Waka T. Brown

On Sunday, May 16, 2021, the West Linn Historical Society hosted guest author and local resident, Waka T. Brown to discuss and read from her new memoir While I Was Away. This book follows Waka’s journey as a Japanese American who was sent to live in Japan with a grandmother she barely knew and attend public school because her parents feared she was losing her culture (HarperCollins / Quill Tree, January 2021). Brown was interviewed by West Linn Historical Society member Dede Montgomery for this look at the process of creating her book and some of the stories of its origin. You can watch the recorded presentation below.