Kevin O'Hara on THE LAST OF THE DONKEY PILGRIMS; Patricia Klindienst on THE EARTH KNOWS MY NAME: Food, Culture, and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans.
Theme: Dave Brubeck, "Cassandra" Telarc 2004
After veteran Kevin O'Hara returned from the war in Vietnam, he felt rootless. So he went to Ireland, his parents' homeland, in search of his roots. Along the way, he met a bevy of wonderful and wise characters, and made friends with one phenomenal donkey named Missy. He tells about his journey in LAST OF THE DONKEY PILGRIMS. There's a lot of hatred being directed toward immigrants these days. But our nation's tables would be far poorer without the cuisines they bring to our shores. Growing the vegetables that go into those dishes together with other immigrants who have made the same journey is often a way to deal with the pain of loss and transition. Patricia Klindienst explores this theme in her book, THE EARTH KNOWS MY NAME: Food, Culture, and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans.