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  • Forgiveness

  • A Gift from My Grandparents
  • Written by: Mark Sakamoto
  • Narrated by: Geoff Sugiyama
  • Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (384 ratings)

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Forgiveness cover art

Forgiveness

Written by: Mark Sakamoto
Narrated by: Geoff Sugiyama
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Publisher's Summary

When the Second World War broke out, Ralph MacLean chose to escape his troubled life on the Magdalen Islands in eastern Canada and volunteer to serve his country overseas. Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Mitsue Sakamoto saw her family and her stable community torn apart after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Like many young Canadian soldiers, Ralph was captured by the Japanese army. He would spend the war in prison camps, enduring pestilence, beatings and starvation as well as a journey by hell ship to Japan to perform slave labor, while around him his friends and countrymen perished. Back in Canada, Mitsue and her family were expelled from their home by the government and forced to spend years eking out an existence in rural Alberta, working other people's land for a dollar a day.

By the end of the war, Ralph emerged broken but a survivor. Mitsue, worn down by years of backbreaking labour, had to start all over again in Medicine Hat, Alberta. A generation later, at a high school dance, Ralph's daughter and Mitsue's son fell in love.

Although the war toyed with Ralph's and Mitsue's lives and threatened to erase their humanity, these two brave individuals somehow surmounted enormous transgressions and learned to forgive. Without this forgiveness, their grandson Mark Sakamoto would never have come to be.

©2014 Mark Sakamoto (P)2018 Audible, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Forgiveness

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Canada picked wrong

I really wanted to like this book after all of the positive reviews and its winning of Canada Reads, BUT i just couldn't , so much back story for mitz and Ralph, then halfway through the book they just vanish and new completely unrelated story starts about their kids becoming alcoholics in an abusive relationship. It was like the author wrote 2 different books and didn't want to get two books published so pretended through a distant family relation that the book was one continuous story Both parts of the story were interesting at times and it is an important topic but the book as a whole is just not a winner for me. I had to re read the middle chapter like 3 times to see what i missed when the story just completely changed.

American War and The Boat people were both 100 times better in all aspects, disappointed with this choice by Canada Reads

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Forgiveness took my breath away

The stunning coming together of a number of different but parallel storylines threw open an array of emotions during the reading of this fascinating book. The writing was outstanding, worthy of the out loud gasps that for me, signal a great book. I’m a middle-aged Canadian and did not have any knowledge of the depth of injustices that befell both Canadian-born Japanese citizens or Japanese-held Canadian prisoners of war during WWII. Sakamoto did justice to both of these tragic histories as well as the recurring theme of forgiveness, brought “home” in the telling of his heart-wrenching loss of his mother. We all have much to learn about forgiveness. This book teaches us that and so much more about unconditional love, which begets respect, which then begets hope that all can be forgiven. Thank-you Michael Sakamotofor an amazing and memorable book.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow

I can see why this won Canada Reads. What I thought was going to be a story about two sets of grandparents experiencing WWII from two very different circumstances wound up being so much more. I think this should be read very broadly, by Canadians mostly, but really anyone who wants to hear a touching, powerful story about three generations of families who have helped to build a great nation into what it is now (worts and all). Highly recommended!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A very deserving winner!

I loved this book. So proud of CBC for selecting this for the Canada Reads award

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ancestry

I really appreciate the reminder of the historical context of our Canada.
We vilify the US and overlook our own faux pas.

Though I am of African descent, I identified wholeheartedly with the telling of this tale and the courage it took to dig up such wounds.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

Haunting and sad but an excellent example of racism even in Canada pre Canada’s involvement in WWII and of the terrible ordeal suffered by the young men who went to war to protect our nation.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Two stories in one

This is really two stories. The first being the story of two sides of war and discrimination. The second story is dealing with an alcoholic parent. It’s also about the unspeakable things humans do to one another. This is what ties the two together.
I enjoyed this book but it’s too sad for a second reading.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Decent!

the narration was a bit fry, so it was a struggle to get into. the main part of the book was captivating and amazing. I enjoyed it so much! the end chunk was a little slow and drawn out. Over all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Truly excellent

This will make you cry at the gut wrenching depravity human beings are capable of doing to each other, and you will be crying again at how soft and caring and good people can be. I loved every bit of this book. Loved the walk through Canadian history the photos that made the story real. Highly recommend!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A story of human strength and forgiveness

I could not put it down. I listened on and on. A story of real people, real situations, who were controlled by the decisions of others, put in unimaginable circumstances they lived through with strength and forgiveness. A five star book for sure!

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