Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 My first memory is of a dog biting me, on the arm, not hard, but just enough to jar me into consciousness. His name is Shiro, which means white or castle or generation in Japanese, depending on how it is written. I was three years old and he was just above my height. I believe we understood each other. #2 The Battle of Okinawa was the most deadly battle in history, with over 100,000 Okinawans dying. It began in April of 1945 and lasted 82 days. It was a conquered nation for many centuries, but the people were conscripted to fight in the front lines. #3My mother was born in 1952, three years after the war. She was born into poverty and chaos, and she witnessed the U. S. military devouring the island, constructing enormous complexes of bases. She witnessed forests and fields becoming concrete. #4 My mother and I have developed an understanding that precedes words. It is an understanding that comes from being the same body, being fed, bathed, clothed, and held in her arms every day.