The True Story of Vanilla: How Edmond Albius Made History

Gr 3-7–Richards’s entry in the “Orca Biography” series centers Edmond Albius, the enslaved Black boy whose botanical discovery revolutionized the vanilla industry to this day. Born in 1829 on a sugar plantation on Réunion Island, Albius was sent at age five to the small plantation of Ferréol Bellier-Beaumont, a skilled botanist who taught Albius everything he knew. At this time, the vanilla plant was flowering elsewhere but only bearing fruit in Mexico, pollinated by bees specific to the region. In 1841, 12-year-old Albius used his aptitude, and a bamboo shard, to shock everyone and successfully hand-pollinate the hermaphroditic vanilla plant locally. What follows is a journey of ups and harsh downs as Albius revitalizes the island’s agriculture by spreading the knowledge of le geste d’Edmond (Edmond’s gesture), but receives no compensation or credit for most of his 51 years of life. This book packs a great deal of information about Albius, and vanilla, into a well-paced tome. Taylor’s illustrations are a highlight, bathing the text in warm natural hues that embody lush island flora and the richness of the vanilla plant (though inclusion of primary source images, such as Albius’s daguerreotype, would’ve benefitted the text). Recurring “In the Pod” text boxes provide bulleted facts about how vanilla is grown and used; additional boxes provide context for topics including bee pollination, plant science, slavery legislation, and the business of vanilla farming. Though it doesn’t follow U.S. terminology conventions when it comes to describing enslaved persons, the book is clear in reinforcing the inhumanity of slavery, and that Albius was deprived due recognition because he was enslaved. Back matter includes a timeline, glossary, resources list, and index.