I really enjoyed the history behind this book, and how each new friend of Miss Kanagawa was set in a period of American history that added to the story. Miss Kanagawa was a beautifully ornate doll who came to America from Japan along with 57 other doll in 1927 as a sign of friendship between Japan and the US. The dolls were spread throughout the US and were put on display in museums and were honored until the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor when most were taken out of displays. At this time most of the dolls still remain, although 13 are missing. Each doll came with various accouterments, including a traveling chest, parasol, passport, tea sets, and other items.Although I liked the story, I somewhat disliked the haughty voice of the doll. Although most of the story was told in first person narrative from the perspective of the girls who were given a message of friendship from the doll, there are sections throughout in which we hear the voice of the doll. In each of these discourses the voice is very proud, similar to that of Edward Tulane in the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. I kept hoping the doll would be humbled after each new girl, but she remained proud, although transformed a bit by feelings of love that was softening its heart. Miss Kanagawa was made by a master dollmaker in Japan as a gift to the school children of America. She and her sisters travel to the United States as ambassadors. Miss Kanagawa takes her roll seriously and attempts to help four little girls discover the meaning of friendship. In return, she will experience something she's never known before. First she meets Bunny from a wealthy family in NYC in 1928. Only Miss Kanagawa sees how lonely Bunny is despite her riches. Then there is Lois who dreams of flying in Depression-era Chicago, Willie Mae in rural Kentucky and finally Lucy, an Okie migrant with big dreams.This story is a bit disappointing. Though it's told from Miss Kanagawa's point-of-view, it's mostly about the girls. In any other book, I would have loved to read about those girls but in a book about a Japanese friendship doll, I was expecting more about the doll. The stories of the girls are not interconnected in any way and the lessons learned are really corny and heavy handed. Younger readers who may not be familiar with the story of the friendship dolls will probably like this book. The book may be a bit too intense for some young readers.
What do You think about The Friendship Doll (2011)?
Great book to compare to The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by DiCamillo.
—goe00100
Last minute effort to finish some books. This was lovely ;__;
—elshenawy
