Harvest Son

Masumoto examines his family's history farming near Fresno. His immigrant grandparents rented land and were interred during World War 2. His father purchased land as an adult, and Masumoto still farms that land, and still has most of the vines and peach trees his father planted. He discusses the strong Japanese community he grew up in, and how it has slowly shrunk as the immigrants have died and so many of the third generation have moved to cities, including his brother and sister.

As a young man he went to college and then to Japan, where he took an intensive language course and then lived with his great uncle for some time, helping him with his farm of rice and buckwheat. Upon returning home he decided he wanted to farm, and that he show more was interested in organic methods. When he wrote this book, he was raising his own two kids on his farm, with his father still there to help.

This book is over 20 years old now, and I wonder what his own kids are now doing. Is either interested in continuing the tradition? show less

This is autobiographical writing by David Mas Masumoto. He discusses his family's Japanese origin, the family's confinement in an internment camp in Arizona during World War II, and the eventual purchase of farmland in California. The family works hard to be successful growing grapes and peaches. Masumoto presents this portion of his life story using a positive tone while still acknowledging the daily struggles his grandparents and parents faced in creating a situation in which his generation could be more financially secure. His description of farm life is appealing. The general discussion of the interaction of Japanese culture and traditional American farming culture is interesting, and it was enjoyable to read about this family.