Japanese American Books

We came across these books by accident, but what a nice surprise. Sure, it's not great literature, but my first grader thinks it's so much fun! There are exciting adventures, but not too scary. There are funny names for characters, planets, and things that tickle his funny bone. Eventhough I have a boy, I like it that there is a girl hero. Also, I like that the girl is a first generation Japanese, because we get to talk about how immigrants are really just like us. All the books in this series are silly and fun, but they'll get your kids to read!

Akiko's adventure is a fun-filled, exciting inter-planetary adventure book which will most definetly delight all children :):)

I am pleasently surprised by the grace,friendship and gentle manners shown in the book. :):) This book is wholesome entertainment and is a must-have for children and the child-at-heart. :)

If you love adventures then you will love this story. Its about a the a girl named Akiko who goes on a mission looking for a two headed dinosaur. This story is two thumbs up in my book of adventures. Read this book to explore your own imagination. This book relates to me because you must use your imagination when reading it.

I like the book Akiko On The Planet Smoo by Mark Crilley because it is very adventurres and funny and the charecters stoodout and there enimes were very exciting to face. The book was the best book I have ever read. I can't wait untill I read the next book. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Akiko on the Planet Smoo has just the right amount of suspense and action-packed mystery. The characters are great. About the only thing I didn't like about it is that this is the first book, and the first book is always the shortest!

I really enjoy Cara's books and I expected this one to be just as good as her previous ones. I was wrong! I couldn't get past the second chapter as the book was just non-sensical and didn't appeal to me at all. It just seemed like random, jumbled thoughts and comments were thrown onto pages and labeled a novel.

This was a fun book with lots of different facets. Going back to your hometown and seeing your high school crush again, and being rather surprised by how he's changed and you yourself have changed. Her multicultural background and how she dealt with being different while growing up. Lots of funny moments, and the book was so entertaining, it was read very quickly.

I saw this book in the bookstore and read the back cover and thought, this should be fun. And it was. I loved it. I will for sure buy more Cara Lockwood books. I'm glad I found a new author to read.

I have now officially read all of Cara Lockwood's books and I have to say, they are all terrific!! This one was no different. Great characters, great storyline and so funny!!! I would recommend not only this book but all of Cara Lockwood's books.

Jen Taylor lives in Dixieland Arkasas-the product of a Japanese American mother and a European-American father. This leads Jen to some interesting dilemas as some people assume that she is Latin American or when people find out her middle name (Nakamura) they make fun of it.

Jen spent much of her childhood in love with-and trying to win Kevin Peterson-to no avail. Later Jen, who is a T.V. producer gets a shock when she gets an invite to his wedding to her blond haired blue eyed cousin Lucy.

Jen convinces her friend Riley to come to the wedding with her and the stuff that happens along the way make Dixieland Sushi an interesting book to read.

It's an exellent book which gives a deep insight about the submarine war in the Pacific Region.

It covers strategie, tactics from both sides (also the faults which have been done)and a hell of details from each war theatre.

It's a must to read for each person interested in submarines (historical, Silent Hunter Enthusiasts etc.)

What a read! I know it's history, but this is a page turner. The author just keeps bringing it on. I was impressed with the obvious volume of research, but the truly impressive thing is that he keeps your interest all the way through. An outstanding and extremely readable account of an underpublicized arena of WW II.

This is a very detailed rundown of the USN's silent service during the Pacific war, and is a must if you are interesetd in the submarine operations, from a US perspective.

Blair also exposes, compared to post war analyses, the over, and dubious claims of ships sunk by the submariners, and a comparson with the U boats will reveal that the latter was much, much more successful, despite the lack of air and surface support, and its codes being cracked and read.

A comparison of Blair's 2 volume work on the U boats with this work will reveal his blatant biases against the Germans, no doubt a case of the inferiority complex.

This is, quite simply, an outstanding history book. The depth of research done by the author is amazing. It is a blow by blow, patrol by patrol account of how these brave men put the Japanese war machine out of business. It is also exceptionally well written and extemely readable. It's one of those very few books that you can, literally, open up to any page, start reading, and become consumed with interest. This book belongs on any WWII naval bookshelf, and is, I believe, the definitive account of the Pacific Submariners' war.

