Although I enjoyed the book on the first read, I had a greater appreciation for "Cherry Blossoms in Twilight: Memories of a Japanese Girl" when I recently read it again, nearly 15 years later.

The book was written by former Joliet resident Linda E. Austin wrote with her mother Yaeko Sugama Weldon, now deceased.

I think that's partly due to the knowledge I know have of Asian culture, thanks to my daughter, who has introduced me to books and dramas.

In the introduction, Weldon explained what the reader will discover, “This book is full of the many memories of my life as I remember them now in my older years. Some are painful, but most are wonderful to me. They are treasures in my heart.”

Because "Cherry Blossoms in Twilight" is a memoir, readers will walk alongside Weldon in early 20th century Japan all the way to Weldon coming to the U.S. and her later years.

Among the book's 128 pages and Weldon's charming illustrations are details of the shoemaking shop Weldon's father owned and the grocery store next door that sold basic food (soy sauce, soybean paste, sugar and sake wine) in big barrels.

Weldon tells stories of celebration, such as the Cherry Blossom Festival (Hanami) in the spring and the Full-Moon Viewing (Tsukimi) in September, in such vivid, enchanting details that readers might long to experience those events themselves.

Weldon writes about mushroom hunting with the father she adored (which reminded me of a favorite book from my childhood, "Nanka of Old Bohemia") and she wrote about learning penmanship with a block of hard ink and rice paper.

One adage that jumped out at me was “When you do your job, do it well because people see your character by your work." The timing for my reading it was perfect because I was having a stressful day and the wise words from across eras and oceans encouraged me.

Weldon also shared bits of delightful Japanese fairy tales, like this one: “When I was a little girl, my mother said to me, ‘Look at the moon. There is a dark shadow on it,’” Weldon wrote in “Cherry Blossoms.” “’That is Rabbit pounding a rice cake with a big wooden hammer.’ That is part of a Japanese fairy tale. I used to believe it.”

But Weldon's book is not all sweetness and light. She shares heartache, too, in plain, candid speech, along with how she found the courage to go on.

Buy the book on Amazon.

For more information about Linda E. Austin, visit moonbridgebooks.com.

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