Zihran Wu Wu itibaren 美国新泽西州独立村
This is definitely not a light read as you delve into history, business, economics, labor practices, farming and so much more. I definitely learned a lot in this well-researched book. My only beef (pun intended) are in the sections about labor and meat packing that seemed to continuous vilify all big business and Republicans and praise the greatness of unions--it got to be a little too much for my personal views. I know some need to change in the fast food industry and I think some have within the last decade since most of the research was done. Will I become a vegetarian because of what I read? No because a good hamburger just tastes too good. Where will I go for that hamburger? In-N-Out (at least when I'm in CA, AZ, or UT)! I liked the very last section of the epilogue that said basically if you want change in the fast food industry, stop buying it and that will send a big message.
the author asks "the purists" not to judge, as she didn't aim for historical accuracy in her fictionalised "japan". well, i'm certainly no purist, but accuracy (historical or otherwise) is the least of hearn's problems. it felt to me as if characters with clearly western mind-set were slapped onto pseudo-japanese backgrounds for exotics. the characters were flat, the story lines were hokey. i hoped it would get better in the second installment.
This book was a staff pick at the library. Just so-so. Black girl whose father died on his wedding day is left to be raised by white stepmother. Nothin really happened.