BooksCanadian

Forgiveness

Forgiveness intertwines the compelling stories of Mark Sakamoto's grandparents as war rips their lives and their humanity out of their grasp.

Mark Sakamoto

CBC Books Posted: Jan 04, 2018 11:03 AM EST | Last Updated: February 5, 2019

When the Second World War broke out, RalphMacLeantraded his quiet yet troubled life on the Magdalen Islands in eastern Canada for the ravages of war overseas. On the other side of the country,MitsueSakamoto and her family felt their pleasant life in Vancouver starting to fade away after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Ralph found himself one of the many Canadians captured by the Japanese in December 1941. He would live out his war in a prison camp, enduring beatings, starvation, electric feet and a journey on a hell ship to Japan, watching his friends and countrymen die all around him.Mitsueand her family were ordered out of their home and were packed off to a work farm in rural Alberta, leaving many of their possessions behind. By the end of the war, Ralph was broken but had survived. TheSakamotoslost everything when the community centre housing their possessions was burned to the ground, and the $25 compensation from the government meant they had no choice but to start again.

Forgivenessintertwines the compelling stories of RalphMacLeanand theSakamotosas the war rips their lives and their humanity out of their grasp. But somehow, despite facing such enormous transgressions against them, the two families learned to forgive. Without the depth of their forgiveness, this book's author, Mark Sakamoto, would never have existed. (FromHarperCollins)

Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto, defended by Jeanne Beker, wonCanada Reads 2018. It was the #5 bestselling Canadian book of 2018, as determined by sales data from independent Canadian bookstores.

Watch the book trailer

Forgiveness Trailer

7 years ago

0:58

Canada Reads trailer for Mark Sakamoto's Forgiveness.

From the book

It started out innocently enough. I should not have been caught unawares. Grandpa Ralph does have a habit of travelling with one family member at a time. I can't quite pin down when that began. Cousin Christine went with him to Hawaii. Uncle Blake accompanied him to China. He wants to show his family the world. When my turn came, I was just wrapping up my first year of law school in Halifax. He rang me up. He knew I had not spoken to my mom in months. Neither had he.

"Thinking about going home. Thought maybe I might swing by Halifax and take you with me."

This was a trip of a lifetime. His lifetime. It would almost certainly be the last time he returned home. He made no bones about that.

From Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto 2014. Published by HarperCollinsCanada.

Interviews with panellist Jeanne Beker

Watch the 2018 Canada Reads panellists & authors in conversation with Gill Deacon

7 years ago

1:07:45

The Canada Reads defenders and authors took the stage in Toronto to discuss the five books that will be championed on CBC's battle of the books from March 26-29, 2018. Here and Now's Gill Deacon hosted the event in the Glenn Gould Studio.

Story of forgiveness

10 years ago

12:42

Former Liberal staffer Mark Sakamoto discusses the lives of his grandparents during the Second World War and his own experience as a Japanese-Canadian

Interviews with author Mark Sakamoto

**The Canada Reads 2018 contenders**

Mozhdah Jamalzadah, defendingThe Boat PeoplebySharon Bala
Tahmoh Penikett, defendingAmerican WarbyOmar El Akkad
Greg Johnson, defendingPrecious CargobyCraig Davidson
Jeanne Beker, defendingForgivenessbyMark Sakamoto
Jully Black, defendingThe Marrow ThievesbyCherie Dimaline