Alden M. Hayashi

An interesting look into a variety of complex, interconnected topics centered on questions of identity, culture, and history. Hayashi tackles a lot of complicated topics in Two Nails, One Love. What starts as a novel confronting the complex navigation of two homophobic cultures as a gay man quickly expands into issues surrounding being a child of immigrants, a person of Japanese descent in America, the reaction of Americans to the attack on Pearl harbor and the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the tensions within a family straddling two cultures, and more. A touching story well worth a read for anyone interested in how history affects individuals, what it's like to be a gay son of immigrants, or the interplay of and tension between cultures as people move from one place to another. The only reason Two Nails, One Love does not earn a full five stars is that the writing can sometimes be a little clunky, especially in the first few chapters of the book. The book is written primarily in a first person narrative, and often Hayashi uses this to give us direct descriptions, which can sometimes feel less like access to his inner thoughts and more like poor writing. These moments are uncommon and easily overlooked, however, especially as the story begins to unfold into its greater context.… (plus d'informations)