My Year of Meats and Other Thoughts

I'm sorry the blogwaves have been so quiet. This Saturday, Oct. 2, is our Pedal for Paws charity bike ride, and I am eating, sleeping (occasionally), and worrying about things like volunteers, rest stops, and who is going to wear the Sylvester costume.

The weather forecast is perfect, sunny and high 60s. The leaves are turning pretty colors right on schedule. I promise to post photos of the day to share with you. In the meantime, though, I am on the hunt for a massive amount of fruit for those rest stops...

The only thing that gives my mind a break is reading. I've finished a couple of mysteries, The Cruellest Month by Hazel Holt, and All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie. But the book I want to write about here is My Year of Meats.

In My Year of Meats, Jane Tagaki-Little, a Japanese American documentary filmmaker, is hired to promote the sale of beef to Japanese households by developing a series of TV episodes of My American Wife. She is instructed to select stereotypical American households that appeal to the Japanese audience, and feature the wife/mother preparing a recipe made with meat.

 "John", the Japanese ad executive who adopted his Americanized name, constantly finds fault with Jane's choice of families, as she seeks to represent real Americans. Traveling through the south and midwest US, she films a Louisiana family with many adopted Asian children, a midwestern family with a daughter in a wheelchair (her legs were crushed by a Wal-Mart delivery truck), and an African-American church-going family in Arkansas with nine daughters who excel at softball. "John's" wife, Akiko, becomes emotionally involved in each episode, desiring the company of these real families rather than trying to live up to the facade that "John" forces on their married life. She is bulimic and therefore cannot produce the child he is desperate to have. In frustration, he abuses her, but she is too terrified to leave and get help. In desperation, she reaches out to Jane, who, as a DES daughter, must confront her own issues during the filming of the final episode of My American Wife.

Although this novel could be full of cliches, the author presents each character as a complex, flawed individual, doing his or her best with the emotional and ethical challenges they face. I can't say that I liked the book, or the characters, or that I enjoyed reading the story -- escape reading it was not.  I can say that it was well-written, and kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. I particularly wanted to know if "John" was going to get what he deserved, but I'll let you find out for yourself. 

A vegetarian friend of mine loaned the book to me, as I told her I've been mostly vegetarian all my life. Except for the occasional piece of chicken or hamburger, I just never cared for the taste of meat. Shortly before I started reading this book, I decided to become an official vegetarian. If I hadn't, this book may have been the catalyst to finally convince me. But whatever side of the dietary line you stand on, My Year of Meats raises a lot of valuable questions about our food that are worth considering.

When I finished the novel, I somehow started four other books: a mystery, a book of essays, a psychological book, and A Novel in a Year. I also need to get back to my creative study, Walking in this World. What are you reading right now?

P.S. I am still making progress, if slow, on my knitted skirt.

Comments

[Sarah]

Good luck this weekend! The weather predictions sound perfect for it!

[keri]

That's really interesting, I always love reading your book synopsis/reviews!

[Dorothy W.]

I'm so looking forward to the ride tomorrow! My Year of Meats sounds like a challenging read. That's great that you decided to become a vegetarian -- it sounds like you've been heading in that direction for a while. I most likely won't be joining you in vegetarianism, but I admire those who do it!

[Kristen]

You had gorgeous weather for the ride yesterday. Now you can relax a bit!
Vegetarianism is a healthy choice. Is Chris joining you?