Stubborn Twig, originally published in 1994, is a classic American tale of immigrants making their way in a new land. Masuo Yasui arrived in America in 1903 with big dreams and empty pockets. He worked on the railroads, in a cannery, and as a houseboy before settling in Hood River, Oregon, to open a store, raise a large family, and become one of the area's most successful orchardists.
December 7, 1941, changed the family's lives completely and forever. Forced from their homes and interned in vast inland "camps", the family was shamed and broken. But the Yasuis endured to claim their place as Americans in a diverse and sometimes troubled society.
Lauren Kessler is the author of ten books, including her newest, Clever Girl: Elizabeth Bentley, the Spy Who Ushered in the McCarthy Era. She directs the graduate program in literary non-fiction at the University of Oregon in Eugene.