Why read Hunger?

Book cover of Hunger

Book description

Scouring the world's most remote fields and valleys, a dedicated Soviet scientist has spent his life collecting rare plants for his country's premiere botanical institute in Leningrad. From Northern Africa to Afghanistan, from South America to Abyssinia, he has sought and saved seeds that could be traced back to the…

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Historical fiction

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Why read it?

1 author picked Hunger as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Tyler Mcmahon

Author

Set during Hitler’s siege of Leningrad, the story centers on a group of botanists at a Russian institute that collects rare seeds. The scientists are forced to choose between preserving the wealth of genetic diversity in their collection or eating the seeds to survive. As starvation sets in, their consensus breaks down. It’s a heartbreaking account of the struggle between ideals and appetites.

From Tyler's list on The best books about the science of food.