i didn’t know anything about this book when i picked it up, and it obviously is controversial. however, i do think Yoko’s perspective and experiences are valid (though she did admit to not knowing a lot of japan’s history and involvement in korea - which she probably should have consulted before writing this book as many facts are fabricated to fill in the gaps.) i read this to see if it would be appropriate for a middle school classroom, and i think as long as you give context, it is. all that being said, i was gripped by Yoko’s story and flew through this. i don’t agree with people comparing this to “night” or Anne Frank’s diary, because this is very VERY different from the holocaust. i did enjoy this and would recommend people to read this as this can offer a really unique and complicated perspective on a part of history that is often ignored. it has obviously flaws and inconsistencies but as long as you are mindful of them, i think this can still be something worthwhile.

here‘s a link i found while searching for more info on this book: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2871981