The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession

In this wholesome report, novelist Stewart (From the Ground Up) explores the myriad motivations of 50 tree enthusiasts. Many of those profiled find symbolic meaning in their orchards. For instance, a Northern California woman recounts how she started planting persimmon trees in 2012 as a tribute to her Korean elders, explaining that the fruit is often “placed on altars and grave sites to honor the dead.” Others have more practical goals, such as the South Carolina man who intended to secure generational wealth for his children by growing loblolly pine for timber on a tract his formerly enslaved great-grandfather took over from his former master after the Civil War. For Mexican bonsai artist Enrique Castaño, the dedicated work of “learning how to read the tree by watching the size of the leaves, the curvature of the branches, and the direction of new growth” is its own reward. Elsewhere, Stewart details how a New Mexico botanist spent her retirement collecting pine cones from as many of the 115 pine species as she could find, and how a local leader in Piplantri, India, plants 111 trees for every girl born in the village to push back against the cultural preference for boys. The lighthearted character studies survey the diverse ways that humans relate to the natural world, and Stewart’s tranquil watercolor illustrations charm. Readers will breeze through this. Illus. Agent: Michelle Tessler, Tessler Literary. (June)