The is book has it all and says it all about the Use of Sumarines in the Pacific during WW2.
The good points about the book:
1. It complete describes every aspect of Submarines - torpedoes - engagements - personnel - strategy.
2. It gives a comprehensive amount of detail about the Commanders and Officers who fought in the Submarines - who did well and who didn't and why.
3. It gives a great amount of detail about the personnel feuds - the attitudes of the Sumarine Admialty in Hawaii - and In Australia. Their pettiness is detailed as well as their greatness. Both get equal measure.

The Weak points: All of the above detail gets a bit tedious and repetitive.

The real eye opener for for me was the fact thatin WW@ it was the submarines that did most of the damage to the Japanese Navy and they eliminated the merchant Marine - with one arm tied behind its back. The torpedoes they used on the boats were a failure for the first 15 months of the war. In reading the details of this issue - it is amazing that even with such incompetence in the Bureau of Naval Ordinance and with some doltish Admirals - that we did actually win the War.

Read the book and find out how we did it. Warts and all.

So well written! I cannot encourage you enough to get this book. Just a trully interesting love story. I was surprised to find myself absorbed in it. AW/BW aside this was just a beautifully told love story.

I absolutely loved this book, over the years my love for Japan had faltered but A Drummer's Beat to Mend surely reconnected me with my love for Japan and its culture. The book is gorgeous slow but it warms up appropriately to whet you appetite for a good and well organized book that explores the love between McKenna and Tetsuro

I really loved this book. The characters end the story are beautiful. I was really suprised and happy. A very good read. The story flows and keeps you excited to see how it turns out. This is the 1st book that read by Kei Swanson and I will continue to read her books. It was well worth it.

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down. I was stuck within the story of Tetsu and McKenna. It was romantic, charming and sexy:) Thanks to the Author for putting such a story on the market.

This was an excellent, excellent read. Absolutely well written. Both characters wer easily identifiable and both were written to be easily fallen inlove with. I recommend this book to anyone who is openminded about black and asian relationships and to anyone who are just openminded about ALL different kinds of interracial relationships. This book is great and great to read time after time after time!

Amazing story, great idea to think of this whole story. I feel bad for Yuki and her family. Although I'm glad it turned out pretty happy.

Journey to Topaz was an interesting book. It was sad and very touching. The main character was a sweet girl who was determined to help make things right for her loved ones. She and her family faced painful separations from their friends and even each other. It is a great book that shows you what Japanese familys had to go through during World War II.

Journey to topaz is a story that takes place during world war II. The main characters are a japanese-american family that is sent to an internment camp.
They are put through many trials testing their will.

I think this book is a wonderful story because it shows the reader what life was like at that time from the view of a person put into the camp.

A girl named Yuki is sent to an internment camp with her family, but her father is sent to a different camp. They were sent to this camp after the Pearl harbor bombing. In the camp, Yuki meets Emi, a girl that becomes her friend. When the family is released, Ken, Yuki's brother, wants to join the army and fight for the U.S.A.

Books arrived in a timely manner (even though it was during the holidays!) and are in perfect condition.

Journey to Topaz was a great book. I think that this book was a very gripping and touching story. It taught me a lot of lessons, i.e. don't always complain that I don't have everything that I want because there are people in the world that aren't as fortunate as me. I've also learned that people should be treated equally, even if we don't have the same skin colour or the same hight, we are still the same on the inside. Now I know how hard it is to let someone, that you love, go. I can imagine how Yuki felt when her dad left her and when she had to let of Pepper. I also like the way the author added in Japanese words to make the book more interesting. This book showed that not only the Jews were effected in World War II, but the Japanese were just as scared and threatened as the Jews. I would recommend this book to everyone that thinks that Japanese people are spiolt and get whatever they want. I would also recommend this book to people that think their parents aren't getting them everything they want. All I want to say is that this was an excellent book and it taught many teachings.

This is my favorite Lois-Ann Yamanaka story so far - and I love them all! Heads by Harry characters walk right out of the book and into your life. They are real and interesting and sexy and facinating. Lois-Ann is not afraid to deal with characters who have real struggles, real disappointments, real fun and real feelings. If you have visited Hawaii or live in Hawaii you will appreciate "da kine" pidgin phrases and the colorful local dialogue. Hawaii families are special and this book illustrates why. I love this family and the way they deal with the strange circumstances they find themselves facing. Thank you Lois-Ann for this terrific book!

