Summary

Section 2 is titled “Now It Is Clear Who is Friend and Who is Foe (1942-65).” Chapter 5 opens with memories of Harper’s childhood. He does not remember leaving the East Indies or going to Holland, his mother Anika’s homeland. Harper, known in his youth as Nicholaas and identified as such throughout this section of the novel, travels with Anika to live in Los Angeles.

Nicholaas creates his memories from what his mother tells him and embellishing them. Anika tells him of the hard conditions in which he was born. She gave birth in an internment camp, not long after Nicholaas’ father was executed by the Japanese. Growing up, Nicholaas would use his father’s decapitation as bragging rights on the playground, because most children had stories of their fathers during the war.

Anika meets an African American man named Michael and they...