Awards

• Winner of Oregon State Book Award (United States).

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9780063017160

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Reviews

Annie's voice is so sweet, charming, and absorbingly addictive. I was mesmerized by her story, her troubles, and all of her dreams. I wish the book had never ended, but I know that she'll stick with me long after the last pages. -- Van Hoang, author of <em>Girl Giant and the Monkey King</em>

This is a captivating coming-of-age story of determination. Brown eloquently addresses the history of Asian immigration, microaggressions, the model minority myth, stereotyping, and the impact of the lack of representation. An eye-opening, inspiring story of growing up, facing obstacles, and chasing your dreams anyway. -- <em>Kirkus Reviews </em><strong>(starred review)</strong> Brown paints a realistic picture of one Japanese American child's experiences growing up in a mostly white town. Annie's arc is an uplifting one as she traverses the highs and lows of friendship, middle school, and family expectations to fulfill her dreams, despite the bigoted thinking of people around her. -- <em>Publishers Weekly</em> Annie's voice is so sweet, charming, and absorbingly addictive. I was mesmerized by her story, her troubles, and all of her dreams. I wish the book had never ended, but I know that she'll stick with me long after the last pages. -- Van Hoang, author of <em>Girl Giant and the Monkey King</em>

This is a captivating coming-of-age story of determination. Brown eloquently addresses the history of Asian immigration, microaggressions, the model minority myth, stereotyping, and the impact of the lack of representation. An eye-opening, inspiring story of growing up, facing obstacles, and chasing your dreams anyway. -- <em>Kirkus Reviews </em><strong>(starred review)</strong> Brown sensitively portrays Annie's shift from a girl who readily makes adaptations to fit in with the majority culture to a person who is fully aware of racial prejudice yet dreams of a bright future. This thought-provoking historical novel highlights issues faced by many Asian Americans, past and present. -- <em>Booklist </em><strong>(starred review)</strong> Brown paints a realistic picture of one Japanese American child's experiences growing up in a mostly white town. Annie's arc is an uplifting one as she traverses the highs and lows of friendship, middle school, and family expectations to fulfill her dreams, despite the bigoted thinking of people around her. -- <em>Publishers Weekly</em> Annie's voice is so sweet, charming, and absorbingly addictive. I was mesmerized by her story, her troubles, and all of her dreams. I wish the book had never ended, but I know that she'll stick with me long after the last pages. -- Van Hoang, author of <em>Girl Giant and the Monkey King</em> In this ultimately uplifting story, Brown describes the painful racism the Inoue family faces and their differing experiences of living in the United States. -- Horn Book Magazine

Author Information

Waka T. Brown was the first American born in her family. She is a Stanford graduate with a Master's in Secondary Education. With her background, she's worked to further U.S.-Japan relations, promoting cultural exchange and awareness. She's currently an instructor at the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), authoring curriculum on several international topics, and winning the Association for Asian Studies' national Franklin Buchanan Prize. She's also been awarded the U.S.-Japan Foundation and EngageAsia's national 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher award for her groundbreaking endeavors in teaching about U.S.-Japan relations to high school students in Japan. While I Was Away is her memoir, and also her debut. She lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.

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