My Lost Freedom, George Takei
My Lost Freedom, George Takei
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My Lost Freedom
A Japanese American World War II Story

Author: George Takei

Narrator: George Takei

Unabridged: 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/16/2024


Synopsis

A moving true story for children ages 6 to 9 about growing up in Japanese American incarceration camps during World War II—from the iconic Star Trek actor, activist, and author of the New York Times bestselling graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy.

February 19, 1942. George Takei is four years old when his world changes forever. Two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares anyone of Japanese descent an enemy of the United States.

George and his family were American in every way. They had done nothing wrong. But because of their Japanese ancestry, they were removed from their home in California and forced into camps with thousands of other families who looked like theirs.

Over the next three years, George had three different “homes”: the Santa Anita racetrack, swampy Camp Rohwer, and infamous Tule Lake. But even though they were now living behind barbed wire fences and surrounded by armed soldiers, his mother and father did everything they could to keep the family safe.

In My Lost Freedom, George Takei looks back at his own memories to help children today understand what it feels like to be treated as an enemy by your own country. This is a story of a family’s courage, a young boy’s resilience, and the importance of staying true to yourself in the face of injustice.

About The Author

George Takei is a civil rights activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has appeared in more than forty feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, and he has used his success as a platform to fight for social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and marriage equality. His advocacy is personal: during World War II, George spent his childhood unjustly imprisoned in US incarceration camps along with more than 125,000 other Japanese Americans. He now serves as chairman emeritus and a member of the Japanese American National Museum’s board of trustees. George served on the board of the Japan–United States Friendship Commission and, in 2004, was given the Gold Rays with Rosette of the Order of the Rising Sun by the emperor of Japan for his contribution to US-Japan relations. Michelle Lee is an illustrator and author who has been drawing since she could hold a pencil. Her illustrated book My Love for You Is Always received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and BookPage. As an Angeleno and an Asian American, Michelle felt a resonance with George’s story. She lives and works in the same area of Los Angeles where the story begins and ends.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jennifer on April 22, 2024

Takei does a great job of making this hard story accessible to young readers. The soft illustrations help make it not too overwhelming, but the book still presents the facts. Some illustrations include depictions of primary sources, which could be a jumping off point to include those primary sources......more

Goodreads review by Steph Carr on March 26, 2024

George mentioned this book during a comic con panel and I immediately downloaded and read it. It tells his story of going to Japanese internment campus during world War 2, but a level for kids. It comes off joyful despite the circumstances and opens the door for conversations between kids and parent......more

Goodreads review by Caroline on September 08, 2024

There can never be enough picture books about the Incarceration of Japanese Americans, and, honestly, there are far too few. But this one is exceptional. I'm not sure how many kids these days really know about Star Trek or know George Takei from his acting career, but I think it is wonderful that he......more

Goodreads review by Gabrielle on June 06, 2024

What a gorgeous picture book written by George Takei! I love his graphic novel and I will be adding this one to my collection. It's long....too long for younger audiences...but introducing to Kindergarten or first graders would be perfect.......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth Edwards on April 29, 2024

please read the review all thoroughly ... i am reviewing a Kindle FIRE, reading due to a local library leaning program, which goes through my Amazon account, so i don't who is in charge there, whether is it something Amazon related or?? ...so that means the book is in the middle of the kindle FIRE s......more


Quotes

"A candid yet tender glimpse at a bleak chapter in U.S. history." —Kirkus Reviews

"This worthwhile picture book introduces an important topic in American history." —Booklist

"Takei’s narration is contemplative but conversational, inviting the reader to see his experience both through the eyes of his child self and the somber reflections of an adult....relatable but terribly bittersweet." —The Bulletin