Seed Folks

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One can never tell just how deeply one simple action can change the world or your community. A young girl named Kim who came from Vietnam lives in an innner city area of Cleveland Ohio. She is mourning the deth of her father at an ancestral altar. He was a farmer before he was killed in a war. To cultivate a connection she plant thre beans in an abandoned lot. THe three seeds gow into plants but whatalso starts a snowball effect of a whole lot of positive. Elderly Ana looks down from her apartment and spies on the girl. Later she goes and checks it out. When she finds it is just beans she is relieved. Ana is a long time resident hwo has seen generations of immigrants come and go thorugh the neighborhood. Wendell her neighbor is clled to check on things and accidentally surpises young Kim. Eventually he persuades her that he is safe. Afterall he was just helping her garden. He too decides to plant. Gonazalo is a new immigrant from Guatemala, who is tasked with baby sitting his uncle Juan. Young people pick up English quick while the elders don't. THis leaves the elders to be like children and helpless. The garden gains momentum. Juan was a farmer in Guatemala. The garden gives him new life. Leona begins to grow golden rod which she beleives is a miracle cure for everything. Her grandmother swore by it. She takes a personal interest in the garden and takes her fight to the goverrmnt. In time more and more people friom various background come to the garden and start growing things. THe garden melds people form differnt backgrounds into one community. The end is climactic with a big festival that shows how they have become one. Whether one is directly involved in the garden it is still the pride of the community and it changes people..for the better. Excelent little read.

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