Watercress

A young girl’s parents are driving across Ohio in an ancient Pontiac when they notice watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. The whole family dives into the muck with an old paper bag and some rusted scissors, hoping to harvest as much of the filthy, snail-infested watercress as possible. Initially, the girl is embarrassed. Why can’t her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family’s time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. A beautiful autobiographical book about bringing a girl closer to her family’s Chinese Heritage.