Lois-Ann Yamanaka's ability to capture the true essence of growing up in Hawai'i is amazing. Though hard for me to swallow at times, Yamanaka boldly explores the darker side of our island paradise as well. Yamanaka bravely incorporates the realities of drugs, sex, unplanned pregnancy and failure into "Heads by Harry." At the same time, she is able to weave all of these things into each character in a different way. This is what makes her book an excellent reading; especially for those of us who grew up in Hawai'i during the timeframe focused on in her book (mid 1970's-mid 1980's) all the way up until now.

It is easy to spot reoccuring character personalities in her books(especially in Toni), however, she always manages to add a little twist to each one. The characters in "Heads by Harry" were more likable in contrast to the characters in "Blu's Hanging." Certain aspects in her book might be a little misleading to someone who hasn't grown up in Hawai'i (or lived here a long time). This can create stereotypes about the island culture.

Regardless, "Heads by Harry" is a wonderful book. I absolutely fell in love with the characters, the atmosphere, the plot, the scenary, and the language. I especially loved the friendly neighbor relations between the Yagyuus' and the Santos'. Such a lovely sentiment, only on Mamo street.

Never have I read a book that was capable of making me laugh and cry so much in one sitting as Blu's Hanging. As one who reads much literature voraciously, Blu's Hanging gets my highest marks for accurate portayal of the crisis of being humyn. This book is not all rosy and joy, but instead a realistic journey of growing up poor in Hawai'i and the inherent challenges involved. Not for the weak minded, I recommend this book to everyone who wants to be drawn into a world of Hawai'i the touristry industry would rather not have us know.

Yamanaka's novels have always shocked me, and I love them for it. She depicts the poor, the close-minded, substance abusers and every other type of "unpleasant" character yet makes me feel I understand them, like I can forgive them. This story of Toni's growing up is so multi-layered - there are so many subtleties to pick up on, that I've read it over and over. Also, she describes sex and attraction in a way that is so true and genuine. I can't gush about her enough. Sure I'm just another mainlander, but the Hawaii Yamanaka has shown me makes me feel like I really know the hard life of the working class on the island; she shows the side that tourists don't see, behind the high-rise resorts and pretty beaches.

HEADS BY HARRY by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
March 26, 2005

I read this book last summer while vacationing on Maui, the almost-perfect place to read a book that takes place in Hawaii. In HEADS BY HARRY, main character Toni Yagyuu is telling her story of what her life is like living on the big island of Hawaii.

Toni is the middle child of a lower middle class Japanese American family. Her father, Harry O, is the local taxidermist, and it seems like she's being groomed to take over the family business one of these days. The novel details the dysfunctional life that Toni is growing up in, while at the same time it is shown with a touch of humor. I always find Yamanaka's books very interesting, showing a different side to the Japanese American experience that is so far apart from that of those living on the mainland. While there is a lot of humor in this book, I found it more tragic than funny, and although Toni always finds a way to come up on top, the ending to this story is one that I had hoped could have been avoided. Still, I do commend this book, especially since Yamanaka did not go with a Hollywood ending and gave Toni a more realistic ending for a person such as her.

Besides the interesting story line, the characters of this novel jump out at the reader and make the story that more compelling. I especially liked the character of Sheldon, Toni's gay brother, and his dream of being a hairdresser. I had a hard time liking a lot of the other characters, mainly because they were mean spirited, a product of their environment. The reader will watch Toni grow up and eventually make a go at it in college. It is almost painful to watch her try and fail, her dreams always too far to reach.

HEADS BY HARRY is yet another novel by Yamanaka that takes the reader into the life of the Japanese American living on the Hawaiian Islands. The culture in itself is fascinating to read about, and while this was an interesting read, this reader enjoyed BLU'S HANGING much more. Both books are tragicomedies, a type of book that maybe not all readers will enjoy.

The book is a good book, but in the middle, too many good things happen that don't make me want to keep reading. However the authors purpose is good, and it helps with understanding World War II, and what happened to Japanese people. I like the book emotionally.

