A review by laughterbynight
The Sakura Obsession: The Incredible Story of the Plant Hunter Who Saved Japan's Cherry Blossoms by Naoko Abe
4.0
4 stars from me because I enjoyed the swerve between Ingram’s story and details about WWII Japan that I was not previously aware of. I can see how that might be a turn off to other readers but personally it kept me engaged.
The overall tone was hit or miss. I find Ingram’s story fascinating and I’m obviously glad his work was able to preserve and reintroduce varieties of Sakura that had died out in Japan. That said, the sort of romantic notion of spreading Sakura all over the world has the naturalist in me cringing. I understand the inclination but I’m left wondering what ecosystems have been disrupted by these introductions. To be clear, Ingram isn’t the first or last person to do this. We see it every day in our yards and all around town, I just have a hard time rooting for that sentiment when we are now actively working to restore natural ecosystems and remove invasive species.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone with an interest in Sakura and/or WWII Japan. It serves both purposes. Particularly hearing about average people of the time vs the government. I always find that far more interesting.
The overall tone was hit or miss. I find Ingram’s story fascinating and I’m obviously glad his work was able to preserve and reintroduce varieties of Sakura that had died out in Japan. That said, the sort of romantic notion of spreading Sakura all over the world has the naturalist in me cringing. I understand the inclination but I’m left wondering what ecosystems have been disrupted by these introductions. To be clear, Ingram isn’t the first or last person to do this. We see it every day in our yards and all around town, I just have a hard time rooting for that sentiment when we are now actively working to restore natural ecosystems and remove invasive species.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone with an interest in Sakura and/or WWII Japan. It serves both purposes. Particularly hearing about average people of the time vs the government. I always find that far more interesting.