The Journal

Fiction. Young Adult. Asian & Asian American Studies. While rummaging through family boxes, Kami finds an old diary written by her great-grandmother. Reading the newspaper clippings inside, she’s sent hurtling back in time to 1929, where she encounters extreme prejudice because of her Asian features. After a number of disturbing adventures, Kami is taken in as a domestic servant by Judge Emily Murphy, one of the Famous Five, at the time of her battle to have women declared persons–a defining moment in the struggle for women’s rights. Although Kami views Judge Murphy as a heroine, she is startled to discover that Murphy holds racist views. On her return to the present, Kami must come to terms, not only with her own heritage, but how she views the ongoing struggle for the rights of all persons.