City people will know why supermarket peaches disappoint and country people will recognize the sad story of a farmer who, the harder he tries the more frustration he finds. The peaches you find in the supermarket are there because the consumer/supermarket/broker/ value "shelf life" more than flavor.

Peaches don't travel well and they don't last long. The farmer must choose the right variety, prune it exactly the right way at exactly the right time, fertilize and water at the right time, pray fervently for the right weather conditions.

Only then, if the peach absorbs enough sun to fully mature, will it have the full bursting ambrosial flavor a peach should have. Only the sun can make a peach sweet and flavorful. Most really delicious peaches won't last more than three or four days after they are picked.

A good peach should be eaten as it is right out of hand. Not put in a pie or jam or cake. Only a good farmer can grow a perfect peach and no supermarket want them. Where is the answer?

You'll fall in love with farming and weep a bit as you read the Masumoto family story. Perhaps you won't fully appreciate what today's farmers are up against, but this book will give you more insight than you ever had before.

If you are from a farming family you will fully appreciate every word of this beautiful story of a San Joaquin Valley farm.

With moving eloquence and lyrical prose David Musumoto shares with us the story of his attempts to save a peach whose cultivation was a defining part of his life. David's story is the story of all family farmers struggling to stay alive and afloat in the vast world of the agribusiness. As one who is a resident of the "peach" state and has seen the destruction of its groves and dispersion of family farmers, I can readily identify with the various themes of which David shares.

Walk with him through the four seasons where we learn about the preparation of the soil, pruning, watering, caring, harvesting and marketing of the peaches. You find out that farming is hard work that requires faith, patience, experimentation and a tough hide when you experience failure. David interweaves his own personal history of farming through three generations to give us an appreciation of a lifestyle that is deeply embeded in one's soul.

As citizens in the 21st century we have some numerous decisions to make. Do we want agribusiness to control our food supply thus limiting our choices or we will support farmers such as David who offer us a product more satisfying? Too often we will go with cheap and quick availability without looking at the whole picture to make room for both agribusiness and small farmers. Which side will we chose? Is an epitaph for a peach in reality an epitaph for the family farm? Think about it as you read this enriching, thoughtful and engaging work.