I received The Man Who Planted Trees (1954), by Jean Giono, from my friend Anita, who has a way of finding whimsical gifts that are exactly what I need at the time. What a great talent. She’s gifted at gifts!
The author, Jean Giorno, was a great 20th Century French writer known for his skill at creating a mood, evoking a dreamlike spell as you read his work. This short story (more of a fable) was originally an article in Vogue magazine, but was subsequently published in book form accompanied by engravings by Michael McCurdy that help add to the fairy-tale qualities of the story. It’s been in print all these years, just waiting for people to be inspired to change the work for the better after reading it.
The plot is simply a tale narrated by a wanderer who comes across an amazing man and visits him across many years during some hard times for France. Trees are indeed involved. But you need to read the mythical telling for yourself! Then read the introduction and afterwords (yes, there are two afterwords—longer than the story, but providing great context) to see how Jean Giorno’s tale inspired others, over the years since the book came out, to make the world a better place. Trees are powerful!
Dream on, readers! I’m going to recover from some unexpected news and be back at it tomorrow!
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