In April 1943, fifteen-year old Maria Rosa Henson was taken by Japanese soldiers and forced to become a "comfort woman." In this gripping authobiography, she recalls her childhood as the illegitimate daughter of a big landowner, her wartime ordeal and her decision to go public with a secret she had kept for fifty years. WE BEGAN THE day with breakfast, after which we swept and cleaned our rooms. Then we went to the bathroom downstairs to wash the only dress we had and to bathe. The bathroom did not even have a door, so the soldiers watched us. We were all naked, and they laughed at us, especially me and the other young girl who did not have any pubic hair. AT AROUND ELEVEN, the guard brought us lunch- a cup of rice, some salty black beans and preserved radish. On rare occasions, we had hard-boiled egg or a piece of fried chicken. Then a little before two in the afternoon, he brought us a basin with hot water and some pieces of cloth. AT TWO, THE soldiers came. My work began, and I lay down as one by one the soldiers raped me. Everyday, anywhere from twelve to over twenty soldiers assaulted me. There were times when there were as many as thirty; they came to the garrison in truckloads. I LAY ON the bed with my knees up and my feet on the mat, as if I were giving a birth. Whenever the soldiers did not feel satisfied, they vented their anger on me. Every day, there were incidents of violence and humiliation. When the soldiers raped me, I felt like a pig. Sometimes they tied up my right leg with a waist band or a belt and hung it on nail in the wall as they violated me. Size: 5.5 x 8 inches Number of Pages: 152 |
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