So far From the Bamboo Grove (chapters 4-7)

Hideyo, Yoko's brother, was working at the ammunition factory when it was attacked. He saw almost all the other workers got killed by Korean soldiers. Meanwhile, Yoko, her mother, Mrs. Kawashima, and Ko were at the port of Pusan. They got on a boat to Fukuoka, Japan. After that, they rode a train to Kyoto. In Kyoto, Ko and Yoko were signed up for schools. Their mother went to their grandparents' house to see how it was going there.

The part where the Koreans attacked the Japanese escapees brought a deep sorrow on me. Those people were just civilians trying to get away from a war-torn country, but they were killed just for being Japanese. Even if the Koreans had been oppressed for years, it was hard to believe that they would kill innocent people. I can understand that they would want to destroy the ammunition factory, since it was making weapons that would be used to kill Koreans, but civilians should be left out of the horrors of war.

The train station of Seoul was very crowded. It was full of thieves and beggars. Yoko, Ko, and their mother took turns to take care of their belongings and saving each others' spots. They were the target of a thief, but the family was able to protect themselves. At the same time, they searched any trains for Hideyo, but could not find him. The warehouse in Pusan was also very crowded, but with Japanese refugees. By then, Yoko was very sick (from her chest wound caused by a bomb's explosion earlier). An older man was telling her to get up and kicking at her to make room for him, but Yoko had to lie down. Her mother, using the sword, scared the man away. The whole family had to pretend to be boys, because the Korean men were "hunting maidens for their pleasure".

The Kawashima's stopped in Kyoto to sign the girls up for school: Yoko at the Sagano Girls' School, and Ko at the University. This showed that she believed that a good education led to a good life. This is similar to Confucianism (historical note: The Japanese adopted Confucianism, but did not believe that the emperor had to be honest, since he was considered to be divine).
Mrs. Kawashima valued bravery, strength, honesty, compassion, and generosity. The girls generally shared those values. On the hospital train that got bombed, they shared blankets, food, and water with sick people. On the train to Pusan, they shared their food with an elderly man who had helped them got on the train. When there were explosions around them, they did what they had been trained to do by lying down flat on the ground. They didn't panic.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove

In So Far From the Bamboo Grove, the Kawashima family had to flee from Korea on July 29, 1945. That was because the Koreans resented Japanese occupation of Korea. A group of Korean soldiers, calling themselves the Korean Communist Army, were fighting against the Japanese army and killing Japanese living in Korea. Americans and Russians were also fighting against the Japanese because Japan invaded many Asian countries.

As I read the beginning of the story, I felt worried for the Kawashima's. I also pitied them, since they were being chased by many Korean soldiers.

Yoko, the youngest daughter of the Kawashima family, lived in Korea with her family. That was because her father had work as a government official in Manchuria (an area in northern Korea, according to the book. In fact it is northeast of China). Since the Kawashima's are Japanese, some Koreans disliked them. When the Japanese invaded Korea, many Koreans became oppressed for years and many were killed by Japanese. The resentment built up, and the Koreans rebelled. The Korean Communist Army began killing any Japanese people they found. That forced the Kawashima's to flee their home in Korea.

At one point in their flight, a group of Korean soldiers found them. Ironically, the bombers (who were trying to kill Japanese) accidentally killed the Korean soldiers. That was because the Koreans did not know what to do when a bombing began. They were killed, but the Kawashima's survived by lying flat on the ground.

Yoko and Ko are sisters. Ko, referred to as Honorable Sister, had more authority. Still, the two of them acted like equals. Yoko thought Ko was bossy, since she kept telling the family what to do. However, she was really just trying to keep them safe and alive.

The life or death situation that the Kawashima's faced made them stronger and braver. I don't think most people would react the same way: instead of trying to save themselves, they would just panic and wait for the "knight in shining armor" to come and save them. Unfortunately, in this story, the knight in shining armor wasn't there. It was due to the fact that Ko did not panic that the Kawashima's made it out of their house and to the train to Seoul.

The part where the Koreans attacked the Japanese ammunition factory made the deepest impression on me. It was hard to believe that anyone could be so angry that they would attack and kill people less than twenty years old. Then I learned that the hatred was really caused by the invasion and cruelty of the Japanese army.

