I found this book to be irritating, challenging, illuminating and fascinating. The first couple of chapters bored me, but I quickly became hooked. I hadn't a CLUE that Hood River, OR used to have a major Japanese Immigrant community. Having family roots in OR this was interesting to me. Living in Japan NOW - this book really interested me. Stubborn Twig follows the Yasui family as they leave Kobe to work on the railroad near Tacoma, WA. The original plan was to save up $ and come back to Japan. The older brother did just that. The younger two brothers move to Hood River, buy property, become major land holders and fruit producers...and eventually face internment during WW2.
This book is well worth the read/listen if you are interested in this time in history. I believe it helped me understand the Japanese culture and the Japanese experience in America better. I think it would be a good book for high school students who are studying the WW2 era to read. This is not an America-bashing book, but it IS an honest portrayal of this family's experience in America.
In an amusing aside, our homework this week is to note items that are "yasui" or "takai," (inexpensive/expensive). I was writing my sentence....and kept thinking yasui - that can't be right that's the name of the family in Stubborn Twigs...then I remembered.....ah HA they changed their name so they could advertise their business.....
This is part of my 2010 reading list.
Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...
