Keiko Honda’s double book launch
October 29th, 2025
Saturday, October 25 2025: a double book launch for author and translator Keiko Honda at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre. The Matsu Room was filled with fellow book lovers to celebrate the release of two personal and powerful works.
The event introduced two new books that bridge Keiko Honda’s family history and her personal reflections on identity and resilience.
Hidden Flowers: A Memoir (Heritage House $29.95) is a moving memoir detailing Honda’s journey through motherhood loss and disability. The memoir, which is illustrated with Honda’s watercolour paintings, explores shifting identity aging and the transformative power of artistic self-expression. It provides a compassionate guide for anyone facing difficult transitions. 9781772035605
The Broken Map Home (Caitlin Press $22) is a harrowing WWII memoir authored by Honda’s grandfather, Konosuke Masuda and translated by Honda. The book recounts Masuda’s desperate flight from North Korea following Japan’s surrender in 1945, highlighting the suffering and resilience of Japanese civilians in a land violently divided. 9781773861760
The gathering provided a wonderful opportunity to honour the legacy of her grandfather, Konosuke Masuda, through The Broken Map Home, while celebrating Honda’s multifaceted voice—that of an artist, scientist, immigrant and survivor—in her memoir Hidden Flowers. Both books offer essential perspectives on attachment belonging and cultural expectations, resonating deeply within Vancouver’s diverse literary community.
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