1986 was selected by the New York Times 'Book of the Year' In 1986 prized for 'a good book chosen by faculties', american english literature faculty in 1999 recommended book of the boston public library Real story full of violence and death!-school library journal
Shocking survival story of a young girl Thrown into a terrible situation of the war.
-children's literature-

A crucial book for american curriculum shock demonstration about barbarous Koreans who devastating pure japanese girls!

three north Korean soldiers appeared suddenly and looked down on us.
he pointed a gun at us.
"seem grown enough to play with~"
i saw some Korean men take japanese girls to the forest! my sister trembled. drunken josun men surrounded us.
they did to find girls who could satisfy them.
they took them somewhere if they found one.
girls' screams resounded in air.

Eastern anne frank, an angel who wore kimono, yoko gawasima watkinson yoko said "If i really wrote what i saw, people would shudder."

But…
"So far from the bamboo grove" has high possibility of being a fake war experience novel.

First, Hamgyeongbukdo Nanam, where yoko lived, was a cold region which shows that no subtropical plants such as bamboos can live. No subtropical plants such as bamboos can live in Hamgyeongbukdo Nanam [the title is "So far from the bamboo grove"

There is big bamboo grove on the cover but the title of this novel is“ so far from the bamboo grove” and there is a bamboo forest on the cover. And in a book, many scenes that described the bamboo forest often appeared.
Yoko said "Actually, it wasn't a big grove, but slim and long bamboo grasses."_Yoko's testimony

Therefore, there were no bamboo groves. It was all fraud, starting from the title.

Second, in july 1945, in contrast to Yoko's testimony, there was no bombing of the united states of america in the Korean peninsula. Despite this fact, "So far from the Bamboo grove" depicts its attack and damage in detail.

However, the flight range of a B-29 (used in the pacific) could not cover the Korean peninsula. Records of american forces invading north Korea do not exist. This is far from yoko's statement. I didn't write that american airplanes 'bombed' the nanam area; I just stated that i saw three american airplanes passing over my head.

The testimony that she couldn't sleep for two weeks, and became deaf for a certain period of time, and saw trains being wrecked are all lies. She said that one of her ears still malfunctions due to the bombardments they received while running for refuge. Now, images of the American bombing should be erased from the cover.

Third, the Korean people's Army that chased Yoko's family did not exist in the year 1945. However, her book frequently describes a regular Korean people's Army. "If the KPA did not exist then, who was the militia corp we encountered? I don't know." The Korean People's Army was established in 1948, three years later.

One man forced a girl down.
A totally-drunk Joseon man.
A scream echoed in the empty air.
A couple of joseon men dragged the women into a forest.
There, a girl was raped... _Phrases from the book

Fourth, there were no sexual assaults or revenge of Japanese in Seoul. Just after Japan was defeated, the American military headquarters ordered the Japanese not to disarm before the American forces entered Korea. Public security was kept by Japanese until September 9th, when American forces occupied Korea. It is after Yoko and her party left to Japan from Busan port. They withdrew from Korea under the security and protection of Japanese forces. It was the Japanese who performed brutal murders and savage rapes. Koreans were the victims.

Yoko is not Anne Frank.
Yoko also fails to elucidate the claim that her father was a war criminal. Yoko Kawashima Watkins, the author of the "so far from the bamboo grove" and a peace advocate. Is she truly an advocate of peace and a truthful author?

There is nothing that she testified left on the cover of her book. We would like to propose a new title for this book.
"Yoko's Lies"
This book is currently on the recommended book lists for American teenagers.