Genre 5: Historical Fiction - Post 2

Bibliographic data:

Salisbury, Graham. (2005).  Eyes of the Emperor. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.  ISBN 0385908741

Brief plot summary:

Honolulu, Hawaii 1941.  Sixteen year old Eddy Okubo joins the U.S. Army, but he doesn't tell his parents.  It's a sensitive issue in the family until the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor.  That's when Eddy's father finally speaks his name, "No make haji (shame), Eddy...You go.  Fight for your country.  Die, even, but die with honor."  Although Eddy regains his father's respect, his fellow Americans begin to wonder about his loyalty and the loyalty of other Japanese-Americans.  He and other Japanese-American soldiers are left doing grunt work around the barracks - hard labor.  But they are given a secret mission at a secret location.  They are the only ones who can test a theory that may give American soldiers the upper hand in the war against Japan.  

Critical analysis:

Salibury takes his readers back to Hawaii in1941 providing insight into the situation that was brewing.  Through Pop we understand the pride the Issei (Japanese immigrant to America) have in their motherland.  Through the haoles (Caucasians), we understand their hesitance to trust the Issei and Nisei (first generation Japanese American) especially as tensions eventually gave way to war.  Through Eddy, Chik, and Cobra we understand the frustration of not being treated as equals when one sacrifices so much.  Salisbury weaves the story of these three young men into a dark time in American history, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and he goes on to reveal their participation in the top secret K-9 training on Cat Island, Mississippi.  The vernacular of characters reflects their Japanese and Hawaiian back grown; Salisbury does includes a glossary for the reader's sake.  The sentence structure and diction is appropriate for characters.  In his author's note, Salisbury shares how he met and interviewed eight of the twenty-six Cat Island men.  All this contributes to the authenticity of is wonderful novel.

Review excerpt(s):

"Salisbury’s tone, both unsentimental and unsensational, renders his telling all the more powerfully affecting. Morally and psychologically complex, historically accurate and unforgettably gripping."

 --Kirkus Reviews (Aug. 2005)

"The story... is historical fiction at its best: actual events and the people who lived them are presented through well-rounded characters in a tight plot." 

--School Library Journal (Aug. 2006)

Awards:

2005 Best Books of the Year, Kirkus Reviews
2005 Parent's Choice Silver Honor Award
2006 Notable Social Studies, Trade Books for Young People
2006-2007 Texas Tayshas High School Reading List
2006 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
2006 ALA Notable Book
2006 New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age
2006 Capitol Choices, Noteworthy Books for Children
Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction Books for Youth 2005-2006

Connections:

This novel correlates with a unit over World War II, especially from the point of view of Japanese Americans.

It can be read as part of a trilogy with Under the Blood-Red Sun and House of the Red Fish

This can be paired up with non-fiction about Navajo code talkers; another unique perspective from WWII.