Nothing to Regret by Trisit Pinkston

Monday, January 21, 2008

Challenges:
Book Around the States: Utah
Back to History Challenge
To Be Read Challenge
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I have to admit that I've been a little apprehensive about reading this book. I have come to know Tristi Pinkston as she comments frequently on my blogs (See A Rose in Bloom to see that she is a true Alcott fan) and I love to read her blog (Link is on my sidebar). I have even bought beauty products from her. Truly a multi-talented lady. But what if I didn't like her book??? Silly me. This is a well-researched book dealing with the Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, truly a blight in the history of this country. Tristi depicts so well the nature of hysteria and prejudice that first occurred in our country during the Salem witch trials and have most recently been displayed after September 11 against Muslim Americans. From the back of the book: "Ken Sugihara was a student at Berkley when the Japanese attached Pearl Harbor in 1941. Suddenly he and his parents found themselves the victims of wartime hysteria, interned at a Japanese Relocation Center in the middle of the Utah desert. When Ken is asked to enlist in the United States Army, he struggles to find forgiveness to serve the country that wrongfully imprisoned him. But as love for his country overshadows his resentment, he successfully completes a mission of espionage which changes his life forever. Nothing to Regret is a story of prejudice and acceptance, defeat and triumph, and the power of the Atonement to heal us all." Along with a description of life in the internment camp, where the Japanese conducted themselves with great dignity, Tristi includes stories of the Spy School in Virginia, (I'd love to know how she researched this) life in wartime Japan, and the devastating bombing of Hiroshima. I could not put the book down while I read about Ken's suspenseful work in Japan.
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I had initially hoped to read a book for Utah that did not carry Mormon doctrine in it and probably should not have picked an LDS author; but I wanted to read about a period of US and Utah history that I was quite unfamiliar with. Besides, the LDS culture is quite a part of Utah; and I found Tristi's portrayal of her beliefs which I share to be very tasteful and moving.
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At the end of the book, is a page dedicated to welcoming donations to build a Topaz museum near, Delta as a "proper memorial for this sad and yet strangely hopeful event in our history, one that teaches us the value of the indestructible human spirit." I'm not sure if the museum has been built since this book was published. If so, I would like to visit it.
Rating: 4
Tristi, if you prefer that I not use the cover art from the book, please let me know. I can easily delete it.
Posted by Framed at 5:41 PM

6 comments:
Booklogged said...
This sounds really good. I'm curious - is the main character, the young Japanese man LDS or is the doctrine woven into the story?
1/23/2008 8:34 PM
Framed said...
Early on, there's very little mention of religion other than the fact that the Sugiharas are low-key Shintos. Ken joins the church about half-way through the book.
1/23/2008 9:30 PM
Tristi Pinkston said...
Hi Framed,The spy school information came from the book listed in the bibliography, "The Secret World War II." That's a really interesting book and well worth the read.The Topaz museum has not yet been built, but they are still raising the money and hope to have it soon.Thanks for the review!
1/24/2008 9:55 AM
sage said...
Here from Gautami's blog... this book sounds good and as a former non-Mormon resident of Utah, I've been out near Topaz, although not been to the site (it's been disassembled, from what I've been told) Interestingly, Utah has a significant Japanese minority. The area in Salt Lake City around the Delta Center was a Japanese neighborhood and six years ago you could still find a Japanese Chrisitan Church(Presbyterian/United Church of Christ) along with a Buddhist Church (they even called it a church, which I thought was odd), along with a sushi bar! As for books about Utah--I'd highly recommend Terry Tempest Williams "Refuge" She ties in ecological changes on the Salt Lake along with her mother's battle with cancer--a powerful book. She is Mormon, but don't let that stop you from reading it. Another, by a non-Mormon that is sheer fun would be Edward Abbey's "Monkey Wrench Gang."
2/04/2008 7:02 AM
Framed said...
Thanks for the recommendations, Sage. I do enjoy Mormon fiction but usually the humorous ones that poke fun at our little foibles. I did like Dean Hughes' "The Children of the Promise" series which gives an wonderful glimpse into life in Salt Lake City during WWII.
2/04/2008 10:40 PM
Bookfool said...
It's nice to finally read a review of one of Tristi's books! I'll have to look this one up, thanks!