Discuss the theme of war in Tomiko Higa's book, "The Girl with the White Flag." How does Tomiko present war? How does war affect the island of Okinawa, and her family? What is the cost of war to Tomiko's family in particular?

Why do you believe that Japanese troops were so quick to turn on their own people? What reasons could they have had? What reasons does Tomiko give as possibilities? Are any of these reasons justifiable? Why or why not?

Discuss the theme of family in Tomiko Higa's autobiography "The Girl with the White Flag". What is Tomika's family like? What is her opinion of her family? How does family affect the course of Tomiko's experiences?

Why was it so important for Tomiko Higa to track down and find John Hendrickson? What spurred her on? What was their meeting like? Was it satisfying...