It's difficult to rate memoirs because it's like you're critiquing someone's life or more so how it was portrayed. I liked this though I felt my interest seriously wane toward the middle. The ending was great. Everything came full-circle. Life doesn't always work out like that, but it did for Waka's story.

Overall, Waka's eventual understanding of her austere grandmother (

obviously, her grandma had a rough, dark childhood, but I'm glad Waka didn't make excuses and acknowledged her own feelings as well though certainly with more understanding

), the Japanese school life, and the language-learning process were the highlights.