Dixieland Sushi [Paperback]

Cara Lockwood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2005

Wax on....

Jen Nakamura Taylor thought she left behind her awkward past of growing up half-Japanese, half-white in a small Southern town when she moved north to produce a popular Chicago television show. But when she gets word that her Southern Belle cousin is marrying Kevin Peterson, the very boy Jen loved-with-a-capital-L for years, she realizes she can't run from her past forever. Not only does the news conjure up sticky memories of growing up with a mixed heritage in the South (soy sauce on chicken fried steak, anyone?) but now the very single and very busy Jen has got to find a date for the wedding -- a grand affair that could put Scarlett O'Hara to shame.

Wax off....

Riley -- Jen's cute British friend from work -- seems just the ticket; even his girlfriend thinks it's a good idea. But as Jen and Riley whistle on down to Dixie, sparks start to fly. Add to the fire the grown-up but still charming Kevin Peterson, who appears to have a soft spot for Jen, and, well, whoa. It's going to take everything Jen has (and a lot of help from the Karate Kid-wisdom of her pop culture hero Mr. Miyagi) to survive the meeting of past and present, and of North and Far East and South...where Jen finally learns to come to terms with her heritage, her love life, and herself.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Jen Nakamara Taylor didn't have a conventional childhood. In her hometown of Dixieland, Arkansas, most girls' mothers didn't serve sushi at their tenth birthday parties. As a television producer living in Chicago, she thinks she's left her childhood insecurities behind. Then she receives an invitation to the marriage of her grammar-school crush to her beauty-queen cousin. The subsequent search to find a suitable date, eventful trip back South, and the riotous wedding are all hilarious, but the real appeal of this book lies in its portrayal of a woman confronting her past and embracing her present. Each chapter begins with a platitude from The Karate Kid's Mr. Miyagi, and every other chapter weaves in scenes from Jen's childhood. It seems odd at first, but helps reveal the character's quirky sensibilities. Lockwood is half-Japanese herself, and here she ably and humorously depicts the struggle to fit in. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"...snappy repartee."

-- Boston Herald

"...a warm and friendly writing style."

-- Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; Original edition (May 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743499425
• ISBN-13: 978-0743499422
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in Mesquite, Texas, which for those of you who like livestock shows, is the home of the Mesquite Rodeo. Ironically, Mesquite was named after Mesquite trees, only none of them now exist in the city, which is about fifteen minutes east of Dallas. No, I don't own a pair of cowboy boots, although I do own quite an impressive collection of black shoes. My Dad is a third-generation Japanese-American, and my mom is a second-generation Texan who's mostly English, or at least claims to be because of her anglophile nature.

I went to school at the University of Pennsylvania, only I'm not sure how I got in. I think these days they only accept students who can solve String Theory. Anyway, I majored in English, and had dreams of being the Next Great American Novelist, but then I realized I was more of a humor writer and less of an Important Literary Figure. I don't think any of them have a sense of humor.

Anyway, I knew I wanted to write a book, but I also knew that my Dad would kill me (death by guilt) if I didn't move out of his house and start paying my own rent after he shelled out my tuition.

So, while writing fiction in my spare time, I went to work as a newspaper reporter, working for an overly exciteable editor who sent me running anytime the police scanner went off. I was working insane hours for next to no pay. I was actually sent to cover a grass fire on my 25th birthday. Let me tell you, it smelled bad. I think some mice may have lost their lives. But that was about it in terms of excitement. Happy Birthday to Me.

So, I decided after I began hiding from my editor in the bathroom at the office anytime the police scanner went off, that journalism probably wasn't for me. I went to work for a marketing firm and discovered that most everyone else didn't stay until ten o'clock every night writing up their riveting story about grass fires. I also decided that I would take advantage of that free time to write some fiction. That's when I started writing "I Do (But I Don't)." A year later, I finished it, thanks to the help of my friend, Shannon, who wouldn't let me slack off and kept asking me for chapters.

And that's how I became a writer. Except that it still feels weird to say, "I'm a writer." I keep expecting to wake up tomorrow and have to go cover another grass fire.

To see what I'm up to these days, check out my blog, www.caralockwood.blogspot.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book, May 4, 2005

By 

Bearette24 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dixieland Sushi (Paperback)

While "Dixieland Sushi" is not deep or serious, I really enjoyed it and thought it explored some issues that are not typically touched upon in chick lit.

The story follows 28-year-old Jen, the child of a Japanese woman and an blond Arkansan nicknamed Bubba who has a "room of death" filled with fish that he caught, etc. One of the fish is called "Bud" because he caught it with a can of beer.

Jen's beauty-queen cousin, Lucy (on the Caucasian side of the family) is marrying Jen's childhood crush. The story is told through a series of flashbacks that bring the reader back to the roller-skating birthday parties and Valentine's Day in the classroom of Jen's childhood, when she carefully selected a Garfield valentine for her crush, only to watch him throw it away.

Back in the present, Jen has a demanding job as a TV producer with an irascible boss and crazy news anchors whom she has to keep in line. The irrepressible Riley, a British co-worker whom she thinks of as "Colins" (because of his resemblance to both Colin Farrell and Colin Firth), is a great love interest. But when Jen sees her crush again, what will happen?

I thought this story was great because it was laugh-out-loud funny and also delved into growing up in the '80s in Arkansas as a biracial teenager. Identity issues continue to rear their head even when Jen is an adult. For example, one guy with whom she had no sparks is suddenly interested in another date when he finds out she's half-Japanese. She concludes he has the AO blood type (Asian Obsessed).

Definitely worth reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent, but not re-readable, June 7, 2005

By 

Always Reading (sunny california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dixieland Sushi (Paperback)

Having enjoyed Ms. Lockwood's other novels, I was eagerly awaiting this one but sadly it was not as good as I'd hoped. The plot is cute enough - half Asian/half white girl returns to the South for the wedding of her cousin to her former schoolgirl crush and ends up falling in love with her "date" on the way down and finally coming to terms with her heritage and family's quirky ways.

The writing flows well, as it does in her other books, but for some reason this book didn't resonate well with me. It wasn't super funny, nor was it super serious, nor super-deep but did touch lightly upon a number of issues. At times, it felt like the love story was just thrown in because a love story seemed necessary - I think it could have worked just as well, if not better, without it.

So I'd recommend this book if you're looking for some light one-time reading or if you really loved the eighties (every other chapter is an 80's flashback), but if this is your first experience with a Cara Lockwood book, I'd recommend "Pink Slip Party," the cutest and funniest one yet.

I'm now looking forward to her next book, which hopefully I'll enjoy as much as her first two.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and flashback wonderful!, July 6, 2006

By 

Mother Goose (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dixieland Sushi (Paperback)

I loved this book. Not only did it keep me in stitches, it also brought back so many memories of the 80s pop culture. You certainly do not have to be Asian to connect to the characters. We all have had crushes, feeling not belonging in school, ashamed or embarrassed by a relative... I loved how this book was written as well, it was easy to read ( 3 days) Cara writes with such great humor that many times my husband asked what I was laughing at. Get this book if you want to re-live the 80s a little!