The Buddha in the Attic

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka, 129 pages

I don't know that I've ever read a book quite like The Buddha in the Attic. Written in collective first person (Did that exist before this book? Who knows!), this short novel tells the tale of the Japanese "picture brides" from the early 20th century, who came to America to marry Japanese men they had never met but they hoped would provide fresh adventures. The story takes the reader from the boat that brings the women to the U.S. through the disappointments of life here to the racial ostracism of WWII's resettlement camps.

While it's in an odd format, I liked the book, which somehow manages to be both universal and intimate. What a melancholy tale...