Paper Wishes

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.

The family settles into a routine. Mother helps Mrs. Soto with her children, and both Mother and Manami tend to the Tanakas’ slowly growing little garden. Father works on building projects with the other men. When there are scraps or damaged items left over at the end of the day, the prisoners are allowed to pick through them, and Father manages to bring Grandfather some wood, nails, and wire. 

Grandfather makes the family a chair for outside their door, and he sits there most of the time, making small sculptures of trees and animals. Manami thinks that he is also yearning for Yujiin. She and her mother continue to bring food to Grandfather, who rarely leaves their barracks. Eventually, Mother gets tired of not having a job to do and wants to take a job cooking. Father does not want her to leave Manami alone all day as long as Manami is still not speaking, but Mother finally persuades him by pointing out that she is a better cook than the people currently feeding the camp.

Kimmi comes to visit.