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The Train to Crystal City
The Train to Crystal City: FDR's Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America's Only Family Internment Camp During World War II | Jan Jarboe Russell
6 posts | 12 read | 21 to read
The New York Times bestselling dramatic and never-before-told story of a secret FDR-approved American internment camp in Texas during World War II: A must-read.The Train to Crystal City is compelling, thought-provoking, and impossible to put down (Star-Tribune, Minneapolis). During World War II, trains delivered thousands of civilians from the United States and Latin America to Crystal City, Texas. The trains carried Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants and their American-born children. The only family internment camp during the war, Crystal City was the center of a government prisoner exchange program called quiet passage. Hundreds of prisoners in Crystal City were exchanged for other more ostensibly important Americansdiplomats, businessmen, soldiers, and missionariesbehind enemy lines in Japan and Germany. In this quietly moving book (The Boston Globe), Jan Jarboe Russell focuses on two American-born teenage girls, uncovering the details of their years spent in the camp; the struggles of their fathers; their families subsequent journeys to war-devastated Germany and Japan; and their years-long attempt to survive and return to the United States, transformed from incarcerated enemies to American loyalists. Their stories of day-to-day life at the camp, from the ten-foot high security fence to the armed guards, daily roll call, and censored mail, have never been told. Combining big-picture World War II history with a little-known event in American history, The Train to Crystal City reveals the war-time hysteria against the Japanese and Germans in America, the secrets of FDRs tactics to rescue high-profile POWs in Germany and Japan, and above all, is about identity, allegiance, and home, and the difficulty of determining the loyalties that lie in individual human hearts (Texas Observer).
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Pickpick

Fascinating reading! You may think you know some US history during WWII but this book reveals the secret Texas internment camp where entire families of Germans, Japanese, Italians and Peruvians were held. American citizen children were actually “repatriated” in exchange for POW‘s. You have to read it to believe and understand the events that were hidden. You will want to share with everyone. So interesting!

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LindaGrace812

The author of this book, Jan Jarboe Russell, is a well known figure around the state of Texas and here in San Antonio. I am delighted to report that my mom, brother, and I will be attending a reading and discussion with her at our beautiful central library next week!

BarbaraTheBibliophage This one is on my TBR list - looking forward to hearing your experience! 7y
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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My MIL and her family were in the Japanese internment camps, having been forced to leave their business and possessions in Tacoma, WA. In just a few weeks it will be the 75th anniversary of this heinous decision by the U.S. Government. The Smithsonian will start a year-long exhibit and our family is planning to go. I have some reading planned to prepare. #atopicyoudliketoknowmoreabout #readjanuary #asianamerican #racialprofiling #socialjustice

DebinHawaii Farewell to Manzanar is a favorite of mine.📚👍 7y
Bookzombie The Train to Crystal City is our mayor's current book pick. I'm taking a screenshot so I can check out the other books! 7y
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DogMomIrene Looks like a fantastic collection. I'm taking a screen shot too! 7y
minkyb Thanks for posting these. They all look necessary. 7y
Texreader Crystal City is very near where I live and I've heard of its history. 😓 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @DebinHawaii My granddaughter is reading it in high school, and I'm glad. It's certainly a classic that has unfortunate connections to current events. 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Bookzombie @Ebooksandcooks @ocdIrene Looking forward to reading them along with you! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @minkyb You're very welcome! 7y
RealLifeReading Thanks for listing these books! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @RealLifeReading My pleasure. I added some of yours to my TBR also. 7y
123 likes6 stack adds11 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Here's a #trainsplanesautomobiles book I just picked up for my TBR. I'm fascinated (in a terribly sad way) by the internment camps in U.S. history. #photoadaynov16 #nonficnov #nonfictionnovember

Penny_LiteraryHoarders Oh, this one sits on my shelf too. Would be perfect for NF November too! 7y
TheNextBook I'm stacking this! Looks really interesting. 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Penny_LiteraryHoarders I love so many kinds of nonfiction that I know November will be great! The problem (as always) is choosing which books. 7y
83 likes8 stack adds4 comments
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Ksvz
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Realized I've read 180 books this year and my 'want to read' pile is up to 80 books. I think I need a 12 step program or a detox stay... especially since I just checked out 10 more books... book induced sleep deprivation is my norm :)

BookBabe 😂Yup! Btw, congrats on that awesome accomplishment! 7y
Ksvz I feel like a cheat as most of this year's have been audiobooks and I know purists would argue they don't count but to counter that I've taken on a more diverse range of topics. Most due to my book selection being based on Ohhhh shiny, pretty cover or OMG that show is based on a book or Squeee book # is finally out... 7y
3 likes2 comments