The Light Between Apple Trees

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Ecological awareness and activism often begin with a personal story or connection to nature, and Kumar has zeroed in on an iconic fruit that is part of American lore. She knows that rediscovering our relationship with nature, however imperfect, is a fundamental step toward stewardship. The Light Between Apple Trees: Rediscovering the Wild Through a Beloved American Fruit. . . illuminate(s) how even a single fruit can evoke deep connections and serve as a launching point for environmental action.

"---Matthew Clark, American Scientist
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For gardeners and orchardists, Kumar’s work is a treasure. . . . The Light Between Apple Trees transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. An apple is no longer just fruit; it is a story of human cultivation, ecological loss, and hope for the future.

" * Local Gardener *
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Her book explores the history of the fruit’s first presence several centuries ago as it has traveled across oceans and continents. The saga of her quest is revealed on the pages of The Light Between Apple Trees. [It] takes readers on a journey from past to present, locating cultivated orchards and feral apples, many tastier than the dozen choices offered in our supermarkets.

"---Jane Manaster, Seattle Book Review
"[An] incredible memoir."---Brian Watson, Hippocampus Magazine
"Nature writer Kumar (Conversations with Birds) explores the history and diversity of apples in this thorough mix of memoir and ecology. . . readers will be inspired to reconnect with nature." * Publishers Weekly *
"A captivating cultural history of the heirloom apple, The Light Between Apple Trees delivers an urgent message about maintaining biodiversity during a time of ecological tumult." * Foreword Reviews *
"Can a book about apple trees change the world? Priyanka Kumar's visionary book transformed the way I look at biodiversity and the wild, and I feel certain it will do the same for you." * Psychology Today *
"A delicious book to savor from an author who’s impeccable research and ‘field work’ in orchards and along river trails in Northern New Mexico combine with visceral memories from her native Himalayan foothills. A journey around the world through apples, this book essentially defines what’s really happening with climate change. Climate change through the core of the apple!"---Carly Newfeld, The Last Word on KSFR
"A tour de force. This book is a joy and a profoundly serious work."---Robert Scheer, Scheer Intelligence
"Enchanted by apples, Priyanka Kumar takes the reader along on a wide-ranging exploration of the fruit. The Light Between Apple Trees is a unique book about family, the environment, cultivation, and the need for the preservation of wild places. Priyanka Kumar is one of the most interesting and enjoyable voices in contemporary natural history writing."---Mark Lynch, host of Inquiry on WICN
"The transatlantic travels of the apple are also fascinating, extending from New Mexico to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, who was a devoted grower and admirer of apples in his 8-acre 'fruitery'. The essayist and broadcaster Priyanka Kumar has just explored them in her new book, The Light Between Apple Trees."---Robin Lane Fox, Financial Times