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Humanities Book Group

Journey to Topaz & The Children of Topaz

Reading & discussion event led by a humanities scholar.

Selected Readings on the Japanese American Experience: A monthly reading and discussion group focusing on topics in history, culture, and the humanities. The group typically meets first Thursdays at 7 pm and is led by guest scholars. Pick up a copy of each month's book from the front desk. Click here to go to the website for the Brigham City Library's Humanities Book Group.

Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida & The Children of Topaz by George W. Chilcoat

Kathryn MacKay, PhD, WSU

Book Descriptions:

Journey to Topaz:

This much-loved and widely read classic is the moving story of one girl's struggle to remain brave during the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. In 1941, eleven-year-old Yuki is looking forward to Christmas when disaster strikes: she and her family, along with everyone of Japanese descent on the West Coast, are labeled enemy aliens. The FBI arrests her father, and she, her mother, and her brother are imprisoned in a bleak and dusty camp surrounded by barbed wire in the Utah desert. There, she and her family experience both true friendship and heart-wrenching tragedy.

Journey to Topaz explores the consequences of prejudice and the capacities of the human spirit. First published in 1971, this novel was the first children's book about the wartime incarceration written by a Japanese American. This fiftieth anniversary edition features new cover art, a refreshed design, and a new foreword by Traci Chee.

The Children of Topaz:

The diary of a third-grade class of Japanese-American children being held with their families in an internment camp during World War II.

Series Frequently asked questions:

• I can't make it in person, can I attend via Zoom? Yes. A Zoom link is available by request. Please contact the library, 435-723-5850, at least 24 hours before the event to get a link.
• How do I join the Book Group? Come to an event. Everyone is welcome to attend any or all of the discussions.
• How do I get a book? A limited number of books are available for group members to borrow at the library's circulation desk. No library card necessary.
• Do I have to read the book in order to come to the discussion? No. Reading the book will certainly enhance your experience in the discussion and prepare you for talking points, but all are welcome no matter how much (or how little) of the book they have read.
• Can I borrow a copy to read after the discussion? Yes. As group members turn in their books, those books may be borrowed by others.

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