Obaasan's Boots

Written by Lara Jean Okihiro and Janis Bridger

Illustrated by Yuka Yamaguchi

Published by Second Story Press (October 2023)

Distributed by Ampersand/UTP & in the USA by Orca

Ages 9-12 | 160 pages | ISBN 9781772603484 | 5.25 x 7.5

Available from the publisher or wherever books are sold

“Grandma, what do you mean when you say,

‘Our family lost everything?’”

Cousins Lou and Charlotte have never called their grandma “Obaasan”—the Japanese word for grandmother. In fact, they are coming to realize that there is a lot they don’t know about their beloved Grandma’s life. When she invites them to spend the day planting in her garden, the girls know this is their chance to learn more about the secrets of their family’s past.

Grandma shares stories of her childhood in Vancouver and her experience as a Japanese Canadian during WWII, revealing the painful story of Japanese internment. Her family was forced apart. Whole communities were uprooted from their homes, moved into camps and ghost towns, their belongings stolen.

Lou and Charlotte struggle to understand how their family could have been treated so terribly by their own country, even as they marvel at their grandmother’s strength and resilience. The girls begin to see how their identities have been shaped by racism, and that history is not only about the past.

Praise for Obaasan's Boots

“Beautifully done.”

— Joy Kogawa, author of Obasan, Naomi’s Road, and Naomi’s Tree

“A book that so beautifully captures the intimate and ongoing effects of internment on post war Japanese Canadian families.”

— Kyo Maclear, author of Virginia Wolf, The Wish Tree, It Began with a Page, and Unearthing.

“A poignant and candid representation of the historical injustices endured by Canada’s Japanese communities during the Second World War. … It provides a positive message about connecting with the past and feeling proud of one’s roots.” Highly Recommended

— Huai-Yang Lim, CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“A moving novel with much to recommend it to adult readers as well as to younger people.”

— Valerie Adolph, Historical Novel Society

Background

Written by cousins Lara Jean Okihiro and Janis Bridger, Obaasan’s Boots is based on the true story of their Japanese Canadian grandparents who, in 1942, along with 22,000 others, were forced from their homes and sent to an internment camp. Teaching readers about the Japanese Canadian internment, the book provides details of the event, and of the racism that existed before and beyond it.

The story also explores the impact the experience has had on later generations and is full of social emotional learning as the children deal with the mysterious silences that surround their family’s past, the strong disagreements between family members, family separation, lost language, and the trauma they’ve inherited.

The book is suitable for readers of all ages who are interested in learning more about Nikkei internment in North America, Canadian history and WWII, anti-Asian racism, intergenerational relationships, and family stories.

The book includes

An Historical Timeline of WWII events for people of Japanese heritage in North America;
An Afterword that explains the background of the story, why it was important for the authors to write the story, and connections to other events in Canadian history;
And historical Photos.

Click here to download the “Obaasan’s Boots Reading Guide” by author Lara Okihiro. The Guide includes discussion questions and activities and is an excellent reference for educators, reading groups, and book clubs.

About the authors

Lara Jean Okihiro is a writer, researcher, and educator of mixed Japanese Canadian heritage living in Toronto. Intrigued by the power and magic of stories, she earned a Master’s (Goldsmiths, University of London) and a Doctorate (University of Toronto) in English. Living abroad inspired her to learn about her family’s internment experience. She has lectured and published internationally on literature, the Japanese Canadian internment, issues of racism, memory, trauma, and education. Lara’s diverse creative work emphasizes social justice and carrying the lessons of the past into the future. She is currently working on another book inspired by her family’s experience called Lost Objects: Literature and the Dispossession of Incarcerated Nikkei (McGill-Queens University Press).

Janis Bridger is an educator and writer who has many creative outlets and a love for the outdoors. She lives in Vancouver, Canada, close to where her Japanese Canadian grandparents lived before being interned. Janis earned a diploma in Professional Photography (Langara College), and a Master of Education (University of Alberta), specializing in teacher-librarianship. Social justice, diversity, and kindness are paramount in her life and embedded in her everyday teaching.