In the Woods of Memory

a new voice in Japanese literature makes its debut here in Medoruma's first full-length work in English; bears some resemblance to Kenji Nakagami in the toughness of his prose and grappling with minority issues

novel is a fictionalized event but very close to actual experience. It sheds light on current Okinawan attitudes towards US military bases still on the island, still in the news even in May 2016 (huge ongoing protests over rapes and murders and other crimes committed by troops and US contractors)

author Medoruma himself just recently in the news when arrested thisspring at a protest in Okinawa over the planned relocation of the US military base

raises important questions about war memory, especially the memories of the powerless and victimized

Medoruma’s experimental use of point of view, language, and creative storytelling challenge the assumptions of readers of contemporary Japanese literature