About book The Souvenir: A Daughter Discovers Her Father's War (2002)
This is a book written by the daughter of a deceased WWII army veteran, who comes across her father's letters to her mother written from the battle fields of South Pacific islands during the heat of battles against the tough and unforgiving Japanese. Among the letters is a Japanese Rising Sun flag of silk, a souvenir taken from a dead Japanese soldier killed on an island in the Philippines by the army unit to which the author's father was attached. These silk flags were signed by the Japanese soldier's family and home town citizens and given to the soldier as "good luck" mommentos to bring into battle. The author, through the signatures, is able to track down the dead soldier's family and return the flag to them, some fifty years after he had been killed.This is a story of the deepened understanding gained by the daughter as a result of reading her father's letters and tracking the progress and hardships faced by his unit from WWII military histories. It is also a story of the forgiveness, seemingly within the capability only of the generations succeeding those against whom the atrocities were committed by the conquering Japanese armies. This is a very different type of WWII book than I typically seek out to read. I remain interested in the World War II Home Front; I am not too interested in books on WWII military history. This book, through descriptions in the father's letters and background on the battles supplied by the author, had some military history, but it wasn't overwhelmingly about battles. The book had far more discussion on the effects of the father's military service on his life after being discharged than any aspect of his family's home life during the war.I wouldn't describe it as great, but I did find it interesting and I breezed through it in a very short time.
Every time I read a book on this subject matter I become more and more convinced that the lack of scholarship in this area is shameful. The story of World War II in the Pacific, the experiences of American and Japanese soldiers, the treatment of American POWs and the heroism of American troops has not been properly documented. Unfortunately, as the generation of soldiers who served in WWII ages and passes away they are taking first-hand accounts with them, as is the case in this story as a daughter tries to learn more about her father's wartime experiences after his death. Too much of the Pacific theater of WWII has been alarmingly forgotten. Thousands of American soldiers died and remain buried on foreign soil in Pacific islands, we need to honor them by telling and teaching their stories.
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This is an amazing book that made me feel how the author felt and how Louise's dad felt when he was in the army.This book is about how Louise had her childhood with her family after her dad came out of World War Two in the Philippines.Her father passes away and later on her mother does too when she is on her 30's.She finds a toolbox full of letters that her dad and mom sent while her dad was away.She soon follows her dad's tracks by his letters and finds a special flag that will show her how World War Two was on both sides of the battlefield.This is a great book for people who love historical nonfiction and a little bit of suprise.
—Bryan Delgado
