by Andrea Wang
First published 2021
A young Chinese American girl rides through Ohio with her parents in their old Pontiac when they suddenly pull over. Her parents have spotted watercress growing wild in a roadside ditch. Armed with rusty scissors and a paper bag, the family wades into the muddy water to harvest the snail-covered plants. The girl feels ashamed. Why must her family scavenge for food instead of shopping at the grocery store like other families? Her embarrassment deepens as they collect the dirty greens. But when her mother tells stories about their family's life in China, the girl begins to understand. The watercress connects them to their ancestors and their homeland. What started as a source of shame transforms into something precious. Through this simple act of foraging, she creates a new understanding of her Chinese heritage and builds a meaningful memory with her parents.
Genres: family-life, historical-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: China, Ohio
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
32 pages · Kindle Edition · Neal Porter Books