 Anchor Books cover | |
| Author | Julie Otsuka |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Iris Weinstein |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Set in | 1940's Arizona |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf (US) Viking Press (UK) |
Publication date | September 10, 2002 (US) January 30, 2003 (UK) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (paperback, hardcover) |
| Pages | 148 |
| ISBN | 9780375414299 (1st ed) |
| OCLC | 1345471933 |
| LC Class | PS3615.T88 W48 2002 |
When the Emperor Was Divine is ahistorical fiction novel written by American authorJulie Otsuka about aJapanese American familysent to an internment camp in the Utah desert duringWorld War II. The novel, loosely based on the wartime experiences of Otsuka's mother's family,[1] is written through the perspective of four family members, detailing their eviction from California and their time in camp. It is Otsuka'sdebut novel, and was published in the United States in 2002 byAlfred A. Knopf.
The story follows a Japanese American family; a father, a mother, a son, and a daughter. The family members remain nameless, thus giving their story a universal quality. The novel is divided into 5 sections, each told from a different family member's perspective. The first chapter, the mother's perspective, follows the family's preparations for leaving for the camp. The second chapter, from the girl's perspective, takes place on the train as the family is transported to their internment location. The third chapter, from the boy's perspective, chronicles the three years the family spends at the internment camp in Topaz, Utah. The fourth chapter, told from the combined perspectives of the boy and girl, tells of the family's return home and their efforts at rebuilding their lives as well as their experience in the post war milieu of anti-Japanese discrimination. The final chapter is a confession, told from the father's perspective and structured as a direct address to the reader.
The book was met with a generally positive reception. Writing forThe New York Times, literary criticMichiko Kakutani stated "though the book is flawed by a bluntly didactic conclusion, the earlier pages testify to the author's lyric gifts and narrative poise".[2] Sylvia Santiago ofHerizons magazine described Otsuka's writing style as "scrupulously unsentimental", thus "creating a contrast to the sensitive subject matter".[3]O: The Oprah Magazine said the novel was "a meditation on what it means to be loyal to one's country and to one's self, and on the cost and the necessity of remaining brave and human".[4]
When the Emperor Was Divine won theAmerican Library Association'sAlex Award in 2003 and also won anAsian American Literary Award.[5][6]
