The Grave on the Wall

Winner of the 2020 PEN Open Book Award, The Grave on the Wall is a lyrical memoir in which Brandon Shimoda explores the life of his grandfather, Midori Shimoda, against the backdrop of 20th-century Japanese-American history. Through a series of pilgrimages and reflections, Shimoda crafts a poetic elegy that delves into themes of memory, identity, loss, and historical trauma. Praised for its elegant and fragmented structure, the book offers a profound meditation on how citizenship, history, and personal identity intertwine.