{"product_id":"the-true-story-of-vanilla-how-edmond-albius-made-history","title":"The True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius made History","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius made History\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eBy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAnn Richards\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIllustrated by\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eArden Taylor\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eOrca Book Publishers, 2025, Canada (orca.com).\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e99 pages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“The True Story of Vanilla” is a middle-school reader that tells the story of Edmond Albius who lived in on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eEdmond as born in 1829 to an enslaved mother who died shortly after his birth.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAs a child, Edmond grew up learning about plants and how to cultivate them. \u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eIn 1841, at age twelve, Edmond figured out how to hand-pollinate the vanilla orchid.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eUsing a long thin sliver of bamboo, Edmond learned how to lift the delicate parts of the vanilla orchid and gently press the anther and stigma together.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eOn the next day, buds formed and a few days later, green pods appeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe delicate pollination technique is known as \u003ci\u003ele geste d’Edmond\u003c\/i\u003e (Edmond’s Gesture).\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eEdmond’s technique is still used today to grow almost every single vanilla bean grown throughout the world – at least outside of Mexico.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e“The True Story of Vanilla” by Ann Richards tells the story of Edmond’s discovery and how he was championed by his mentor\/master Férreol Bellier-Beaumont of the Bellevue Sugar Plantation. \u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe book is written as a middle-school reader and contains lots of interesting facts and history about vanilla.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eArden Taylor filled the book with lavish illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe book also details the parts of Edmond’s life that were not so wonderful.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eAlthough he single-handedly started the vanilla bean industry, he was still a slave.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eHe could not own property, he had no education, he could not work for wages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe author does a wonderful job of interweaving the very personal story of Edmond, the reality of life -- first as a slave and then as an emancipated black man with no education, no trade, and no money -- and the growth of the vanilla trade.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eNever glossing over the politics, realities, and personal cost of slavery, the book rightfully celebrates Edmond’s contribution to all things vanilla.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dad","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48363066130681,"sku":null,"price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0656\/4616\/6265\/files\/Book.True.jpg?v=1778090825","url":"https:\/\/indrivanilla.com\/products\/the-true-story-of-vanilla-how-edmond-albius-made-history","provider":"IndriVanilla","version":"1.0","type":"link"}