The Man Who Planted Trees
Jean Giono
Chelsea: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1985
A short story, first published in 1953, about a man who spent his life planting one hundred acorns a day in a barren part of Provence in the south of France, ultimately leading to a complete transformation of the local landscape. Coinciding with the start of the First World War, the story unfolds over four decades. With its powerful environmental message and speculations about the real events that may have served as inspiration for it, Giono’s fictional work remains relevant to twenty-first century readers.
This book is part of the 2017 Berkeley Summer Reading List. Stay tuned for more weekly posts!