Why She Left Us

by Rahna Reiko Rizzuto

The story of three generations of a Japanese-American family whose lives are tragically affected by the Second World War when they are interned in camps in the American West.

"Why She Left Us revolves around an intriguing a Japanese American woman's abandonment of her illegitimate child during World War II. Rahna Reiko Rizzuto reveals the reason for her act--and its effect on four generations of her family--in a series of alternating narratives. A son, daughter, mother, and brother all chime in, and the author's sophisticated interweaving of their tales is what gives this debut novel much of its power.

Rizzuto's book includes its share of violent and disturbing incidents. A daughter helps her mother give birth on the floor of a shack; a son accompanies his senile grandfather to the toilet; a brother delivers a swift kick to his pregnant sister's belly. Yet Why She Left Us never relies on mere sensationalism. For one thing, the author's prose is strong and vivid, and she's particularly good at evoking the passage of "My life doesn't come to me in any order," notes one character. "Moments flip-flop, overlap--sometimes they come only in splinters." This isn't, it should be said, a big-canvas portrait of wartime life. But Rizzuto has produced a minute and successful investigation of the moments that define what a family is.

That leaves the initial mystery. To her credit, Rizzuto doesn't come up with a pat instead, she offers up a collage of perceptions, which fuse into a kind of answer as the story progresses. In other words, this is the latest addition to a growing canon of diplomatic, Rashomon-like novels. Why She Left Us is a true study in perspectives--and a kaleidoscopic lesson about the nature of memory and forgiveness. --Rucker Alex, Amazon.com Review

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

Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

About the author

Rahna Reiko Rizzuto's third book, Shadow Child, will be published by Grand Central in May 2018. Her memoir, Hiroshima in the Morning, was selected as a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Asian American Literary Award, and named the winner of the Grub Street National Book Prize. She is also the author of the novel, Why She Left Us, which won an American Book Award in 2000. Reiko is a recipient of the U.S./Japan Creative Artist Fellowship, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including the L.A. Times and Salon, and she has been a guest on The Today Show, 20/20, The View, among others. She was Associate Editor of The NuyorAsian Anthology: Asian American Writings About New York City, and teaches in the MFA program for creative writing at Goddard College. She is the founder of the Pele's Fire Writing Retreat on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Reviews

[Darleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an easy read, but certainly worth it to explore the complexity of three generations of a Japanese family in the U.S. during the 20th century. The chapters jump in time and across generations, to tell the story of this family. This writing strategy makes it difficult to follow as a coherent, linear story, which is precisely why the author does it. This is a complex family and there is no singular, linear story line.

Some scenes are painful, such as the scenes of domestic abuse. Some scenes are heartbreaking such as the opening scene of abandonment. And some scenes are unforgettable, such as the scene at the latrines in the internment camp at Santa Anita Race track.

This is an important novel, I think. And brace yourself before you take it on.

[sdw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't captivated by this novel but I appreciated the way it refused easy answers or solutions. This is a novel about the traumatic legacy of Japanese American internment on families. I really appreciated that this novel refused to participate in narratives that seek the silver lining of internment. Internment here does not help the characters assimilate or Americanize. It does not help the characters know themselves better. It does not lead to an end of family silence and ultimate group healing. There is nothing redemptive about internment. There is only tragedy upon heartbreaking tragedy.

[B.j. Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this book is billed as a story about a family whose lives are "tragically affected by the Second World War when they are interned in camps in the American West," I find this is much more a story about the life-long effects of childhood abandonment by a mother. This is a slow paced story with profound, moving moments of self-realization entwined within it. While the mother of the abandoned child shows little remorse and less redemption, her children's stuggle with the loss of their mother teaches a little bit about the long-term effects of a mother's love, or lack of.

[April Luxner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, this book was SLOW and boring. I can't believe I finished it.

[Jenni Bader · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend loaned me this book because I am interested in the experience of Japanese Americans during World War II, especially in the internment camps. While the parts of this book that dealt with the camps and their aftermath were interesting, the dysfunction of the family began well before the camps or the war. Although the treatment they suffered both in and out of the camps surely would have exacerbated the individual frustrations and overall family dynamics, the abuse, separation, and estrangement no doubt would have occurred without pressures from the outside in the case of this fictional family. Additionally, the way the chapters and sections within the chapters flashed back and forth in time and between character perspectives was not done as well as in other books I've read and was at times disorienting.

