Readmont 2012: 'When The Emperor Was Divine'

Piedmont Unified School District launched its Readmont 2012 project Monday, encouraging adults and teens throughout the city to read the same book at the same time: When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka.

Readmont is Piedmont's annual "one city, one book" project, part of a nationwide movement in many U.s. communities and on college campuses.

The reading period will extend to April or May, when PUSD will schedule community events such as book discussions, according to the district's announcement. The district hopes to schedule a talk by the author as well.

According to the PUSD, when The Emperor Was Divine is a "powerful, beautifully written novel about a Japanese American family in Berkeley sent to an internment camp during WWII. It is educationally as well as emotionally rich and lends itself to discussion. Though written for adults, it is accessible for teens and can be explained to younger children, though other books have been written on Japanese internment specifically for youth."

Emperor is Otsuka's first novel, originally published in 2003. Her second novel, The Buddha in the Attic, about Japanese "picture brides," was published last year and was nominated for the 2011 National Book Award.

Otsuka is a Palo Alto native who attended Yale and now lives in New York City. You may read more about her at julieotsuka.com.

Emperor is available in paperback with a list price of $12.95. According to the PUSD, in Montclair is offering a 20 percent discount on copies currently. Copies are also available at other bookstores and online, and there are Kindle and Nook editions.