Enlighten Me

Enlighten Me is a graphic novel by Minh Le. It features a young boy named Binh who gets in trouble at school after he hits another boy who has been bullying him over his Vietnamese heritage. He is afraid of being suspended but only receives a verbal warning from the vice principal at his school. During the summer break, Binh's parents take him and his two sisters on a silent meditation retreat. Binh has to turn in his electronics and refrain from talking for an entire weekend. Of course, he is bored. However, when a Buddhist nun gathers all the kids to tell them the Jataka tales - the stories of the Buddha’s many past lives - Bình takes a fantastical dive into his imagination and starts to see himself in these stories. The questions remains, will he retreat further into himself or will he emerge from the weekend open to change?

This is a funny story written for kids 9 - 12. I learned a few new facts about the life of the Buddha that I have not read elsewhere in adult books. The Jakarta tales were new to me and I want to learn about all of them. While Bình is the protagonist of the story, the book is really an introduction into the life of Buddha. I was impressed that Bình found peace at the retreat but I guess that is the whole point of the book. The fact that he obtained this in the short span of a weekend seems like a fairy tale but, then again, it's a children's book.

5 out of 5 stars.

Okinawa

Okinawa is a manga story that examines the history of Okinawa, Japan and its military occupation by the U. S. It is a manga classic that was recently translated into English and it was published in the U. S. in August 2023.  I have not read any manga before but enjoy reading about history in comic form so I picked up this book. The comic won several awards: 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction - Longlist, American Library Association Best Comics for Adults 2023, Booklist Editors' Choice: Best Graphic Novels 2023, and Washington Post Book World Editors' Staff Pick 2023.

The publisher's summary:

A peaceful, independent kingdom until its annexation by the Japanese Empire in the 19th century, Okinawa was the site of the most destructive land battle of the Pacific War. Today, the archipelago is Japan's poorest prefecture and unwilling host to 75% of all US military bases in Japan.

Okinawa brings together two collections of intertwined stories by the island's pre-eminent mangaka, Susumu Higa, which reflect on this difficult history and pull together traditional Okinawan spirituality, the modern-day realities of the continuing US military occupation, and the senselessness of the War. The first collection, Sword of Sand, is a ground level, unflinching look at the horrors of the Battle of Okinawa. Higa then turns an observant eye to the present-day in Mabui (Okinawan for "spirit"), where he explores how the American occupation has irreversibly changed the island prefecture, through the lens of the archipelago's indigenous spirituality and the central character of the yuta priestess.

Okinawa is a harrowing document of war, but it is also a work which addresses the dreams and the needs of a people as they go forward into an uncertain future, making it essential reading for anyone interested in World War II and its effects on our lives today, as well as anyone with an interest in the people and culture of this fascinating, complicated place. Though the work is thoroughly about one specific locale, the complex relations between Okinawan and Japanese identities and loyalties, between place and history, and between humanity and violence speak beyond borders and across shores.

Please note: This book is a traditional work of manga and reads back to front and right to left.

All of the drawings were done in black and white, not my favorite style but I wanted to read this history book regardless. The colorful cover design is deceiving. Also, I had problems following the story. Much of the plot action was shown in the drawings and I became confused between real action and the drawings of spiritual beings. In addition, the book shows the Japanese viewpoint of events which I knew beforehand. However, I was offended by many statements made by characters who were obviously anti-American. This is an unfair statement on my part because the book is from the Japanese viewpoint and, let's face it, the Americans were occupying Okinawa. I was unable to change my feelings though. Another reason I developed bad feelings about the book is that after the Japanese surrendered in WWII, they sunk a submarine off the coast of Okinawa that my uncle was on. I did not expect to feel this way about the city of Okinawa but it was unavoidable.  

I am rating the book 3 out of 5 stars. I had problems understanding the action. This was probably due to it being a manga story but, nevertheless, I had issues with it.

Ash's Cabin

Ash's Cabin is a coming of age graphic novel by Jen Wang. It was published on August 13, 2024 and has been written for young adults in grades 10 through 12. 

The publisher's summary:

Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it’s still there, waiting for him to come back…or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts her daily life.  But making the wilds your home isn’t easy. And as much as Ash wants to be alone…can she really be happy alone?  

The publisher's website states that this graphic novel tackles the topic of gender identity. I was not aware of this until the ending and I looked up the book. A classmate places her hand on Ash's hand and Ash's face lights up. I feel a little stupid for not picking up on the new masculine name but in my defense let me say the reader doesn't know what Ash's name originally was. In fact, in the first chapter I thought Ash was male. Her desire to learn survival skills didn't cause me to suspect anything either. It just sounded like a great adventure. Her withdrawal from her high school classmates didn't make me suspicious either. Half the kids in school are withdrawn. My only clue that she was gay was that hand.

I would not categorize the book as LGBTQ fiction. It's about Ash's six month long plan to camp in the wilderness and then her execution of the plan. She takes her beloved dog Chase with her and, as an animal lover, I enjoyed their exploits. She was only supposed to be gone two weeks but Ash lasted 42 days in the wilderness. After Chase became injured Ash should have taken him home. She didn't and that upset me some. 

All things considered, Ash's Cabin was a fun read. 5 out of 5 stars.