So Far From The Bamboo Grove

So Far From The Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins is a story about the struggles of Yoko Kawashima following the end of Japanese Rule in Korea. I thought this story was well written. At times I became a little bored as it seemed rather repetitive and the events were very similar to each other as the story continued, but regardless I thought it was a great way to show students what life was like for those Japanese; how dangerous and devastating things could be.

In comparison to The Year of Impossible Goodbyes I thought it was very interesting. I thought The Year of Impossible Goodbyes had more events in it that kept me interested in reading it, but both stories showed the struggles people went through. I think that if either of the stories were to be used in a curriculum setting they other story would be necessary to avoid bias in the controversy. It is obvious from both books that each side had it's own struggles and that not all Koreans, or all Japanese were involved or cared for by the Korean Communists or the Japanese Army. Overall, I enjoyed both books and I think that together they would make for a very strong lesson in the Japanese Rule in Korea and the 38th Parallel that followed.