ON GOLD HILL A Personal History of Wheat, Farming, and Family, from Punjab to California

Momo Hoshi beautifully delivers this thoughtful memoir, which explores the history of humans and wheat, along with the allure and challenges of sustainable farming. Hoshi's gentle, sometimes wistful, narration of food and family casts a delightful spell. The author explores her Indian heritage, along with a type of heirloom wheat that can be traced back to the Punjab. Whether conveying the enthusiastic excitement of a new endeavor or the regret of falling short on intended visions, Hoshi's tone is spot-on. Her narration is easy on the ear even when it tugs on the heart, offering hard-earned insights on the challenges faced by small farmers and immigrants. The result is a poignant, absorbing story capturing what it's like to farm in an increasingly complex climate and increasingly fractured world. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]