugly reality, where she would become aware for the first time of who she was and why she was this way. The fact that she was an attractive and outgoing teenager was not enough to normalize her image. Her skin color and slanted eyes told everyone all they needed to know, and for this she grew to be ashamed. The constant obstacles forced her to become callosed to unnecessary comments and accept prejudiced attitudes as commonplace. She now knew the world outside of Manzanar was judgmental and cold; it would have to be her spirit that would carry her through this time. I especially enjoyed the author's portrayal as a young developing woman caught in a world of prejudice and discrimination. She was able to overcome the obstacles that blocked her from the truth herself. The more courageous she became as an American woman, the more she was able to discover about the power she held. Her father's spirit--strong, proud and very Japanese--would encourage her along the way....
