Citizen 13660 by Mine Okubo

 genre: graphic memoir

This documentary style graphic-type novel is based on the experiences of one young woman who was incarcerated in an internment camp by the American government. As an artist, she actually made the drawings while living IN the camp and there is an immediacy to the artwork that catches the eye. It’s not particularly captivating art - I found it stark and flat but it fits. The captions under each drawing tell, in an emotionally removed way, the context about what we are seeing. It’s a common story if you've read about Japanese interment but it is no less moving for the fact. People are living normal, productive lives, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, and all of a sudden everyone of Japanese descent is removed from their families and jobs and possessions and forced to live in degrading conditions. I appreciated the small details the author shared, the bits of humanity and creativity. That this was published the year after the war ended made it even more real to me. Mine Okubo was literally sharing her own memories right after the fact, and so this book is truly a treasure of a memoir.