Grandfathers Journey

In an attractively painted memoir of his grandfather's travels from Japan to the United States, Say creates a Chaplinesque character who crosses the country, astounded by its wonders. He misses Japan, however, and returns there to wed his childhood sweetheart. He brings her to America, and they settle in San Francisco. When his daughter (Say's mother) is nearly grown, they return to Japan and buy a house in a large city. The daughter meets her husband and they have a child. The grandfather longed to see California again, but the war intervened and he never saw his beloved bay. The grandchild, however, when he was nearly grown, travels to California and settles there, still missing the mountains and rivers of Japan. This is a poignant and moving story about people who love where they are, yet also love where they came from. Younger readers will have difficulty understanding the concept, but older readers will be pleased. Highly recommended.