Eventually, the Kawashima's were able to get to the harbor. They got on board a boat to Japan.
Yoko was disappointed when she got to Japan, since it seemed so barren. That wasn't a surprise: Two atomic bombs had just been dropped on two cities. These cities were destroyed.

After the attack at the ammunition factory, Hideyo (Yoko's older brother), who survived the attack, escaped back to his home. Unfortunately, his family already left. Hideyo gathered supplies for a long journey to find his family: Food, water, a cooking pot, candles, and matches. He also got clothing. That proves he was strong and able to survive, like Ko.

It was very crowded in Seoul and Pusan. The family had to protect each other.

Mrs. Kawashima was brave, strong, honest, and generous. Yoko and Ko were very much like her. For example, on the medical train (Chapter 2), they gave food, water, and blankets to others. They faced bombs and soldiers without backing down, and they helped each other.
Ko was able to handle any situation. I am sure that if she were trapped on an island alone, she would be able to escape. If I were in a difficult situation, I would want her with me. Having Ko with me would be a great example to learn survival skills. She would know what to do, where to go, and be able to keep me strong.

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break (theme1)

This story has a very important theme: You should never let go of your dreams. Ailin was jeered at, teased, and had her engagement broken because she didn't want to have her feet bound, but she still held onto her dreams.
Just as Ailin eventually found success, if you hold onto your dreams and work hard towards them, you will find success. When Ailin found a friend (James Chew) who supported her, the two of them started a restaurant in America where women were free of bound feet. Ailin's dreams came true, since she had always wanted to become independent. If you pursue your dreams, you can always have some sense of achievements. Even if the dream may not become true, you will find friends who have the same beliefs as you.
Another theme is that being unique is not always a bad thing. Ailin didn't have bound feet, so she could work and support herself. Also, she could run and jump freely, something that people with bound feet couldn't do. The poster on the door to Rm. 17 says, "What is right is not always popular. What is popular is not always right." The story in this book echoes exactly the same idea. Having bound feet basically paralyzes the person who is getting bound feet. Ailin's refusal to bind her feet was like trying to sail a sailboat against the wind, since she was just one girl against many others around her. It was hard for her, but that struggle let her dreams come true and become free.

Ties That Bond, Ties That Break (plot)

The author told a story that occurred in 1911 Nanjing, China. The Tao's, a respectable Chinese family, had 2 daughters and a son. At the time, there was a Chinese tradition that all girls had to have their feet bound before they got married because people thought small feet were beautiful.

When Ailin, the youngest daughter of the Tao's was 6 years old, her parents started to prepare to have her feet bound. Ailin, however, was an adventurous girl who really enjoyed running.
Ailin knew from her older sister that having her feet bound was very painful and wouldn't let her run anymore. When her parents were trying to bind her feet, she tried to walk. Doing that caused her legs and feet to hurt immensely. From then on, she bit the maids and refused to have her feet bound. Unfortunately, in 1911, China had very few options for a strong-willed girl with unbound feet. Ailin's family would no longer support her, since she couldn't be married off. It seemed that Ailin's uncle didn't think she was worthy of the title, "Daughter of the Tao family" anymore. Luckily, her father was an open minded man. He eventually supported Ailin to attend a public school run by Christian missionaries. This was her happy time.

Tensions between Ailin and her family grew after her father died of tuberculosis. After her father's death, her uncle became the head of the family and acted strongly against Ailin's pursuit of freedom with unbound feet. He stopped paying for Ailin's tuition. She could not go to the school anymore. Ailin continued to hold to her ambitions of getting a job as a woman with unbound feet. Fortunately, Mrs Gilbertson, who taught Ailin in the school, was very sympathetic to her. She continued to teach Ailin at her home where Ailin met the Warner's one day. The Warner's were an American missionary family working in Nanjing that were in need of an amah (nanny). Ailin was more than happy to take this opportunity. This year she was thirteen years old. The Warner's family and kids really liked her. When the Warners' family went back to America, they asked Ailin to come with them, and to help with the children. Again, Ailin bravely took the opportunity because she believed that America might have more possibilities for an unmarried woman.

