Comfort Woman is Nora Okja Keller's debut into full-length literature. Following her award winning short story "Mother-Tongue," Comfort Woman stays true to Keller's mission to speak the unspeakable concerning the plight of Japanese women throughout history. Both pieces address the generational connection between these women, how mothers and grandmothers have worked hard to try and improve the lot of their daughters' lives. In fact "Mother-Tongue" is recreated in Keller's latest book, comprising the second chapter. This demonstrates how closely connected Keller's literature is. She's writing with purpose, and a noble one at that.
Keller has attended school at Punahou School in Hawaii, the University of Hawaii, and the University of California at Santa Cruz, her highest achievement being a Ph.D. in American Literature. During her time in Hawaii she also wrote for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Writing and the relatively secret plight of Asian women are her two passions. In combining them, she has achieved noteworthy success. She's the proud recipient of the American Booko Award, the Elliot Cades Award, the Pushcart Prize, and the Hawai'i Award for Literature.
Raised in Hawaii, Keller is in touch with her Asian heritage. She was raised by her Korean mother who taught her to value her native culture as well as that of Hawaii. In college she was introduced to the ethnic identity of Asian Americans to which she felt strongly drawn. Today she proudly calls herself a Korean American. Her cultural roots remain a common thread throughout all of her writing.
