Synopses & Reviews
Stubborn Twig is a classic American story, a story of immigrants making their way in a new land. It is a living work of social history that rings with the power of truth and the drama of fiction, a moving saga about the challenges of becoming an American. Masuo Yasui traveled from Japan across the other Oregon Trail, the one that spanned the Pacific Ocean in 1903. Like most immigrants, he came with big dreams and empty pockets. Working on the railroads, in a cannery, and as a houseboy before settling in Hood River, Oregon, he opened a store, raised a large family, and became one of the areas most successful orchardists. As Masuo broke the race barrier in the local business community, his American-born children broke it in school, scouts and sports, excelling in most everything they tried. For the Yasu is a first-born son, the constraints and contradictions of being both Japanese and American led to tragedy. But his seven brothers and sisters prevailed, becoming doctors, lawyers, teachers, and farmers. It was a classic tale of the American dream come true until December 7, 1941, changed their lives forever. The Yasu is were among the more than 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry along the West Coast who were forced from their homes and interned in vast inland are location camps. Masuo was arrested as a spy and imprisoned for the rest of the war; his family was shamed and broken. Yet the Yasu is endured, as succeeding generations took up the challenge of finding their identity as Americans. Stubborn Twig is their story, a story at once tragic and triumphant, one that bears eloquent witness to both the promise and the peril of America.
Synopsis
She outflew Amelia Earhart, outsmarted Howard Hughes, outdrank the Mexican army, and outmaneuvered the U.S. government--the first time Pancho Barnes's story has been told with such authority and affection. She ended badly, but she burned and sparkled with a lust for life that set her apart from almost anyone else. 16-page insert.
Synopsis
In a biography written with authority and affection, Kessler presents the true life story of Pancho Barnes--the woman who outflew Amelia Earhart, outsmarted Howard Hughes, outdrank the Mexican army, and outmaneuvered the U.S. government. 16-page insert.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 273-289) and index.
About the Author
Lauren Kessler is the author of nine books, among them Stubborn Twig, which received the Frances Fuller Victor Award for the year's best work of literary nonfiction. She directs the grad-uate program in literary nonfiction at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where she lives with her husband and three children.
Exclusive Essay
Read Lauren Kessler's exclusive essay, "The Art of the Guinea Pig"