by Christine Wanta
Concord Pubic Library

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

This is an outstanding, beautifully-written novel about a Japanese American family living in California who are sent to an internment camp in the Utah desert during World War II. Its themes of lost freedom, war's effort on humanity and the treatment of other races during wartime resonate with events in the United States and around the world.

Check out a copy at the library or buy a copy at the local bookstore. This is a book that stays with you and makes you want to learn more about the government's internment of Japanese Americans. Join us for the book discussions and other related programs that are certain to promote great discussions. Don't miss this gem of a book and the interesting Concord Reads events we have planned!

Programs - we will have a variety of programs to participate in. One is a program for Children titled "Lanterns and Cranes" which will involve crafts and/or books on Japanese culture. Two are book discussion programs, one on a Sunday afternoon with Bob Pingree (retired English teacher from Concord High School) and Jennifer Lee (retired Professor of English from UNH), and one during lunchtime on a Tuesday with Jennifer Lee.

Dr. Allen Koop of Dartmouth College will give a program on Camp Stark, a German World War II camp in New Hampshire. This program, primarily about Camp Stark, also shows the contrast between the German POWs at Camp Stark and the Japanese American internment camps.

Dean John Hutson of the Franklin Pierce Law Center will lead a program "What does Winning Mean?" He says "we will talk about the relocation of the Japanese Americans during World War II and whether that experience taught us lessons we should apply now. We will also talk about the purpose of war and what it means to win."

Dr. Richard Minear, Professor at UMass Amherst, will give a slide lecture and presentation on his book Dr. Seuss Goes to War. Dr. Minear will discuss United States attitudes toward Japan before and immediately after Pearl Harbor, and the media portrayal of the Japanese using Dr. Seuss' editorial cartoons.

Finally, Carl Watanabe, former New Hampshire resident and WEVO announcer will give a program, "Starting Life Behind Barbed Wire: Growing Up in An Internment Camp". Carl Watanabe spent the first years of his life in a remote concentration camp in Arizona. He was among the 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry incarcerated during World War II. Two thirds of the people were citizens and half were children.

The above events are free and open to the public. 2) Tuesday, October 10th, 4:15 p.m. - Children's Program Lanterns and Cranes 3) Sunday, October 15th, 2 p.m. - Community Book Discussion with Bob Pingree and Jennifer Lee. 4) Tuesday, October 17th, 12:10 p.m. - Brown Bag Book Discussion with Jennifer Lee. 5) Wednesday, October 18th, 7 p.m. - Camp Stark with Dr. Koop. 6) Tuesday, October 24th, 2 p.m. - Dean John Hutson What Does Winning Mean? 7) Sunday, October 29th, 2 p.m. - Dr. Seuss Goes to War Richard Minear program.

Concord Reads is funded by the Concord Public Library Foundation, Northeast Cultural Coop, and the New Hampshire Humanities Council. In-kind support provided by: the Concord Public Library, Gibson's Bookstore, and the Concord Monitor.