Brazil-Maru — Karen Tei Yamashita

An “immensely entertaining” historical novel about Japanese immigrants and their struggle to make a home in a Brazilian rainforest (Newsday). In 1925, a band of Japanese immigrants arrive in Brazil to carve a utopia out of the jungle. Yamashita conjures “an intricate and fascinating epoch” (San Diego Review) where the dream of creating a new world, the cost of idealism, the symbiotic tie between a people and the land they settle, and the changes demanded by a new generation all collide in a “splendid multi-generational novel . . . rich in history and character” (San Francisco Chronicle). “Warm, compassionate, engaging, and thought-provoking.” -- The Washington Post “Yamashita's heightened sense of passion and absurdity, and respect for inevitability and personality, infuse this engrossing multigenerational immigrant saga with energy, affection, and humor.” -- Booklist “Poignant and remarkable.” -- Philadelphia Inquirer “With a subtle ominousness, Yamashita sets up her hopeful, prideful characters -- and, in the process, the entire genre of pioneer lit -- for a fall.” -- Village Voice “Full of sad and poignant scenes and some hilarious ones, too.” -- Star Tribune “Historically informative and emotionally complex.” -- Bloomsbury Review “Unique and entertaining.” -- International Examiner “Particularly insightful.” -- Library Journal “Informative and timely.” -- Kirkus Reviews