[T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Following three generations of a Japanese family from the internment camps to present day, the lives of the generations repeat themselves with pain, abuse, births, losses, sorrow, anger and love.

The story flips from character to character, past to present. There's a helpful family tree at the beginning and with all the twists and turns and maybe a lack of attention on my part, I felt myself stopping to find the current character's position in the family.

Given the other generational Asian tales I've read of late, this didn't hold my interest and didn't flow as well as others, no emotional attachment to the characters grew from the evolving tale.

[Alberto Il Pelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long story of an entire Japanese family and 100 years of history. With flashbacks, a tough language and a different culture to drag into, it’s not a book for everyone. If you’re brave enough, it’s an intense psychological romance across two generations with their dramas, the struggles and the brutal realities

[Kernan Parrot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me. How people can separate after tragedy and how generations are effected. The characters are all a bit lost and clouded in secrecy.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel.The writing was gripping and flowed well across time and perspectives.

[Joleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like a 2.5 Stars. Wasn't bad just wasn't for me, very slow in the beginning slightly confusing until you start reading from different point of views even then the voices start to blend together.

[Kristy Shafer · Rating 3 out of 5]

So sad, well written but very depressing

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think I've read a book in which every member of a family is so completely unhappy since A Thousand Acres. This, if it's possible, is even more dire - everyone is broken, or tyrannical, or trapped, and there is precious little human kindness anywhere in the book. It's very well written - there are some beautiful turns of phrase - but I can't give it more than two stars simply because it's so unremittingly bleak.

I did enjoy the premise of the story - watching the ramifications of internment spin out through three generations of one Japanese-American family - and a large part of the book exists in the conflict between traditional Japanese culture and the pressures of living in the United States. Since the book hinges on such a godawful moment in time, it's perhaps unsurprising that it unfolds to be a story of one tragedy (of the everyday kind) after another, but man. I am drained.

[Ming · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bracing story of a Japanese AMERICAN family. one that looks clear-eyed at the experience of internment and racism...and surviving that.

The written is strong and in many parts beautiful. The family violence and neglect/abuse are disturbing but perhaps acceptable during that era and perhaps understandable during the stress and distress the family endures. Still...these bitter elements do reflect the context and depict a certain honesty--unrestrained and difficult.

There is no clean resolution as life is messy.

I think this book is a gem. I'm surprised it doesn't receive more attention. Well, it's May and that's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the USA and this book is certainly a worthwhile example of an American story (as shameful as this era was in its war hysteria and racism -- (and that shame occurred again with 9/11)).

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japanese Internment Camps hardly merited a paragraph in my high school history class, but this book describes the hardscrabble life of a family of Japanese immigrants, battling with culture shock, menial labour, gender roles and confusing Asian names that took a tired me a few chapters. The vivid scene of the grandmother given birth was so wrenching as to probably turn me off from ever breeding.For anyone who likes analyzing and dissecting relationships, Reiko Rizzuto cast light on the inner resentments,guilt and observations of her characters without beating anything over the head too much.
I cannot remember reading much if anything about Japanese American literature, so thank you Nancy Pearl for recommending this book in BookLust.

[Talya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I understand why a lot of readers felt that there needed to be more answers and sometimes I felt like that as well. This felt like real life to me. Nothing was tidy and questions were left unanswered. I hated Emi. I don't feel like she ever redeemed herself. It's amazing how the internment camps changed everything for these people. They were Americans.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really intense book, which had me scrambling to the end for the climax of the story.
This book did not make it easy, challenging me in my own assessments of the characters as their story became clearer. However, it is particularly strong in female voices, and while this was incredible, I would have liked to have heard more about our from Will and Mitsuo.

[HaeSue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not get why Emi left Eric behind and chose Mariko instead. They were both illegitimate so what was her motive? The book was stark in the horrific details of internment, childbirth, sibling rage. It left me hanging.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely harrowing story...mostly about the effects of internment upon a Japanese-American family. Heart breaking.

[Coleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWII-Japanese internment camps and the effect it had on families.

[Pamk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Powerful story about a Japanese-American family who are interned during WWII and events that separated and fractured the family.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a little of a lot of things.....internment, other history, family and cultural issues. Definitely worth reading.

[Nancy]

This was a very dark book. But I couldn't put it down for some reason. Psychologically it was fairly well done. Uplifting it was not!!!

[Emrys Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

you never get an answer to the title

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book on a subject that I was not very familiar with