When the Emperor was Divine is a sparse, elegant little novel by Julie Otsuka that packs a big emotional punch. Otsuka tells of one Japanese family from Berkeley, Ca that is relocated during WWII.

Otsuka’s writing is flawless. She evokes the feelings and experiences of the family as they move through the night by train to their internment camp in the Utah desert where they spend the next 3 1/2 years.

Through simple details and images the broader picture unfolds, and we are given a first hand experience of what it must have been like for this family to be uprooted from their lives and return again, only to find all their possessions gone and their old friends avoiding them.

A beautiful book about a shameful period in our history.