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A Picture Bride By Yoshiko Uchida

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A picture bride. The ideal idea of woman created by looks and age, specifically for a man overseas. The book, Picture Bride by Yoshiko Uchida follows the life of Hana, a picture bride from Japan. As Hana and her husband Taro experience life together, the newly wed couple struggle to live in an America filled with racism and prejudice against people of a different skin color. Hana’s fight for acceptance within her community and even her own home reveals the difference in cultures between the two countries. With strong roots in her Japanese culture, living and raising a child in America proves difficult. Hana’s own relationships with her husband and child are strained because of decisions she makes, and it is up to her to attempt to repair them. The desire for acceptance in her community and own home drives Hana, while she struggles with balancing a mix of Japanese and American culture while raising a child, which in turn lead to a relationship that is on the brink of failing with her husband and daughter. A desire for acceptance follows throughout the novel, while differentiating cultures lead to tense family and community conflicts. When combined with a relationships falling apart, the novel paints a picture of these themes from start to finish.
The growth from a young bride who settles in another country, to a mother is astounding, and this progress is shown through the eyes of Hana. Hana is not without flaws though, as not even a picture bride can be perfect. Hana vies for

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