Kenji Wants Out - 2

Gay Love, Japanese Internment and the Aftermath

By: Richard Podnar

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

One book was not enough to tell the story of something that happened in American history which many people know nothing of today and refuse to believe ever occurred.

In KENJI WANTS OUT - 1, the impact of Executive Order 9066 is felt by persons of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast of the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entry into World War II. Two young men on opposite sides of the relocation order grapple with issues of war, hate, mistrust and turmoil that confront them. At the end of Book One they (and the reader) wonder if their deep love for one another can survive or whether the country ever recovers from a shameful chapter in its history.

KENJI WANTS OUT - 2 is a continuation of the Nakamura and Applegate families' experiences as the internment period intensifies, eventually fizzles and signals an end the unfair treatment. Many of the challenges the former internees face are more harrowing than those they encountered at the beginning of the conflict. The decades-long wait for redress is finally over as our story draws to a close, though lessons learned are permanent and will inspire future generations to say, "We will not allow something like this to ever happen again."

Books I and 2 may be read independent of each other.