Katherine Orr

Surprises in Mili?s Suitcase Katherine Orr

Growing up in Hawaii, eleven-year old Hana knows sharing food is about sharing gifts of love and aloha. In this story, Hana discovers that sharing delicious foods is also about sharing the gift of health. After Hana is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Auntie Mili comes to visit, bearing knowledge that diabetes can be reversed by eating a plant-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Hana and her mother embark on a "Great Food Adventure" in which they have fun learning about, growing, preparing, and eating foods that taste delicious, and are also healing. Their journey of discovery heals Hana's diabetes and becomes a satisfying lifestyle. At the story's end, readers see grownup Hana passing on healthy food traditions to her own young family. Set in Hawaii, the story conveys the values of indigenous people: caring for our health means caring for the land and growing food in a sustainable way. Readers learn that regenerative farming restores healthy soil, grows nutritious foods that we need for good health, and helps bring Earth's climate back into balance. Colorful illustrations on every page (two of which are recipes). Includes Glossary, "Lessons from Mili," and a page For Parents and Teachers that includes a resource list of books, DVDs and websites containing materials to guide people of all ages, step by step, to preventing, reversing, and healing from diabetes and other chronic diseases through a plant-based diet and healthy lifestyle.