The Thing About Luck

The Thing About Luck

Kadohata, C. (2014). The Thing About Luck. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

ISBN: 978-1442474659

Plot Summary:

BeThere is bad luck, good luck, and making your own luck--which is exactly what Summer must do to save her family in this winner of the National Book Award by Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata.

Summer knows that kouun means "good luck" in Japanese, and this year her family has none of it. Just when she thinks nothing else can possibly go wrong, an emergency whisks her parents away to Japan--right before harvest season. Summer and her little brother are left in the care of their grandparents -- Obaachan and Jiichan --  who come out of retirement in order to harvest wheat and help pay the bills.

The thing about Obaachan and Jiichan is that they are old-fashioned and demanding, and between helping Obaachan cook for the workers, covering for her when her back pain worsens, and worrying about her lonely little brother, Summer just barely has time to notice the attentions of their boss's cute son. But notice she does, and what begins as a welcome distraction from the hard work soon turns into a mess of its own.

Having thoroughly disappointed her grandmother, Summer figures the bad luck must be finished--but then it gets worse. And when that happens, Summer has to figure out how to change it herself, even if it means further displeasing Obaachan. Because it might be the only way to save her family.

-Amazon

Analysis:

This novel is a story about migrant farming in America. The family that is featured is Japanese American, but it turns out there are many cultures represented in this line of work. The hours are long and the work is physically demanding. Jaz and Summer are siblings who spend their summers trailing their grandparents through the midwestern wheat harvest. Obaachan and Jiichan (grandmother and grandfather) are aged and weary but they have high expectations of themselves and their grandchildren. Obaachan especially has a quick temper, but everyone knows that her love for her family runs deep. Jiichan is constant and steady. They both share stories to inspire and motivate Summer and Jaz, but like many teenagers, those lessons can sometimes take time and personal experience to sink in. The grandparents' health is a constant worry, but they are determined to push through the harvest to keep the family afloat. 

Summer is the age where she is getting curious about boys. When she is not trying to do homework or cooking for the team this is what she daydreams about. Jaz lives with some unnamed special needs. The book mentions some diagnoses, but the family has chosen not to treat him with Western medicine. 

Summer and Jaz’s parents were asked to return to Japan to care for ailing elderly relatives who needed their assistance back home. They are mentioned in the dialogue, but do not play a role in the story. This is an example of their family culture and how they value and care for each other. This dynamic is featured throughout the book.

In the end, this is something of a coming of age story for Summer. She has to step up and cover for both of her grandparents when they are sick and cannot do the work they are hired for. At only twelve years old she is cooking for a crew of 12, and secretly running a combine to harvest wheat at night. I was inspired by her determination, but also saddened that she felt the pressure of adulthood at such a tender age.

This book opened my eyes to what migrant farm work is like. Following the narrative from Summer’s pre-teen perspective also made me remember how much alike we all are.

Book Reviews:

"It seems that if Summer’s Japanese American family didn’t have bad luck, they’d have no luck at all. Certainly good luck (kouun) is elusive. Consider that Summer has had malaria; her little brother, Jaz, is friendless; her parents have to fly to Japan to take care of elderly relatives; and her grandmother (Obaachan) and grandfather (Jii-chan) must pay the mortgage by coming out of retirement to work for a custom harvesting company. When the siblings accompany their grandparents on the harvest, Summer helps her grandmother, a cook, while Jaz is Jaz: intense, focused, and bad-tempered. At first, things go reasonably well, but then Jii-chan becomes sick, and it appears that it might be up to Summer to save the day. Will she succeed? Kadohata has written a gentle family story that is unusual in its focus on the mechanics of wheat harvesting. Readers may skim the more arcane aspects of the labor-intensive work, focusing instead on the emotionally rich and often humorous dynamics of Summer’s relationship with her old-fashioned but endearing grandparents and her troubled younger brother. Another engaging novel from the Newbery Medal–winning Kadohata."

―Booklist

"Sharp characterizations and descriptive details about modern farming invigorate Newbery Medalist Kadohata’s (Kira-Kira) funny and warm story about the Japanese-American daughter of migrant workers. Twelve-year-old Summer’s family has suffered a year of bad luck that included Summer’s near-fatal contraction of malaria and her parents’ departure to Japan to be with ailing relatives. In order to make ends meet, Summer’s grandparents come out of retirement to work for custom harvesters, which requires them to travel throughout the Midwest. Taking time off from school to accompany them, Summer reflects on her paranoia about mosquitoes, her lonely younger brother’s inability to make friends, and her annoyance at her sharp-tongued grandmother. During a time of crisis, however, Summer must set her concerns aside to rise to a challenge. Lively dialogue and a succinct narrative laced with humor effectively convey Summer’s emotions, observations, and courage. Readers will relate to her uncertainties and admire both her compassion and her work ethic." 

―Publishers Weekly

Connections:

This story can support lessons about living with special needs, American farming practices, anc cultural differences in family relationships.

Awards:

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, 2014

National Book Award for Young People's Literature, 2013

SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2013

This review was created as an assignment for SHSU LSSL 5361.