Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why is the book separated into three parts? Does it really need to be divided that way?
- Does Jeanne—as narrator—actually favor men's experiences (like those of her father and brothers) in camp over and above women's experiences?
- Is Jeanne, as narrator, too easy on the American government?
- Does the focus on Jeanne's growth into a young woman distract from the story of internment or does it make that thread of the story stronger?
- Since the whole book is told in flashback, how much can we really trust narrator Jeanne's memories and stories?
- Why does Jeanne bother to tell parts of the book through her father's and brother's voices?
- Could the book be just as authentic if the author wrote it as a novel and not as a memoir?
- What if the book were written from the perspective of Jeanne's father? What would the book sound like?
- How much influence do you think Wakatsuki Houston's husband had on the writing of the book (especially considering he's listed as a co-writer)?