BookDragon Books for the Diverse Reader

Oda, known for his outspoken anti-war sentiments, captures a group of loyal, patriotic Japanese soldiers on a South Pacific island during the final days of World War II, who are mere pawns of a controlling, mistaken, hypocritical government. Sounds eerily familiar these days, no? The title is from the Japanese term gyokusai, which literally means “the breaking jewel” or “pulverization of the gem,” referring to the act of mass suicide as a last defense of the homeland.

Review: “New and Notable Books,” AsianWeek, March 28, 2003

Readers: Adult

Published: 2003