The Book of Difficult Fruit

Darkly funny . . . ”Deeply researched” doesn’t begin to describe how far into ancient texts and their subtexts, obscure cookbooks and corners of the internet Lebo excavated to tell us the stories of these fruits. What she digs up for each is often fascinating, sometimes juicy, rarely dry . . . The ingredients, like words, get thoughtfully measured and weighed and mixed into something delicious and meaningful. New York Times

A zingy blend of natural, culinary and personal history . . . A prickly, piquant delight.

Observer

[A] glorious mash-up of memoir, love note, and cookbook . . . Every sentence is as sensuous as the first bite into a cold, juicy plum.Vulture

[A] richly researched food history, gentle memoir and left-field recipe book . . . It would be a shame if this book didn’t attract readers without an existing curiosity in the subject, because Lebo brings as generous an eye to its broader topics – relationships, reproductive health, illness and death – as she does her fruits and their histories and uses, their beauty and their terror.i newspaper