What Staff Are Reading: They Called Us Enemy
What Staff Are Reading: They Called Us Enemy
A fantastic choice for anyone who enjoys graphic novels, memoirs, history or all of the above.
Christine is the senior library assistant at
West Slope Community Library. She loves to read all genres but especially loves graphic novels, memoirs and learning about history through memoirs.
What are you reading?
Why did you choose this book?
I recently finished watching the original Star Trek and Star Trek, the Next Generation series and I have been researching many of the writers and actors involved in creating them. I think George Takei is a riveting speaker. I love graphic memoirs and learning about history by reading them.
What do you think of it so far?
I thought knew about the history of Japanese internment in the United States but I am learning a lot. The illustrations do a great job of pairing the emotions and the gravity of the experiences with the text. I like how the artist was able to capture the innocence of the kids and the emotion of the adults. The story is conveyed beautifully through the drawings.
Why do you think this is a great way to learn about history?
Most of my history education centered on memorizing facts. My experience has shown me that a lot of what I learned as true is actually subjective. Who said it? Who is the authority on the topic? Reading a personal account of historical events feels as close to the truth as possible.
Where is your favorite place to read?
The perfect reading chair – a high back, textured wool armchair that’s just deep enough to sit in cross-legged with one cat.
