On Tuesday, May 19th, at 7p, author Julie Otsuka will be speaking about her best-selling book, ‘When The Emperor Was Divine’, on Zoom. This work of historical fiction, in addition to be a New York Times bestseller, is the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) selection for the Big Read: King County, co-sponsored by Seattle Pacific University.
Otsuka wrote ‘When The Emperor Was Divine’ about the Japanese-American internment during World War II. The novel, written by this California native, follows a family from their home in Berkley to a Utah internment camp, where they experience harsh and inhuman treatment. The story follows them back again, where they would find their world gone.
‘When The Emperor Was Divine’ was chose for the 2020 Big Read, a community literacy endeavor which encourages reading and discussion of a book related to Pacific Northwest history and culture. Originally, Otsuka had a live, in-person event scheduled at Seattle Pacific University, but now everyone can attend and participate from the comfort of their home, or on their phone, through Zoom.
Find out more about Otsuka, and the NEA Big Read, on the Seattle Pacific website (click here.) Register to be a part of this upcoming opportunity to ‘meet’ this award-winning author, and discuss her historical novel, on SurveyMonkey (click here.)