RAREST FRUIT

1829. Sainte-Suzanne, Bourbon Island. A Black orphan, a slave of only 7 weeks, is placed – as if by fate – into the arms of Ferréol Beaumont, a botanist with a passion for orchids. He raises this child, Edmond, teaching him all he knows of the lush plants that populate his tropical garden.

At 12 years old, the illiterate young prodigy unlocks the secret to hand-pollinating the vanilla orchid, revolutionizing not only the island’s economy but French patisserie, perfumes & more. While his discovery brings prosperity to others, the exhilarating aroma of the vanilla flower soon dissipates for Edmond as a bitter reality stretches out before him – his brilliance unrecognized, his name forgotten.

“Thousands of delicate, early flowers have just bloomed on Edmond’s vanilla plants. They look like garlands of light, decorations for a wake on stakes that reach up to the sky. But their fragile radiance, the rarity of their brilliant fruit, the taste of vanilla they leave on the tongue – none of it matters anymore.”

Winner of Prix du Roman Métis Etudiants (2024)
Winner of Prix André Dubreuil du Premier Roman (2020)