Edited by Heather C. Lindquist
Heyday, $17.95, 145 pages
A concentration camp in America is unthinkable for most of us, yet Manzanar was exactly that for the Japanese Americans from 1942 to 1945. Many books have been published on Manzanar, but Children of Manzanar focuses on the children, from infants to teenagers, of the internment camp. This small paperback compiled by the Manzanar History Association was printed on high-quality glossy paper, and it is predominantly a collection of snapshots of children.
Most of the photos are small, taken by amateur photographers during the camp years, and not of good quality, yet they are all historically important. The pictures mostly show happy people playing, studying, working and going through their daily routines, both indoors and out. The camp was certainly not the concentration camp of Nazi Germany; yet, it was internment, even though was located in Owens Valley, one of the most beautiful spots in California. A few pages of historic text introduce each of the five chapters. The photos have titles, many with names of people appearing in them, as well as many, many quotes from children.
Reviewed by George Erdosh
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