"The Journey Home" provides insight into the injustices of Japanese Americans. Yuki asks about the security threat and the Japanese are shocked believing not security threat exists. A band of boys caused some disruptance without any real damage. The Japanese morally should have had a right to "face their accusor", a right to legal counsel, receive "due process of the law", and a "speedy trial" before being sentenced as a prisoner. The incareration became a "best bad thing": 1. The Japanese distributed throughout the United States away from tight knitted Budhist communities and intergrated into American culture 2. The Japanese intermarried, abandoned traditions, and adopted Christian belief systems. 3. The Japanese exported skills and talent over a large geographical area and through hard work were rich within a decade. Japanese brain power help America surge forward into prosperity. 4. The Japanese community formed strong bonds of friendship, cooperation, and trust due to the hardships and trials they suffered.

Injustices included forced sell furniture and personal items, lotting of stored items, property was lost, the Japanese were given prison numbers and report times; no legal representation - constitutional preemption of personal liberties based on military national interests; the Japanese were not fairly financial reimburse or restored for the lands, homes, and possession they lost; the Japanese travel by cattle cars to camp and the women in coaches; and the Japanese spent years in forced confinement until the war neared completion.

Yuki and her family were sent to Topaz. Yuki describes living conditions as dusty and hot. The Japanese were forced to eat beans, potatoes, and pork; a diet foreign to them. Yuki describes the murder of her friend Emi, grandfather, who was shot while walking along the gate. The guards were suppose to protect the prisoners, but instead it seems they harrassed the prisoners and used them as target practice. The soldiers claimed the old man was trying to escape. The Japanese community claimed he was not.

Yuki and her family were allowed early leave from the prison camp and lived in a small apartment in Salt Lake City. Yuki accidently breaks a vase that her mother kept. Yuki suffers from anxiety relating to her brother fighting in Italy for the 442nd. Yuki fears her brother is hurt or will die on foreign soil.

Hope is restored for the family. Yuki's father learns the California law banishing all Japanese Americans from California has beenrevoked. Yuki is called a "Jap" by a white lady and told to "go home, we don't want you here." Yuki asks her mother to attend her as she uses a remote bathroom and her mother agrees without question. Yuki and her family arrive after many days traveling by train to Berkley, made possible by sponsership from Reverend Wada. Yuki learns that her brother Cal has been injuried while fighting in Italy under the 442nd group and will return home.

Mr. Oka wants to buy back his store. Mr Oka sold his store for $400 and the new owner wants $5,000 to buy it back. Yuki's father offers to help Mr. Oka and tells him that the Japanese community will need to group together resources to help start business again, a financial credit union, brillant. The financial brillance of this idea was amazing. I image that if communities today worked in such cooperation then less small business would fail. The Japanese community raise the finances without the burdensome weight of interest.

"That our son Ken", "Just about your age Ken", "Our son was killed in Iwa Jima", "Your son was killed by the Japanese? It could have been the son of one of her friends in Japan who had thrown the grenade or pulled the trigger or thrust the bayonet that had killed Johnny Olssen" Stephen Ollsen says to Mr Oka, "but try now to forgive us if you can. Don't destroy yourself with anymore bitterness." Mr Oka replied, "I guess forgiving does take the bundle of hate off your back. Still, when you've been wronged for so many years..." Mr. Oka then looked at Ken and said, "I suppose we need to forgive ourselves, just as much as other people."

Journey Home is an very interesting book. The story takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah where Yuki and her family strugle to live and be free, and happy.
The camp in the desert is where Yuki and her family, friends and neibors have the terrifying experinces of their life.

This is an exciting book. I would rate this book around a five.
I would recommend this book to almost everyone because this incidenthad occured before in life.

Everybody knows that a concentration camp is where they gas people, starve them, rape them and generally turn them into lamp shades and soap. The girl in the book was not sent to a concentration camp as mentioned in the book... she was sent to an INTERNMENT camp. This book is a fictional account, not a true story, of a fictional girl set in a historical setting during the Japanese interments. The internment camps did none of the aforementioned to the unfortunate Japanese and Japanese-americans in the american camps. (one third of them were not american citizens). Also this occurred only to the people from the west coastal states, where the US was most vulnerable to attacks from Japan, (a fact rarely mentioned in us history). most were given a choice to move to another state or to an internment camp. Most chose the camps, an obvious show of trust that they would be treated safely, (which they were).... Overall a good touching book, but was writtem 30 years after the war, with little regard to US war-time sentiments of the forties.

