Summary

The novel opens in 1942, in a scene depicting George Takei's father, Takekuma, waking George and his brother Henry, informing them they had to quickly pack their belongings and go outside, while armed guards waited on the porch. Takei's mother Fumiko is depicted holding his baby sister Nancy and crying.

The narrative then briefly flashes forward to 2014, where George is telling his story for a TED Talk in Kyoto, Japan. Then he flashes back to 1935, when his parents met in Los Angeles. Takekuma was born in Japan and immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager. Fumiko was born in the U.S., but attended school in Japan. After they married, they ran a dry cleaning business together. George was born in 1937, his brother Henry shortly thereafter, followed by their sister Nancy.

The Takeis were decorating their Christmas tree on December 7, 1941 when an announcer...