Picture Bride

One winter morning, Hana and Taro awake to find that Mary has run away to Reno, Nevada, with Joseph to get married. Joseph has a teaching job in Reno, and Mary plans to live as a housewife. Hana and Taro are distraught. They seek guidance from Kenji and Dr. Kaneda. Hana resents Taro and Kenji for tolerating Mary’s independence. The church urges them to forgive Mary and Taro does, but Hana cannot.

The narration shifts to Mary, who is riding with Joseph along a dark highway toward Reno. She expresses regret for hurting her parents but feels completely at peace with Joe. She remembers meeting Joe for the first time and going on their first few dates. Joe, himself the child of immigrants, sympathizes with Mary’s complicated relationship with her racial and cultural identity. He reassures Mary that their marriage is the best decision for them both.

Mary becomes pregnant shortly after they settle in Reno. She enjoys her life as a housewife, noting that she does not miss California. She writes to her parents to update them on her new life. When Hana learns that Mary is pregnant, she begins to sympathize with her. Hana writes back to Mary to offer her help with the pregnancy and birth. Mary declines her offer, having already hired a retired nurse for help. Hana feels rejected by her daughter.

The year is 1941. From a radio news update, Hana and Taro learn that Japanese planes have bombed Pearl Harbor. The event triggers the United States’s involvement in World War II; specifically, it puts the US at war with Japan.

The Japanese immigrant community is worried in the wake of the incident. Dr. Kaneda and other leaders of the Japanese American community are taken from their homes by the FBI to live in prisoner-of-war camps. In the weeks after Pearl Harbor, rumors surface of an “evacuation” of Japanese immigrants to government camps. Taro grows anxious about the fate of his shop. The rumors turn out to be true: Japanese Americans in California are to be evacuated to camps by the American military.

Hana and Taro decide to reach out to Mary for assistance. Since Nevada is outside of the “Exclusion Zone,” Nevada residents will not be evacuated. When Mary writes back, she offers her parents refuge in Nevada. However, the tone of the letter suggests that she does not actually want her parents to arrive. Hana and Taro feel spurned and decide to accept their evacuation to the camps.

Hana receives a phone call from Kiku, who wanted to connect one more time before the evacuation. She wishes she could travel to see Kiku, but Japanese civilians now have a curfew and travel restrictions. Hana and Taro pack up their belongings; they are meant to have only a few bags when they arrive at the camp.

Hana grows emotionally devastated and seeks counsel from Kenji. He voices his support and helps her organize her packing. Hana feels strengthened by his assistance. After developing his shop for 30 years, Taro sells it for $200. The Takedas spend their last night in their home, thinking of the long journey ahead.

At the Todas’ farm, Henry faces a similar dilemma. He wonders if he should sell his farm before evacuation. If he keeps the farm, it could still be overtaken in his absence. If he sells the farm, he could at least make a small sum of money. After much debate in the Toda household, Henry decides to sell the farm.

Still, he lies awake late one night, troubled by his thoughts. He remembers coming to America with Dr. Kaneda. Thinking of his imprisoned friend, he makes a small care package to send to Dr. Kaneda. Henry contemplates his love for Kiku, who worked hard with him on the farm, and his sons, who now attend university. He hears footsteps outside the house. Henry looks outside to find a white man holding a gun. The man hurls a racist epithet at Henry and then shoots him in the chest.

Mrs. Davis and her son, Victor, arrive to drive Hana and Taro to Tanforan, a California concentration camp. Upon arrival, they are crowded into the building with other Japanese Americans. They are escorted to the barracks where they will live. They are unsettled to learn that they will be housed in former horse stalls. Shortly after arriving, they receive news of Henry’s murder. Hana wishes she could comfort Kiku.

Meanwhile, in the Montana concentration camp, Dr. Kaneda receives the news as well. He opens the package that Henry sent him, shares it with other prisoners, and provides words of remembrance in Henry’s honor.

Hana tries to acclimate to life in the concentration camp. Cooking, washing, privacy, and outside communication are all made difficult by the camp’s restrictions and limited resources. Luckily, Hana is still able to keep in contact with Mary through letters. Mary informs her that she plans to move to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Joseph will work as a professor.

Hana notes the difference between herself and her neighbor, a woman she finds to be nosy and ill-kept. However, she does find acquaintances in her other neighbors, Mrs. Mitosa and her daughter, Sumiko.

Taro is worn down after enduring Henry’s death, Dr. Kaneda’s evacuation, and their imprisonment. Hana asks Kenji to help Taro, and he teaches him carpentry. Taro makes furniture for his and Hana’s living quarters and benefits from the discipline and satisfaction. Hana fixates on finding a wife for Kenji and considers introducing him to Sumiko.