Synopses & Reviews
Food is often that which makes sense of the seemingly senseless. In
Bento Box in the Heartland, Linda Furiya proves just that by describing what it was like growing up as the only Asian family in rural Indiana. She tells a uniquely American story about girlhood, racism, assimilation, and the love of homemade food. It chronicles the bittersweet journey of Linda’s Japanese-American attempts to blend into the culture of the small farm community of Versailles, Indiana. While Linda struggles, her experiences are put into perspective by her parent’s personal stories of inspiration and courage.
Linda paints an endearing portrait of her parents. They consider a twelve-hour trip to Chicago just to replenish the pantry with Japanese items as the perfect Saturday outing, driving to Florida to cure their hankering for fresh fish as the perfect summer vacation, and maintaining their Japanese diets with gusto as the perfect anecdote for any challenge. While her parents appear oblivious to any racial reactions, Linda is completely aware.
Concluding every chapter with an appropriate Japanese recipe, Bento Box in the Heartland offers an insightful tale of a young Japanese-American being different, and gaining strength through childhood experience and the food of her homeland.
Synopsis
While growing up in Versailles, an Indiana farm community, Linda Furiya tried to balance the outside world of Midwestern America with the Japanese traditions of her home life. As the only Asian family in a tiny township, Furiya's life revolved around Japanese food and the extraordinary lengths her parents went to in order to gather the ingredients needed to prepare it.
As immigrants, her parents approached the challenges of living in America, and maintaining their Japanese diets, with optimism and gusto. Furiva, meanwhile, was acutely aware of how food set her apart from her peers: She spent her first day of school hiding in the girls' restroom, examining her rice balls and chopsticks, and longing for a Peanut Bullter and Jelly sandwich.
Bento Box in the Heartland is an insightful and reflective coming-of-age tale. Beautifully written, each chapter is accompanied by a family recipe of mouth-watering Japanese comfort food.