In the afterword, Takashima writes that A Child in Prison Camp is "based on what happened to me and other people of Japanese origin living in Canada," and she adds that some of the names have been changed because "not all of us care to be reminded or questioned about those painful years." Her account portrays with great sensitivity the discrimination against naturalized Japanese-Canadians and JapaneseAmericans. This discrimination becomes particularly evident in certain sections of the narrative. For example, Yuki says, "West Coast people never liked the Orientals. Yellow Peril is what they call us." Shizuye's father also complains that Canadians think Asians are inferior and hire them only for menial jobs as servants, gardeners, and common laborers. In a larger sense, such prejudicial treatment extends to the plights of Native Americans and blacks in the histories of Canada and the United States.

Despite the grave...