On January 19, Algonquin will publish Diana Wells‘ Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History. An author interview with Michele Norris just aired yesterday on All Things Considered — check it out here!Wells is the bestselling author of 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names and 100 Birds and How They Got Their Names.
To celebrate this beautiful new book, we’re hosting a Book Booty giveaway which includes all three of Diana Wells’ fun-fact collection! We’ve concocted a quiz drawn from Lives of the Trees. To enter this contest, email your answers to katie [at] algonquin [dot] com…then come back here and leave a comment telling us your favorite tree! We’ll announce the winners next Friday — good luck!
- Which tree is also known as the upside-down tree (because the sparse branches resemble roots)?
- The leaves and bark of this tree contain tannin and caffeine, used in both North and South America to make tea. It’s also popular for hedging!
- This tree–also known as a harem tree–doesn’t bear fruit till it’s a decade old! The fruit is edible (and sometimes made into preserves), but it can also cause hallucinogenic sensations and, if ingested in quantity, can even cause death!
- Coffee (which helped keep monks awake during night vigils) became known as the “beverage of the friends of God.” But how much is too much? Name the French writer said to drink sixty cups of coffee every night — and let’s just hope most authors don’t practice this method of madness!
-christina
