The Perfect Fruit: Good Breeding, Bad Seeds and the Hunt for the Elusive Pluot
Narrative nonfiction
What does it take to trick nature into producing culinary greatness—and to bring it to a market near you? The story begins with octogenarian Floyd Zaiger, arguably the greatest fruit breeder in the world. From there, it stretches both back and forward: back through a long line of visionaries who have pursued new flavors; and forward through the ranks of growers, scientists, and salesmen who make it their life's work to coax deliciousness out of stubborn and unpredictable plants. The result is part biography, part cultural history, and part horticultural inquest—a meditation on the surprising power of food to change the way we live.
"Brantley’s engaging mixture of agronomy, reportage and food porn... goes down easy."
—Publishers Weekly
"With great humor, a love of detail and the kind of curiosity that opens one roomful of questions after another, Brantley leads us through the history of plums, the San Joaquin Valley, fruit breeding and the deep connections between food and love."
—Susan Salter Reynolds, in the Los Angeles Times
"Part personal narrative, part food world exegisis, 'The Perfect Fruit' recalls David Mas Masumoto's devotion to the peach in 'Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm'... [and] reminds us in some way of Susan Orlean's experiences with orchid collectors in South Florida in 'The Orchid Thief.' Brantley's book... makes agricultural science accessible, helping us realize where some of our best foods come from and the effort involved in producing them." (Full review)
—Christina Eng, San Francisco Chronicle
"In this entertaining account of a growing season in California's San Joaquin Valley, Brantley explains why supermarket shoppers will pass by a pyramid of ripe, juicy plums, peaches and nectarines (PPNs, as they are called) in favor of flavorless Red Delicious apples." (Full review)
—Dan Kois, Washington Post
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