AMERICAN CHESTNUT The Life, Death and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree By Susan Freinkel

The American Chestnut was one of America's most common, valued and beloved trees-a perfect tree that ruled the forests from Maine to Georgia. But in the early twentieth century, an exotic plague swept through the chestnut forests with catastrophic force. Within forty years, the blight had killed some four billion trees and left the species teetering in the brink of extinction. In this book, Susan Freinkel tells the dramatic story of the stubborn band of optimists who have refused to let this cultural icon go. 284 pgs. hardcover.