38 pages • 1 hour read
Yoshiko UchidaDesert Exile
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1982A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Desert Exile by Yoshiko Uchida narrates her family's experience as Japanese-Americans living in California who were interned in concentration camps during World War II following Pearl Harbor. The Uchidas face cultural shocks, internment hardships, and ultimate displacement, while maintaining their community spirit and resilience amidst the adversity. This memoir delves into themes of identity and loyalty, reflecting on the long-term impacts of internment on Japanese-Americans. The book contains descriptions of injustice and brutality.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Desert Exile by Yoshiko Uchida poignantly recounts the Japanese American internment experience during WWII through the author's personal narrative. Reviewers praise its emotional depth and historical significance, though some feel its focus is narrow and lacks broader context. Overall, it is valued for its intimate portrayal of resilience and injustice.
Who Should Read Desert Exile?
A reader who would enjoy Desert Exile by Yoshiko Uchida is interested in personal narratives of resilience, historical accounts of Japanese American internment, and issues of social justice. Fans of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston's Farewell to Manzanar and Miné Okubo’s Citizen 13660 would find this memoir compelling for its intimate portrayal of wartime struggles.
RecommendedReading Age
14-18yearsLexile Level
1280L