Much has been written about the Sino-Japanese War and World War II. I relied on the following works for historical accuracy: Honda Katsuichi’s The Nanjing Massacre, Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking, Marjorie Lee’s Duty & Honor, the essays in The Home-Front War (edited by Kenneth Paul O’Brien and Lynn Hudson Parsons), and the remarkable (if bigoted) coverage in Time and Life. The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco was invaluable for its time line and details of events that happened in the Bay Area during the war. Patsy Sumie Saiki’s Ganbare! and Yasutaro Soga’s Life Behind Barbed Wire gave me a vivid sense of what life was like for Issei and Nisei in Hawaii in the hours and days immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, as well as the experience of those who were sent to internment camps.
I grew up hearing stories of internment from friends and family, but I’d also like to acknowledge the wonderful oral histories of Janet Daijogo, Fumi Hayashi, Chizu Iiyama, and Masaru Kawaguichi about their experiences at Topaz, which can be found on the Telling Stories website. I have long been a fan of Kyoko Mori’s memoir, Polite Lies, in which she writes about the differences between American and Japanese culture. Writer Naomi Hirahara gave me some eleventh-hour advice on Japanese words and phrases. You Don’t Know Jack, a documentary about Jack Soo, né Goro Suzuki, illustrated how yet another performer was able to navigate difficult times. Regarding the concept of “they all look alike,” I recommend the following website to see how good you are at telling the differences: http://alllooksame.com/exam_room.php.
A few special words about Bob Loomis, my longtime editor, now retired. Bob spent a lot of time in Plain City as a little boy, and he filled my head with many colorful stories. Bob was also an airman, who visited Los Angeles (and its myriad nightclubs) during the war. I studied his The Story of the U.S. Air Force, and asked him dozens of questions about training and planes. Beyond all that, I’m grateful for his friendship, generosity, and encouragement to me over the years. I would not be the writer I am if not for him.
All this leads me to the people without whom my words would be as vapor. My agent, Sandra Dijkstra, and the industrious women in her office are unfailingly loyal, caring, and compassionate. My editors, Susan Kamil and Kara Cesare, were forthright, thoughtful, and meticulous. Gina Centrello and everyone else at Random House-Benjamin Dreyer, Vincent La Scala, Barbara Fillon, Maria Braeckel, Sally Marvin, Laura Goldin, and so many more-believe in me, support me, and help me in innumerable ways. Closer to home, I wish to thank Nicole Bruno and Mari Lemus for their hard work and thoughtfulness. My mother-in-law, Elaine Kendall, told me wonderful details about clothes during World War II. My mother, Carolyn See, and my sister, Clara Sturak, read the manuscript and gave me loving advice. Last, none of this would matter if not for my husband, Richard Kendall; my sons, Alexander and Christopher; and my daughter-in-law, Elizabeth.
Thank you, everyone.
About the Author
LISA SEE is the New York Times bestselling author of Dreams of Joy, Shanghai Girls, Peony in Love, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Flower Net (an Edgar Award nominee), The Interior, and Dragon Bones, as well as the critically acclaimed memoir On Gold Mountain. The Organization of Chinese American Women named her the 2001 National Woman of the Year. She lives in Los Angeles.
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Lisa See is available for select readings and lectures. To inquire about a possible appearance, please contact the Random House Speakers Bureau at 212-572-2013 or rhspeakers@randomhouse.com.
