Restless Wave, An Autobiography (Illustrated)

Under her penname, Haru Matsui, the author speaks loudly to women - in a very real way - about forging one's own path in life and resisting conformity. Haru the novelistic representation of Ishagaki, is born into a privileged family in Japan during a traditional, yet pivotal time in Japanese history. Haru is an observant narrator, recounting her life with detail and poise. Sensitive, she questions purpose and practice, revealing at an early age her innate desire for independence. Her story is significant because it gives a voice to the women who were questioning the restrictive culture to which they were born. Ishigaki chronicles her life in Japan, from being exposed to the traditions of Japan and learning to balance Western influence. Her life takes her to America, as she challenges convention and discovers her inner self.Ishigaki explores the multiple sets of worlds Haru simultaneously inhabits: Japan and the United States, tradition and modernity, men's and women's experiences, upper and working class and Japanese America and White America. As one of the very first English novels written by a Japanese woman, Restless Wave is a testament to the "restless metamorphosis of women".A Japanese woman was meant to live in complete submission to the men in her life, beginning with her father, then her husband and, if she should be widowed, her son. Women were to become wives and mothers, respecting and obeying men completely. Haru felt the void of losing the women in her life, including her mother, grandmother, and stepmother, all at a young age. These losses impacted her growing up years deeply, and shaped her life's ambition.Upon her arrival in the United States, Haru is still under her father's control and is wrapped up in her loneliness. She arrives in Washington, trusted to the supervision of her uncle. It is not until the day that she leaves Washington against her father's will and flees to the embrace of the more liberal New York City that she is able to claim her independence. In New York, Haru is free to live her life, "unprotected by her father's name and position". New York is filled with new women, and Haru is able to flourish. Against her father's wishes, she marries her lover, and in doing so eliminates her father from her life. Although it is heartbreaking for her to give up her father, she finds that she can no longer be a part of his world.The book concludes with Haru as a working class woman. She is left to "wonder with what thoughts [her father] regards the daughter whose eyes were opened by him" . One might search for a strong female role model, a great new woman in Haru's life, but such a woman was not present. Instead, it was her father's sense of pride and demand for education that allowed her to evolve into the strong and socially conscious woman that will be remembered fondly in feminist history. Restless Wave therefore serves as a testament to the power women hold, if they dare. Women can and have made a difference for themselves and for others when they work at it and get involved and speak their minds. This memoir perfectly compliments Ishigaki's career as a feminist and political activist, because it delivers a powerful message of the will to survive long enough to see change.**......summary from a book review from "Voices from the Gap", University of MinnesotaPART ONE:PrologueEarly MemoriesMy Father Home and PlaySecond MotherNew Year's On the Beach "New Women" End of Childhood PART TWO: Entering Girls' High School Home TrainingThe Narikin and the Rice Riot1919 Elder Sister's WeddingPART THREE: Jiyu Gakuen EarthquakeVisiting Kobe-Shinkawa Slums Hunting for a Job The Intelligence Officer Detention Cell Coming to America PART FOUR: NostalgiaNew York City in SnowLove with Anger The Falling of New Sprouts Whither ImmigrantsA Soldier's Notebook Epilogue Read more