Reading group “Le fruit le plus rare” by Gaëlle Bélem

Once a month, the reading group meets up to discuss a couple of books selected in advance (from classical to contemporary French literature) and discovers other members’ views on them. Meetings take place at the Institut français d’Écosse, usually on the last Tuesday of the month.

About the book:

Born to enslaved parents in Réunion, Edmond was taken in as a newborn by a botanist with a passion for orchids. Living with this wealthy European landowner, the bright and clever Creole child grew up learning the magic of plants. In 1841, at the age of twelve, the young prodigy unlocked the secret of the vanilla flower. But could such a discovery truly benefit a Black man and win him his freedom? With humor and sensitivity, Gaëlle Bélem tells the true story of this unsung hero and his extraordinary destiny.

This event is organized as part of the Mois de la Francophonie 2027.