About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
'Kogawa is a beautiful and elegant writer.'' --THE KINGSTON WHIG-STANDARD
''What is for you the breath of life?'' Someday -- itsuka -- Naomi Nakane will answer this question. In OBASAN, Naomi's childhood was torn apart by Canada's betrayal of Japanese Canadian citizens during the 1940s. Now, years later, Naomi's scars have left her fragile and uncertain. Quietly teaching school on the prairies, she watches as her family slips away from her. When Naomi's Aunt Emily brings her to Toronto and, almost unwillingly, encourages her to become involved in the Japanese Canadian fight for redress, Naomi embarks on an emotional and political journey that takes her deep into her own soul, and deep into the soul of Canada. Politically charged and intimately poetic, ITSUKA tells a story of profound hope, extraordinary commitment and the fragile progress of love.
Contributor Notes
Joy Kogawa, one of North America's most celebrated writers, is the award-winning author of three novels, seven collections of poetry and two books for children. OBASAN, which the NEW YORK TIMES called ''a tour de force... brilliantly poetic in its sensibility,'' continues to be taught across North America, and the opera based on her children's book, Naomi's Road, has toured in Canada and the United States. Kogawa has worked to educate Canadians about the history of Japanese Canadians and is a long-time activist in the areas of peace and reconciliation. In 2010, the Japanese government honoured her with the Order of the Rising Sun. Her latest book is GENTLY TO NAGASAKI.
Editorial Review
'A poetic novel filled with dreams, images and emotions? ITSUKA is both idealistic and realistic, a superb realization of a journey out of fear made by individuals in the process of forging community.'' --OTTAWA CITIZEN
''An important book, one that tells us stories we have denied or disowned.'' --THE TORONTO STAR
''ITSUKA brings to life one of the sorriest chapters in Canadian history. It is a worthy successor to OBASAN.'' --CALGARY HERALD
