LemuriaBooks

Banana, The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel, 2008, Hudson Street Press, a member of Penguin Group, $23.95.

So two weeks ago, a former store employee comes in the store inquiring about this "banana" book. She had just heard an intriguing review on NPR NPR Review Subsequently, she bought our only copy, and I didn't think much of it until (no lie!) about 30 minutes later a customer walks in asking for a copy of the "banana" book. Then as any good bookseller worth her salt, I jumped online to find out what the fuss was all about. The review piqued my interest, and low and behold, I just finished reading the entire book. The book has all the great elements of a mystery novel - you have the main character, the beloved yellow fruit, it's most gripping history, it's constant struggle and it's hopeful survival. I learned so much history, science and botany surrounding the ubiquitous fruit that I will never be able to eat a banana without remembering it's very fascinating history. This book is fast paced and choked full of entertaining facts and reads more like fiction than non-fiction. I give it my top stamp of approval (a blue Chiquita sticker - ha!) - good eats and good reads!