Author chat and spilled secrets — a recap of The Modesto Bee book club’s 1st event
The Modesto Bee and Bookish had the first meeting of the Bee Book Club on Tuesday night, featuring our first book’s author, David Mas Masumoto.
Masumoto spoke with the audience about how he uncovered the family secrets that come to light in his memoir “Secret Harvests,” and then asked the audience, “What’s your family secret?”
By seamlessly switching between a candid lecture about his perspective on moments described in the memoir and reading from the memoir itself, his speaking blended spontaneous candor with a traditional reading.
Masumoto asked Dorie Perez, a Ceres planning commissioner and family friend, and me to join him in front of the audience to share our perspectives on the book and ask him a question.
I told him that reading “Secret Harvests,” allowed his readers to witness his grief in many regards. In the vein of family secrets, I asked him what it was like to accept that there are things he might never know about his family history.
Others asked questions like how it felt to write about family members who served in the American military during WWII while at the same time the United States had placed his family in internment camps. And, how did he process his place in America and its history as he uncovered more about his family history?
While he answered many audience questions, his question for the crowd — ”What is your family secret?” — kept the room abuzz for several minutes. Some shared that they had discovered affairs within their families.
As the engagement portion of the event concluded, Masumoto signed copies of “Secret Harvests” for attendees. Raquel Arcia was the winner of a raffle for a $25 Bookish gift card. Another raffle will be conducted at the next book club meeting.
The first Bee Book Club meeting allowed the Modesto-area community to connect with an accomplished author, fellow attendees and a memoir that highlights a history tied to the Central Valley.
The next book we will read is “I Will Greet the Sun Again,” by Khashayar Khabushani, which readers can order online through Bookish Modesto. Remember to use code BOOKCLUB15 to get 15% off your purchase.
The next book club meeting will be on June 16 at Bookish Modesto. Details will be announced closer to the event. Sign up for free to take part in book club events and to get the latest updates.
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 2:50 PM.
