This book is a diary of Yamamoto Asako (pen name of Aoki Hisa) from the time of the outbreak of the war between the United States and Japan, her confinement at Santa Anita, and time at Gila Relocation Center, until her selection as a passenger on the Gripsholm for the second wartime exchange of nationals between the United States and Japan. She was living in Los Angeles when WWII broke out.

Winner of the Grawemeyer Award in Religion A Los Angeles Times Bestseller “Raises timely and important questions about what religious freedom in America truly means.” —Ruth Ozeki “A must-read for anyone interested in the implacable quest for civil liberties, social and racial justice, religious freedom, and American belonging.” —George Takei On December 7, 1941, as the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor, the first person detained was the leader of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist sect in Hawai‘i. Nearly all Japanese Americans were subject to accusations of disloyalty, but Buddhists aroused particular suspicion. From the White House to the local town council, many believed that Buddhism was incompatible with American values. Intelligence agencies targeted the Buddhist community, and Buddhist priests were deemed a threat to national security. In this pathbreaking account, based on personal accounts and extensive research in untapped archives, Duncan Ryūken Williams reveals how, even as they were stripped of their homes and imprisoned in camps, Japanese American Buddhists launched one of the most inspiring defenses of religious freedom in our nation’s history, insisting that they could be both Buddhist and American. “A searingly instructive story...from which all Americans might learn.” —Smithsonian “Williams’ moving account shows how Japanese Americans transformed Buddhism into an American religion, and, through that struggle, changed the United States for the better.” —Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer “Reading this book, one cannot help but think of the current racial and religious tensions that have gripped this nation—and shudder.” —Reza Aslan, author of Zealot

"Imagine you live with your aunt, who hates you so much she's going to sell you into a dreadful apprenticeship. Imagine you run away before that can happen. Imagine that you can see ghosts--and talk with the dead. People like you are feared, even shunned"--Amazon.com.

He might lose his life if their secret is found out. Together they look for the way out of the evil kingdom of Racah. With each passing day, their love grows. Tarek the hunter is desperate to get the Racan Princess away from the powerful King Darnel, but the dark ruler has other plans. By some means of a malicious enchantment, Princess begins to lose her memories, including her memories of Tarek! A raging war battles inside his heart. Is the girl he loved still there? For brief moments, she seems to recognize him again. Then the moment is gone. And that brief, precious moment is all that’s needed to spur his unrealistic plan of escape.