Literature Anthology: Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

Say, A. (1993). Grandfather’s journey. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Summary:

Grandfather’s Journey is a historical fiction picture book about a Japanese American man reminiscing about his grandfather and his own life and their experiences living in Japan and America prior to, during, and after World War II. The settings include Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and then various locations throughout America. While in Japan, a village setting is shown along with an urban setting. A variety of settings are depicted throughout America. The narrator starts off sharing the story of his grandfather’s journey to America when he was a young man. The grandfather has new experiences, sees new sites, and sees people of different ethnicities. The grandfather eventually returns to Japan and gets married. The couple moves back to America, and they have a daughter. The grandfather longs to be back in Japan, and eventually his family returns to Japan. This time, his family lives in a city. His daughter grows up and gets married. The couple has one child, and that child is the narrator of this story. The narrator fondly remembers his visits with his grandfather. The grandfather misses California and plans a trip to return there. The war prevents him from going back to America. During the war, their home is destroyed. The family moves back to the village where the grandfather grew up. His grandfather never ends up being able to see America again. Eventually, the narrator moves to California and shares many experiences similar to his grandfather’s experiences. He marries, and they have one daughter. The narrator, like his grandfather, misses his homeland. The narrator feels as if he truly knows his grandfather since the two of them have shared similar experiences and have similar feelings about their experiences. They both felt torn between loving and longing for both countries.

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