This is a book about working alongside the ghosts of generations past, whether pruning vines or surviving a storm; about valuing the knowledge of old farmers; about taking on a leadership role in the local California Buddhist community where Masumoto is one of the few left to bury the old-timers.

It is about the search for roots in the tragic history of the internment camps, and in the still-living rural culture of Japan, where Masumoto tells of visiting his grandmother's native village and working in ancient rice paddies. And it is about renewal: reinvigorating the family farm with new-old organic farming techniques, finding new uses for rusty tools left behind in the shed, starting a culturally blended family and teaching children the work and play of life on the farm.

By knitting together past and future, Masumoto achieves a rare and essential harmony - holding on to what matters, despite the pressures of time and change.