Pearl
Writer: Sherri L. Smith
Artist: Christine Norris
Publisher: Graphix
Graphic novels exist from the point of view of Japanese American incarceration during World War II, but few, if any, have offered the counter perspective — Japanese Americans caught up in the crosshairs of war and conscripted into service in Japan. Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norris take on the subject gamely in Pearland the result is a haunting but uplifting story of identity and survival.
Inspired by Rahna Reiko Rizzuto’s memoir, Hiroshima in the Morningthe story takes place initially in Waimea, Hawaii before transitioning to Hiroshima. Thirteen-year-old Amy is the typical American pre-teen who idolizes American starlets even as she ignores peers who mock her with “Asian eyes.” Amy’s insular world is shattered when the family receives news of her great grandmother’s illness. Amy travels alone to Hiroshima to assist in the caretaking of sōsobo, a pearl diver in her youth.
Amy is a fish out of water, but she adjusts and thrives. Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent declaration of war by the US against Japan strands Amy geographically and culturally. Both sides want to benefit from Amy’s knowledge of the respective languages, but neither wants to acknowledge her loyalties as Nisei (first generation American born to Japanese parents). And the only person who understands Amy is the very person she came to comfort.
Pearl It is told minimally with sparse dialogue and a limited color palette of blue alternating with black and white sketches. There is smooth flow from quieter and smaller slice of life scenes contrasting with the more emotionally-charged events, like a strikingly spiritual image of Amy reborn out of the ashes like a pearl diver breaking through the surface with her treasure.
While marketed towards the tween set, Pearl might be more suitable for older readers since the historical context connecting the events is not always clear. What I would have liked to see were details about the family’s circumstances stateside. Readers get glimpses into Amy’s anguish as the story flashes through the handful of pages dedicated to her internment. This is a minor omission since there are graphic novels like Kiku Hughes’ Displacement that cover this aspect of American history in much greater detail. What makes this story shine is its emphasis on the expat perspective and the difficult choices forced upon us in the name of war and survival.
Smith and Norris handle a sensitive, often forgotten, moment of American history with delicacy and tenderness. There is a lot in Pearl to ponder about as world history plays itself out in the year to come.
Read more great reviews from The Beat!
