A lovely, heartfelt memoir. The author takes us on a journey through her life as well as the history of Okinawa. I love when memoirs teach me something new, and this one delivered on that. It gave me a brand new understanding of Okinawa, its people, and the strained history surrounding it. The author's life story was gripping, especially in her relationship with her mother. Fascinating to read, and would recommend to memoir fans.

I adored this book and am so glad it was a monthly pick for The Gloss. Speak, Okinawa is everything I could ask for in a memoir. The author's telling of her family's history and relationship with her mother are powerful. I felt that this book was very underrated by our club members, and I would highly recommend this book to both memoir lovers and historical fiction junkies.

Thank you netgalley for providing the digital copy of this book for Hosts of the gloss bookclub.

Speak Okinawa wasn't my favourite book I must say I know that Elizabeth has written this memoir, however I just didn't connect to her or her story. She seemed to have misplaced anger aimed at her mum and I just couldn't get on board I actually felt her self hate was almost racist. It's such a shame because it sounded really good.

2 stars

Speak, Okinawa, is a memoir written by Elizabeth Miki Brina about her life having parents who met in Okinawa and married. Her father wanted to rescue her mother, who wanted to escape a lifetime of being poor. Throughout the book she discusses what names mean, how her name Elizabeth came from her father's family history, and Miki is from her Okinawan mother. She talks about what each word means and why it was chosen. I loved this throughout the book.

Her story kind of reminded me a bit of Group. This doesn’t discuss therapy, but that writing was a process of discovery for her. She discusses similar types of relationships and trying to understand herself and her family.

This book is a compelling tale mainly concerning the author's parents. At times, it feels a little piecemeal (perhaps bc it contains what were originally short stories).

I wouldn't have discovered this book if it wasn't for the book club, I am glad it was voted as the book to read for May.

This is a well written memoir which felt very authentic to me while I was reading it. I was impressed with the author's openness about her thoughts and her mindset. I learnt so much reading this book.

I had never heard of Okinawa before and now feel that I want to learn more about this Island's history as they have experienced so much exploitation and hardship. I found the situation with US Military Bases on this Island very concerning, some of the statistics shared about crime and sexual violence is very disheartening and still continues. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves and hold those accountable for what is happening.

The book also provided me insight into the complexity of growing up as a child of an immigrant where part of your ancestry is a visible minority and how complicated that is particularly growing up in an area where diversity is not the norm. We are brought up with the desire to be the same as everyone. It's the differences that give us strength, beauty, and wisdom.

First of all, this was unlike any other memoir that I’ve read. The way it was laid out was different, and it got really artistic at times. Also, it was incredibly interesting because I had no idea about the history of Okinawa. I’ve heard a few things I think about it being occupied, but I really had no idea. So, this book was as much a history lesson as it was a beautiful memoir of identity.

Brina’s mother is from Okinawa, and her father is from the United States. He was a soldier when he met his wife and took her home to the states, even though she didn’t know any English. The two had their daughter, Elizabeth. Primarily, the book is about Elizabeth figuring out who she is in relation to her mom and dad, and how she can straddle the line between English and Okinawan.

When Brina was a child, she identified much more with her father, and didn’t understand her mother. Now, as she writes her memoir, she’s figuring out why that was and what it all means.

This book was truly beautiful, especially at the end, when Brina writes about identity. I’ll admit, though, it was hard to read for the first while. She had a rough period in her life when she didn’t understand her mother or their inherited trauma from Okinawa’s history, and the book gets pretty dark. I was so relieved when it started going in the other direction and wasn’t so incredibly gloomy.

Overall I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves a good memoir or is interested in the history of Okinawa. I give it 4 stars.

An important memoir about growing up with a mother from Okinawa and a US military veteran father that also includes the history of how the US military has basically taken over Okinawa. I loved the memoir part and Brina trying to reckon with who her parents really are. I also liked the history of Okinawa. I didn't like how Brina used a different voice to tell the history. It felt like she was including chapters from a history book that someone else wrote instead of using her own voice. This is a must-read for any US military-connected woman who has been to Okinawa.

I wanted to read Speak, Okinawa for two main reasons. First, I was intrigued by the mother-daughter relationship, particularly where the author’s mother is not very comfortable with English as was the case with my mother and step-mother. The second was from my own experience of living in Okinawa as a part-Japanese person and a military dependent.

The memoir component hits deep on various emotional levels. It was interesting to see how the story developed through childhood, teenage years, and into adulthood. I also enjoyed reading the long and varied story of Okinawa. The historical components in regards to the island come across too long winded and don’t really relate to her relationship with her mother. The historical background vignettes relate more to her mother’s experiences. A person may get confused with the various flashbacks intertwined with her history, her mother’s history, her father’s history, and the history of the island. Throughout reading it, I was reminded of another mother/ daughter relationship taking place on the island of Okinawa-- Above the East China Sea.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Okinawan people are incredible and amazing and I truly appreciate any medium that places recognition on this magical group of island and people.

***Thank you NetGalley for providing me with access to this e-preview. This review is based on an ARC.***

A beautiful book about the difficulties involved with growing up as a mixed race individual. Elizabeth Miki Brina speaks elegantly about the feeling of belonging to two very distinct worlds, and how often times, this duality of belonging causes a person to feel adrift with nowhere to truly call home. Speak, Okinawa deals with themes of forgiveness, apology, guilt, language, and the importance of bearing witness to your own personal histories. She paints a unique portrait of the immigrant experience through her meditations on her mother's life, and she creates a vivid image of Okinawa, an island rich with history that is both uplifting and devastating. To read Speak, Okinawa is to immerse yourself in Brina's upbringing. As a person who also grew up mixed race (half Japanese, even!), I found Brina's book to be extremely validating and comforting. Her experience was not entirely my experience, but I was able to relate to her unique perspective in ways that made me feel truly seen. This is a must read if you are looking for unique stories about Japan, Asian Americans, and the importance of honoring your family's history.