When her uncle found out about this, he actually gave her some money, so that Ailin could get some "accommodations suitable for a daughter of the Tao family" on the boat going to America. Ailin's uncle had seen her work hard and was proud of her. It appeared that Ailin's family had forgiven her in the hope that she could stay in China. Unfortunately, it was already too late, since Ailin had made up her mind to go to America: a new world, and hopefully, a new life. On the boat, she met James Chew, a kind, young man who helped his father run a restaurant. The two enjoyed each other's company immensely.

Once it is time for the Warner's to return to China, Ailin decided to stay in San Francisco and marry James Chew. Together, they started a restaurant. Even though she worked very hard (harder than any woman would have worked in China), she was very proud that she was able to fulfill her dream: to get a job and marry without a bound feet. At the end when Ailin talked with an old friend who had also come to America, she realized her dream had finally come true.

I really enjoyed this book, since it is a book about determination, ambition, and working hard to make your dreams come true.

Ties That Bond, Ties That Break (character1)

Ailin comes from the respectable Tao family. As a slender young girl, she is determined and never gives up. After seeing her sister's bound feet, Ailin knows she doesn't want bound feet. She saw that her sister's toes had been completely folded over through a long and painful period. She could not even walk properly, not to mention running. Unfortunately, Ailin's refusal to bind her feet has the unpleasant consequence of the Liu's canceling the engagement between Ailin and Hanwei. Still, Ailin doesn't back down.
Her father was an open minded person because he works at the customs office, which allowed him to interact with many foreigners. He supported Ailin's desire for the freedom to run. With the support of her father, Ailin goes to a public school. Her uncle, however, does not support this action. He thinks that the school teaches useless subjects. Ailin's father believes in the public school. Although Ailin's grandmother does not support Ailin going to the public school, Ailin still knows that her grandmother is a good and caring person. Ailin visits her grandmother as often as possible. Then, sadly, Ailin's father dies of tuberculosis. Ailin's uncle immediately stops her from going to the public school. Miss Gilbertson, the English teacher at the public school, continues to give Ailin tutoring sessions every week at her home. Miss Gilbertson is the only person that supports Ailin. Nothing could stop Ailin from learning. Still, she knows that she will never be able to graduate from school. She will never grow up to be a teacher. Ailin is sad, but tries to be optimistic and study hard. As the tension between her uncle and Ailin grows, I wonder: what will happen next?

Ties that Bind, Ties that Break (Setting1)

Ties that Bind, Ties that Break is written by Lensey Namioka. It is a story about a young Chinese girl called Ailin. Living in China, circa 1900, she is expected to have her feet bound. However, she refuses to undergo the painful procedure. Ailin is an active girl, and she knows that having her feet bound will stop her from doing everything she likes to do: run and jump.
Obviously, the Tao's, Ailin's family, disapprove of her actions. They have followed the tradition for many generations, as have many other Chinese families. Then Ailin's sister shows Ailin what bound feet look like, and this strengthens her decision against having her feet bound. The Liu's have proposed marriage. Hanwei Liu is to marry Ailin. The two of them like each other immensely. However, the Liu's insist on having the wife's feet bound, like many other families at the time. This setting has a great influence on the development of the story in the book. However, the 1900's were still in the period when small feet were thought as beautiful, so Ailin is expected to bind her feet. If she doesn't, the Liu's will break the engagement. Ailin and Hanwei might be separated forever. This book uses the setting to build up the tension and attract the reader to keep reading.

Warriors: The Darkest Hour

The Darkest Hour, by Erin Hunter is a thrilling novel. To write this novel, Erin had to think like a cat because the story is about cats. The cats were amazingly intelligent in the novel and the story is very vivid. This makes the reader think the story could really happen. I was enthralled after just 10 pages!

However, I don't think this story is just about cats. It seems more like the story of history. These cats live like an early civilization! They believe that when someone dies, its spirit goes into some sort of heaven, where it watches over its family and friends. Bad people are punished. They call this heaven "StarClan", because it is up in the sky with the stars. These cats believe that their leader is chosen by StarClan, and have a ceremony to initiate the new leader. There is a social structure with the leader on top, then his or her deputy, the elders, warriors, apprentices, and kittens. The whole book is about the fight between different groups of cats. Erin Hunter turned history into a thrilling novel about cats. It was weird at first, but now I can't wait to read the rest of the series!