CYOA--"The French Fry Connection"

In “The French Fry Connection”, though I don’t know what exactly is meant by goose wings, and I had to look up Hutterite, I think the lede is brilliant. And in the next statement we get foreshadowing and what the whole story will be about—uber effective. “A study of mass production and global competition and an uncanny barometer of economic health”—I had no idea. I think the author of this piece makes the topic accessible for people; the points made are reiterated and explained. The history of the men who brought the Burbank potato to its current prominence is so concise and informational. “In the process he made his first fortune, helped shape contemporary America’s culture of convenience and capitalized on Asia’s economic rise.” This sentence brings us up to speed so fast, maybe it’s saying a lot without backing it up but since this is narrative and not essay, I think it’s excellent. There are a lot of numbers thrown out during the explanation of the planting but I am grateful not be too overwhelmed by processes—there are descriptions thrown in to make it more visual and interesting like “fluffy, sandy, soil” and cupcakes.

When ‘prosperity breeds greed’ and we get into some conflict the players and their moves are explained with a novel-like intensity—very compelling. “The stage was set for a fall that would shake not only Southeast Asia but also the entire region. And—ultimately—the world.” This sentence, from a more pessimistic angle may sound a bit contrived, overdone, dramatic? But I love it! At the end of the first part we get a great summary of plot so far—“Investors quickly realized that the economies of other Southeast Asian nations were precarious, too. Like Thailand, they had grown rapidly, borrowed heavily in dollars, launched grandiose business ventures and speculated wildly on property and financial schemes.” On to part two!

Second part, second paragraph, “But the global economy assembles a diverse cast of characters.” Read’s style is so clear and pointed, really enjoying it. “By the time these spuds were done, they would have been grown by members of a Germanic sect, sanctified by Muslims, transported by Protestants and consumed by Jews and Chinese converted to Catholicism in Asia.” Read weaves a lot of complexity into this narrative without it feeling overwhelming or complex at all, I’m definitely following his thread. I think Read really asks us to trust him with some of the more complex stuff like the ‘veteran worker’s’ knowledge and all the connections that are made.

 “Thueson downshifted, attuned so precisely to the engine that he never touched the clutch, his left hand steering into a crucial turnoff.”—awesome transition, while it’s meaning is literal to Thueson’s drive, it mirrors the larger narrative. McDonald’s is so dark here, ““We’re in this for the long haul,” said Jim Cantalupo, McDonald’s International president and chief executive officer.” Does Asia have a choice? Here, “The Dagmar steamed on to Shimizu, Japan. It spooked a large turtle in the inland sea.” I wonder if Read is pushing this, was he on the ship? The significance of the second Australian, the engineer, confuses me momentarily as I head into part four but I’m still hanging on to Read’s meaning—and it’s complicated and universal, “no one can claim immunity to swings of the global economy.” The ending of this drama is a bit anti-climactic but it sounds honest. “At the dawn of the Pacific Century that held so much promise, food relief has become the latest link between the Northwest and the Far East.” Great pick for a complex narrative!