The book "Journey Home" by Yoshiko Uchida truly reflects the gowvernment and American society during World War 2. It shows that the American government wasn't as thoughtful or complex as it is today. They thought that since one group of Japenese was dangerous, then they all must be dangerous. They forced all of the Japenese out of their homes on the coast of the US and into internment camps. In these camps, their "apartments" were actually smelly, old horse stalls. In this book it shows the struggles of a poor Japenes-American girl and he family. Could you imagine being in this young girl's shoes? Not having hot water, having to wash your clothes in a barrel, not to mention the waiting in line just to wash your clothes. But this book woke me up and made me think abot being in her shoes, walking where she walked, and it was the greatest experience to read and imagine. This forshadowing and exilerating story will fly you to another place and show you what life was like for Japanese families during World War 2. It will take you on an adventure; without making you pay for an airplane ticket.:)

Reviewed by Beth Cummings

"What color is the sea?" Early in this fascinating novel, Fujiwara-san, an elderly man who agrees to teach the young protagonist, Isamu (Sam) the ways of a samurai, asks Sam this question. He has been quizzing Sam about the colors of everything he sees for about six months, but finally Sam gives the answer the old man seeks..."I see light blue and dark blue and gray and green and black and white and yellow and orange. I see green. Gray-green, dull green, bright green, yellow-green, blue-green..."

Finally he asks Sam the color of the shadow of a fish that jumped. When Sam answers that the shadow had no color but just darkened the colors it passed, over the old man is delighted. This is the first test of many as Sam learns the way of a samurai - the ancient Japanese tradition of martial arts combined with philosophy and honor.

John Hamamura received the 2007 Alex Award for this coming-of-age story of a Japanese-American boy, born in Hawaii, schooled first in Japan then in Hawaii, and finally in California. Isamu reads and writes in both English and Japanese and he understands the both cultures. These are the years leading up to WWII. When the war begins, Sam enlists to fight the Germans, but unlike many of his nisei (Japanese born in the United States) friends, he is not sent to the European front. Instead he becomes a teacher of Japanese culture and translator for the Army that will eventually be fighting his native country. His mother, brother and sister still live in Japan. He lives a life that is torn between two honorable courses of action - serve one's country (the U.S.) or honor one's family living in the enemy land.

Hamamura himself came from a background like his character, Isamu, and has an intriguing way of telling this story. It starts slow and builds, layer upon layer. It gives a realistic look at what it meant to be a Japanese-American during WWII and also insight into what divided loyalties can do to a person in any kind of situation.

Armchair Interviews says: This would be a great book for reading group discussions.

This is a wonderful story that holds your attention throughout, and helps you learn about the clash and blending of cultures as well. It was located in the Young Adult section in my library, but as with many books today, is an excellent read for adults as well. His story should still resonate today, and reminds us of some of the casualties of wartime.

The attention to detail in establishing the martial arts discipline was very key to the understanding of the overall plot. John Hamamura did a very nice job of building that information base in almost a sen-like way allowing the reader to see the story materialize in their mind in a comforting manner rather than have the images appear like someone is using a laser pointer to circle and highlight the profound wisdoms of a teacher to be later quizzed on. Interesting internal conflicts, and the historical implications leave one to ponder, what if?

If you enjoy a story that has a multi-faceted plot then I highly recommend Color of the Sea. It is a novel that really makes you think about life.

The author paints a vivid scene with talented prose and rich description. The characters are real and engaging. This novel is for anyone who enjoys a deep read. I just can't say enough about it. I am recommending it to all my friends. Awesome!

I checked previous reviews and was astonished to find so many readers giving this book five-star raves. The topic appealed to me because little fiction has appeared (to my knowledge) about World War Two - what led up to it and how it was experienced, from the viewpoint of the Japanese and Japanese-Americans who lived through those years.

I agree with the reviewer who finds the use of present tense awkward and inappropriate to the plot. The narration and prose style reminded me of the cheap magazines my aunts were reading (and I was forbidden) in the 1920s and 1930s. There is a great story there, but it is told very badly.

Yes it sounds oxymoronic but it is so! Sidney Stewart manages to make us share the most awful condtions human beings can be submitted to but never get desperate about a possible change.A lesson of humility and courage.

