My Mother Is A Tractor

A rollicking "Life in Japan" book, written from the depths of rural Japan by a former JET Program teacher. Rated a "...must read" by "Crazy Japan Times" and "Rough Guide"

Maria-Maria had broken away from her domineering mother long before her physical death, or at least she thought she had. Neither mother's cruel lashings nor her cutting criticism had prevented her from rejecting the values and ideals that her authoritarian and Communist party-line- towing parents held so dearly. To their crushing dismay, she would not deploy her artistic talents toward embodying the Ceaucescian model of the "new human." Quite the contrary, she was going to revel in being imperfect, and embark on a journey of self-exploration in order to discover what it means to be a self that is not defined by being her mother's daughter or a mother to her own daughter. Putting everything at stake to detach from the primal bond that both oppresses and eludes her, Maria-Maria opens herself up to, and achieves, the unexpected. Banciu explores an uncompromising struggle for selfhood in a singular voice that is vulnerable and authentic, emotional, and unsparingly honest. Beyond a literary study of the complex dynamics that inextricably bind and repel mothers and daughters, Banciu's Mother's Day - Song of a Sad Mother is a courageous reflection on what it means to become and accept one's self with all of the renunciations and rewards that this fraught journey entails. (Elena Mancini)

There is the episode when a neighboring youth hid two cases of beer in their privy and the time that the author nearly burned down the farm. And no farm story would be complete without a tale about laughing cows, and there was the time that three convicts tried to get accommodation for the night. This book is a series of anecdotes about the hobby farm, her family and the farming community in which the author grew up during the 1950s. Maybe the characters and events were larger than life or maybe they weren’t. It really doesn’t matter, it makes for intriguing and humorous reading.

The Infinite Cord is a bilingual inspirational memoir about the simple life of a Brazilian family in a coffee farm. The stories were stitched to celebrate the 80th birthday of a matriarch. The memories include happiness, humor, suffering, resilience, and other moments of being human. The narratives may help you to look inside and change your life perception. Family and friends make us who we are; the infinite cord connects past, present, and future. Let ́s dive in this authentic readings sewed by hand. Sobre o Livro O Cordão Infinito é um livro de memórias inspirador bilíngue que descreve a vida simples de uma família brasileira em uma fazenda de café. As histórias foram alinhavadas para comemorar os 80 anos de uma matriarca. As memórias incluem a felicidade, o humor, o sofrimento, a resiliência e outros momentos que relacionam-se ao ser humano. As narrativas podem te ajudar a refletir e mudar a sua percepção de vida. Família e amigos fazem de nós o que somos; o cordão infinito conecta passado, presente e futuro. Mergulhemos nestas autênticas leituras costuradas à mão.

I just put the watch to my ear, but before I could hear anything, Uncle Ma grabbed my wrist. Uncle Ma took the watch back and slapped me on the head. "How could you do this to a naughty kid?" Uncle Ma scolded Dao Jian angrily, "Why are you so annoying?" He scolded me and slapped me again. Although I received two slaps, I was still very satisfied. After all, I touched Comrade Dong's watch. Not only did I touch Comrade Dong's watch, but I also put Comrade Dong's watch to my ear and listened. I almost heard the sound of the watch

For the aficionado of farm equipment, or the scion of an old farming family nostalgic for the old days, or the grown-up boy who still loves a classic piece of old-time machinery, the vintage tractor can be a thrilling find like no other. This book tells dozens of stories of such discoveries, of the treasured old tractor parked in a shed since 1927, of the pristine model unearthed at an estate sale, of the broken-down old beauty stashed in a barn where generations of children have made their secret hideaways. These are the classic tractors that are often as hard to find as a needle in a haystack—but far more fun to discover, as all of these delightful stories make abundantly clear.