The Buddha Reads Bookclub met via Zoom on October 27th to discuss the book Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. The group was unanimous in its praise of the novel. Bob mentioned how the book weaves together many elements, such as a murder, a trial, a love affair, and the internment of Japanese residents. The novel is set on the fictional island of San Piedro in the Puget Sound region of Washington, shortly after World War II. The story centers on a murder trial in which Kabuo Miyamoto, a JapaneseAmerican fisherman, is accused of killing Carl Heine, a fellow fisherman of German descent. The novel explores themes of love, prejudice, and justice in the small, racially divided community, especially in light of the lingering impact of the war and the internment of Japanese Americans.
Joan liked the characters in the book, especially the defense attorney, Nels Gudmundsson, and the reporter for the local paper, Ishmael Chambers. Danny remarked that, of all the books the book club had read about Japanese internment, Snow Falling on Cedars did the best job of showing the conditions in the camps.
Sandy followed up the discussion with some historical background. The internment portion of the story is based on events that took place on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The Japanese residents were “evacuated” by ferry to the horse stables in Puyallup, and many were later sent to Manzanar, California. This event also had an impact on many farmers in the Kent Valley, whose fruit and vegetable farms were left in disarray. When they returned, it was difficult to rebuild their livelihoods. Even those who had promised to help sometimes faced hostility and were unable to properly care for the land.
The members of the club voted for the next set of books, and the results of the voting are as follows, showing the seven books we will read next, in order:
• Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
• Secret Harvests: A Hidden Story of Separation and the Resilience of a Family Farm by David Mas Masumoto
• The Women by Kristin Hannah
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Redshirts by John Scalzi
• Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel by Heather Morris