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Blu's Hanging
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780374114992
Edition: 1st ed
ISBN: 0374114994
Label: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 261
Publication Date: April 30, 1997
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Studio: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Editorial Review:
The second novel from Yamanaka, who is also an award-winning poet, is about three kids trying to hold themselves and their family together after the death of their mother. The story is set in the cultural crossroads of Hawaii, where the Ogata kids--Masie, Ivah, and Blu--are forced to find their way through the poverty, violence, and racism of their harsh environment. Displaying her ear for the poetry of real-life language, Yamanaka writes in the direct voice of the children; their visceral experience of home, school, and the personal mythology in their family come through powerfully.
Blu's Hanging is the bittersweet story of a group of ragtag orphans reeling from the death of their mother, trying to stay together in the face of almost insurmountable odds. At once savagely funny and deeply moving, lyrical and wise, this novel confirms Yamanaka's reputation as one of the most vibrant new voices of her generation.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Blu's Hanging A must read!!!
Blu's hanging By Lois Ann Yamanaka is a wonderful story about the trials and tribulations of a family, on the small island of Molokai, in the Hawaiian Islands. A very touching and heartfelt book about island life, Lois-Ann's approach is a mixture of fiction and history, tying together various elements of racial discrimination, sexual abuse and poverty. This is a must read for anyone interested in the history and struggle of families living with death and despair.
The narration is from ... Read More
Rating:  - Away from Waikiki - the Real Hawaii
This book really stayed with me long after reading it (during a trip to Hawaii). It represents the "real" people of Hawaii (in this case, on the island of Molokai) who live on the financial brink but have their own rich resources -- of family, friendship and culture -- to make it through. Although I hated this book at the beginning -- such terrible things happen to these kids -- it's worth sticking with it for the beautiful moments that come later in the story. P.S. I loved the island "pidgin" language ... Read More
Rating: - Should Have Won Every Prize in the Book
I read this book some time ago, then read everything else by the author, then read this again. Both times I was stunned by the power, the honesty, the poetry, the passion, and the raw talent of Ms. Yamanaka's writing. I felt that I was in the presence of a major new literary voice and looked for the recognition I was sure she would receive nationally. Instead I fear that this book and others did not receive enough attention because the author happens to be from Hawaii, rather than, say, New York or L.A. ... Read More
Rating: - This Hawaii is not for the faint hearted
This book is about a human tragedy in one of the most beatiful settings of the world. The Ogata is a Japanese American family coming to terms with the death of their mother. Ivah, the oldest daughter, takes on the role of mother and caretaker to her younger siblings, Blu, a fat boy who grieves by eating too much, and Maisie,a sweet little girl who stops talking. Their father, Poppy, is too busy grieving the death of his wife to pay attention to the kids. Alone in the world, they must fend for themselves ... Read More
Rating: - "I know who the dreammaker is...."
BLU'S HANGING by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
BLU'S HANGING by Lois-Ann Yamanaka is my introduction to the books by this Hawaiian native of Japanese descent. In this novel, Yamanaka takes us into the world of Ivah Ogata, the oldest child of a family that has just lost their mother, and a father who can barely feed and clothe them, let alone give them the love and attention that was given to them by their mother.
Ivah is the narrator of this heartwarming story. She looks after her brother Blu, a lost soul ... Read More
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