The Legend Of Fire Horse Woman

by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

Traces the life of Sayo, born under the disastrous sign of the Fire Horse, who comes to America for an arranged marriage and years later is imprisoned with her family in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Japan, Historical, Book Club, Asian American

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_W...

Reviews

[Barb H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps I should not review this book because of the unusual amount of time it took me to read it. It certainly was not the author's fault, but caused by my recent circumstances, which made my love of reading difficult and all but impossible.

Nevertheless, considering my aforementioned factors, I can still state that this was not Houston's best book. It certainly did not match Farewell to Manzanar, although the topic was much the same- that of the internment of Japanese Americans during WWll. She certainly approached the topic with some sensitivity, but her portrayals of characters were dispersed too widely at times.

Most of all, my objections were focused mainly on her use of the supernatural and upon eternity, neither of which appeal to my tastes.
There were other books of the period which held more attraction for me such as, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and especially, When the Emperor Was Divine.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this story that reads as a true legend. Beginning in Hiroshima, Japan and ending up in the desert internment camp Manzanar, during WWII. The life and legend of Sayo captures one's interest, from her beginning being born under the sign of the Fire Horse signifying a strong-will and difficult path, to her fierce independent spirit-led life in early California. Finally being forced to leave everything and endure life in an internment camp with her daughter and grand daughter. Sayo has the spirit to not just survive, but have a richly -imagined life, including the last triumphant chapter. Very good!

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever started watching a movie that sounded like it could be pretty interesting, and then realized it was one of those Hallmark made-for-TV productions? And were you torn between the interesting topic and the cheesy writing and acting? That's this novel. In spades. The depictions of immigrant Japanese in California a century ago, and of life in the camps during WWII were really interesting and kept me engaged in spite of the silly plot lines and really silly love stories. The sex scenes were truly hilarious, and I had to share them with my partner, laughing at the unintended satire of purple passion. 2.5 stars for a guilty shelter-in-place pleasure.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that never really explains what the Fire Horse Woman is about. It tells a life story - switching venues between her early life and her life in an interment camp during WWII. It kept my attention and made me more curious about the interment camps. This is the first book I've read set in one.

[Sheila rood · Rating 4 out of 5]

well written and engaging story telling

[Christine Rosskopf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is an unusual but worthwhile one. The protagonist is a woman who comes to America as a young Japanese picture bride in 1902 and ends up in the camps at Manzanar in 1945. Reading about both Japanese culture and some of the uglier parts of American history kept me interested although it took me a long time to get through the book. This novel is not action-packed nor a thriller but it is definitely a worthwhile read if you are interested in gaining insight into the human condition by listening to other cultural voices.

[Kate Tomsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a profound tale, centered on a family of strong women finding their way through adverse circumstances in California in the first half of the 1900s. Adventure, love, loss, uncertainty, danger, belonging, and success are woven into the fabric of three generations of Japanese women. A comforting, heart-warming story, which if im honest, was a little slow in the beginning. By the end, it's repaid ten-fold. Amazing read. (P.S. I was sobbing at the end)

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: the glossary at the end of the book was very helpful.

Good: The settings and their history. The settings were primarily in Japan, Northern California, and Manzanar (a WWII internment camp, located in California).

Good: The structure of the novel, which successfully moved back and forth between the years around 1900 and the war years of the early 1940s.

Good: The characters and the multigenerational family saga.

Would have benefited from more work: The plotting, the writing, and the editing.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked: The story was written in two periods of time, but with based around the youth and the old age of the Fire Horse Woman. It creates a whole story of a person, attaching the roots, decisions, and feelings of a youth to the older individual. I also liked the description of the old world Japanese culture, the new world integration of the immigrants, and life and attitudes in the Japanese internment camp duriing WWII.

What I did not like: I do not appreciate visions and dreams. I think that they are an easy, thin method of bringing emotion into a novel.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Houston's first novel. It's about Japanese "picture brides" and Japanese internment during World War II. Tells of hardships of these young women coming to America, both with husbands they've never met and the difficulties in the internment camps.It would be considered by most a "women's" book, but my husband thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're a history buff, so will you. Well written. Houston is an excellent storyteller.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why haven't more people read this? It's really good. I actually like it better than Houston's much more famous "Farewell to Manzanar." There's romance, friendship, family relations, political and social commentary (in a non-obnoxious way) and history. It occasionally gets a bit cheesy with the spirits/fate stuff, but it's easy to read and hard to put down. I'd definitely recommend it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a much better book than I thought it would be. The story being seperated the way it did, intertwing past and present without being in chronological order, added to the book, instead of taking away from it. The main characters were all likeable, and you were rooting for them the whole time. Overall, a pretty great book.

[Cymiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed this tale of sayo, the fire horse woman, and her family. told in present tense when sayo is younger alternating with the older sayo who is interned. author brings in lots of accurately rendered history of the japanese during internment and i always personally enjoy the cultural references.

[Shinay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding story telling to put it mildly. You care about the characters, you feel the heat from the desert, the historical time period is spot on. Is a wonderful book and am sorry I finished it and the author doesn't have another book for me.
Wonderful exciting, can't put it down story.

[Katrina Bergherm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and enjoyable with bits of historical realism!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting topic and great writing. I learned so much about a period of time in our history that I knew very little about.

[Joyceling]

Three generations of interesting ladies in a story that is both real and fantasy. I would have been happy with more even though it reached a logical place for the end.

[Sue Getman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Fiction.
WW II detention camp for Japanese living in California. Well done. I liked this author's writing better than Amy Tan's

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. Great twist at the end.

[Jackie]

Too slow. I keep setting it down and losing it