In this picture of the Bataan Death march, you will see it from a totally unique point of view. The atrocities, pain and suffering remain the same as in all accounts, but the element of faith stands alone as the catalyst for survival. The faith of a Godly priest and the faith of those men around him. Sidney Stewart didn't hate his captors in spite of their brutality. He had faith in God and his fellow man. That faith was laced by a tenacity and will to live that is seldom seen. No matter how many books you have read on this subject, you MUST read this one. it will humble you.

I cannot recommend this book more highly if, for no other reason, than to help us value freedom and recognize what has been..and is being...lost to preserve it. This is an astounding story.

Mr. Stewart describes his experiences after the fall of Bataan in prose that I could not. He was...calm, objective, fair. The torture, starvation, suffering, and gross and endless inhumanity were beyond my capacity for such rational treatment.

When you read a chapter, you go, "My God, that was unbelievable." Then the next chapter exceeds the previous. This goes on throughout the book and that is why I could not put it down.

I didn't get the sense Mr. Stewart had any agenda in writing this book, but there are very powerful lessons to be learned. First, de-emphasize your problems and consider yourself very blessed - it's a matter of perspective and if you don't get it from this book, you never will. Second, freedom is not free and the price becomes infinite if you wait for the bad guys to act first.

I first read this book about 35 years ago when I found in my summer camp's library. Turns out my father, who survived Bataan and spent the rest of the war as a POW, knew the author while imprisoned. He said it was as accurate a portrayal as he had seen.

Stewart's memoir of the appalling horrors of the Bataan Death March are a testimony to the heights and depths of humanity. His gripping description of the battle and experiences of captivity continue to inspire and shock sixty years later. Every student of World War II and history should read this story. I've often wondered what became of Mr. Stewart after the war and what the families of his comrades who did not survive their ordeal thought of their loved ones' heroism. Father Cummings should have been canonized or beatified. A must read.

The Ronin,
Based on a Zen myth, this masterpiece of story telling peels back layers of your own psyche as you read.
The Ronin is a unique blend of wonder and horror, adventure and revelation, heroism and monstrosity. (attributes sometimes displayed by the same characters).
The characters and reader alike are stripped bare in this journey, if the reader is open to it.
At the end we find that just as Jennings did upon reading the original Zen Myth "The Tunnel" , we have read all we need to know about the human condition in this brief story.
Despite the books sublime economy of keystrokes, we are left absorbing a tale Biblical in it's scale of revelations.

This book can change you, it can show you more about yourself than you may want to know.

Read it. I've done so more times than I can recall. It has answered so many questions for me I have lost count. I turn to it like an old friend, or an analyst in time of need.

I didnt liked the book. I'm really a samurai's books fan and i'm intersting in Japan.
The characters in the book are very superficial and the calumny is not suit to Japan in those times and also very shellow. It looks like the author wrote the book without really study japan's culture in the time where the story takes place. It may be good book for childrens although it is very violent. Maybe i compred it to "Shogun" by James Clavell which is a better book on that time, by far.

This book is a bizarre combination of overheated 1950s men's magazine pulp fiction, Tom of Finland erotica, Japanese martial arts and genuine Zen Buddhist wisdom. Chances are you've never read anything like it. Like a Zen parable, it is challenging, heartbreaking, disturbing and strangely moving. Written by William Dale Jennings, a hero of the early gay rights movement and well-known 1950s screenwriter, it is a classic of purple prose and unexpected insight. It is filled with earthy, violent and sexual images, but then again so is real life. Don't let the overwrought prose fool you - it is definitely a creature of its (chauvinist) era and a reflection of its author, but superficial it is not. It is well worth reading, even if only for the camp value. And don't stop halfway!

This is a wonderful eccentric book that is not meant to be the asian version of cowboys and indians. Instead, the story reveals the path to, and meaning of, a warrior's discipline, the elusiveness of truth, and the value of non-attachment all told through a subtle and beguiling tale that (never fear) does have moments of sex and violence.
I read this book 30 years ago. It was treasured, never re-sold and never re-read until recently. Now it is even more treasured.
If your interest is merely expert swordplay or exquisite ceremony this is probably not for you. If your interest is more than historical and more than martial then this is a fantastic read.

I first read this story back in high school and had nearly forgotten it. I came across a quote from the story in an old file and discovered the book could still be acquired. The quote: "When life is more terrible than death, then it is the truest valor to dare to live." In these times we live in it is humbling to think that mankind has struggled for thousands of years against all odds to dare to live.