I love this book. Not only have I discovered fruit I had never heard of before, I found it fascinating to read about fruit I do know, but a less common where Kate Lebo lives (gooseberries for example).

I dipped in rather than read from cover to cover. In one chapter you might discover the darker side of Juniper Berries, in another how important huckleberries are to a native community. Kate weaves stories from her life with that of the fruit. At the end of each chapter is a recipe or two.

It's a gentle life affirming book that I can't wait to share with others.

I am still thinking about The Book of Difficult Fruit that I finished a couple of weeks back. I enjoy cooking, and am trying to reignite that this year, but I have no desire to pickle or preserve, or learn how to forage on a California trail, and yet, I was enamoured by Kate Lebo’s ability to merge the stories of such foods to her own life. This collection of essays in an A to Z in fruits that you may not have heard of. Throughout she makes deft points on the marketisation of some of these ‘exotic’ fruits, the impact of colonialism on our produce and our taste buds, whilst talking earnestly about the breakdown of a relationship, estranged family ties and learning to garden. Again, it was full of specifics and tangents, of personal stories from a person I do not know, and yet will now think of every time I garnish a drink with a juniper berry, or rifle through the produce at my local asian supermarket.

I found this book fascinating, not something I would normally have looked at but I really enjoyed reading the rather quirky information and essays on fruit. Sounds strange I know but give it a try.

Lebo effectively uses fruit as a starting point for exploring raw feelings and offering wry observations about her life, friends, and family. Perhaps the most moving chapters are where Lebo turns inward, focusing on her hopes and dreams and how reflecting on the tastes and textures of various fruits has inspired her to write . . . A genre-blending work that will intrigue readers of literary nonfiction, personal essays, or food history.

The Book of Difficult Fruit, contains far more than just exasperating berries; it's a book of 26 essays, but also so much more.

I really enjoyed reading this; I loved the balance between facts, autobiography, history, and recipes.

[I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]

This is such an interesting book covering the topic of unusual but helpful fruits. The knowledge bestowed in this book is phenomenal and the author has done a remarkable job by putting her thoughts and research into words for the readers.