Restless Wave: My Life in Two Worlds

With the publication of Restless Wave in 1940, pioneering feminist, journalist, and activist Ayako Ishigaki made history. One of the first English-language books by a Japanese woman, this rediscovered classic introduces new generations to a writer of great talent, integrity, and courage. Originally published under the pen name Haru Matsui to protect her family against government reprisal on both sides of the Pacific, Ishigaki's memoir offers a rare glimpse into the lives of Japanese/Americans, particularly women, between the first two world wars. In exquisite prose, she brilliantly locates her struggle for independence -- as a woman and a person of conscience -- on the map of injustice and resistance. Vivid scenes from a traditional Japanese girlhood at the turn of the century trace her gradual political awakening, one that would force her to flee an increasingly militaristic Japan for the United States, and then inspire her to rise up against injustice there as well.