So Far from the Bamboo Grove facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Yoko Kawashima Watkins |
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| Cover artist | Leo & Diane Dillon |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | War novel, Autobiographical novel |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
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Publication date
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April 1986 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 192 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-688-13115-9 |
| OCLC | 426064992 |
| LC Class | PZ7.W3235 So 1994 |
| Followed by | My Brother, My Sister, and I |
So Far from the Bamboo Grove is a story based on real life written by Yoko Kawashima Watkins. She is a Japanese American writer. The book was first published in April 1986.
Watkins's book takes place at the end of Japan's rule over Korea, which lasted 35 years. The main character is an eleven-year-old Japanese girl named Yoko Kawashima. Her father works for the Japanese government. Yoko and her family must leave their home in Nanam, a city in northern Korea. They escape south to Seoul, then to Busan, hoping to return to Japan.
Contents
The Story of Yoko's Journey
The story begins with Yoko Kawashima, her mother, brother, and sister living in Nanam. Yoko is 11 years old. They live in North Korea during World War II. Yoko's father works in China. As the war nears its end, Yoko and her family realize they are in danger. They try to escape back to Japan. Communist troops are getting closer to North Korea.
Yoko's brother, Hideyo, also tries to leave. But he gets separated from his family. He has to work at an ammunition factory. The women of the family get on a train to Seoul. They use a special letter from a family diplomat. Their trip is stopped by a bomb. It explodes 45 miles from Seoul. Yoko is hurt by the bombing. The women have to walk the rest of the way.
After getting medical help in Seoul, Yoko, her sister Ko, and their mother get on another train. They go to Busan, then take a ship to Japan.
Life in Japan
When Yoko, Ko, and their mother reach Fukuoka, Japan, it is not what Yoko expected. It is not the beautiful, welcoming place she dreamed of. They end up living in a train station. They search in the garbage for food to survive.
Eventually, Yoko's mother travels to Kyoto to find her family. Then she goes to Aomori. She hopes to get help from her parents. But she finds out they are both dead. Their mother dies on the same day. This leaves Yoko and Ko waiting for their brother Hideyo. Their mother's last words were to keep their wrapping cloth. She had hidden money there for her children.
Yoko starts a new school. She enters and wins an essay contest. The prize is money. News of her winning is in the newspaper. Hideyo finally reaches Busan. He finds a message left for him by Yoko. After reaching Japan, he sees signs with his name and Yoko and Ko's address. He asks locals for directions. Yoko spots him, and they are reunited.
Yoko Kawashima Watkins also wrote a second book. It is called My Brother, My Sister, and I.
Book Translations
A Korean version of this book was published in 2005. It was called Yoko iyagi (요코이야기), meaning "Yoko's tale." About 4,000 copies were sold at first. However, the book was soon stopped from being sold.
A Japanese version came out in June 2013. Its title is Takebayashi haruka tōku : Nihonjin shōjo Yōko no sensō taikenki. This means "Bamboo grove far distant: Japanese girl Yōko's war experience account." By June 7, 2013, it was the number one best-selling book on Amazon in Japan.
Things People Discuss About the Story
Some people in Korea have called the book "autobiographical fiction." This means it's a story based on real life, but some parts might be made up. They believe there are some things in the book that are not historically accurate. Some historians say that certain events Yoko describes are imagined. However, the author says she wrote her experience exactly as she remembered it.
About U.S. Bombers
In her book, Watkins writes about seeing U.S. B-29 bombers. These planes were identified by someone named Mr. Enomoto. Some historians question this. They say there were no bombings in that specific area in July or August 1945. The author replied that she did not say these planes bombed her hometown of Nanam.
However, U.S. bombers were flying missions in the general area of Korea at that time. For example, a book by Yoshio Morita says that from July 12, 1945, American B-29s attacked Rajin and Ungi in Northeast Korea. They dropped mines into the harbor.
An airplane attack did happen on the train Yoko was on. But she has not claimed she could tell if the aircraft were American. Some Korean media questioned this part. They said American military did not bomb North Korea during the time of the story. The train was stopped by the attack 45 miles before Seoul.
About Korean Communist Groups
When asked, the author admitted she could not be sure if the armed people her family met were "Korean Communists." But she used that label in her book. She explained that she assumed this because she heard that communists had taken over the areas they left behind. In another part of the book, Yoko's mother tells her that Koreans had formed an "Anti-Japanese Communist Army."
A historian from Harvard, Carter Eckert, looked at these points. He said the only organized Korean "Communist Army" at that time would have been guerrilla fighters. These were led by Kim Il Sung, who was trained by the Soviets. But Kim Il Sung did not arrive in Korea until early September 1945. However, there might have been "local Korean communist groups" present.
Actually, there was a report on August 8 that 80 strong Korean men were seen with the Soviet Army. They crossed the border into To-ri. This town was a short distance by speedboat from Russia.
In the book, "Korean Communist soldiers" did not have their uniforms. Yoko, her sister, and mother used them as a disguise. Some media reports said this term could only mean soldiers of the "Korean People's Army." This army was not created until 1948. So, they argued Yoko was describing uniforms that did not exist then.
Awards for the Book
Yoko Kawashima Watkins received the Literary Lights for Children Award in 1998. This award was given by the Associates of the Boston Public Library. She also won the Courage of Conscience Award from the Peace Abbey.
