The Sun, the Rain, and the Apple Seed: A Novel of Johnny Appleseed's Life

In the 1790s, an eccentric young man nicknamed Johnny Appleseed feels called by God to travel through the American West planting apple seeds that will feed the hungry and produce more seeds for planting and trading. In 1783, when John Chapman was nine, his father planted some apple seeds around their one-room cabin. A few years later, the fruit of those trees was feeding the whole family. And miraculously all it had taken was the sun, the rain, and the apple seed! Believing that it was his divine calling, Johnny set out to spread the miracle of the apple tree by planting orchards in the wilderness. For the next fifty-five years, sustained only by his conviction that apple seeds would yield peace and plenty for humankind, he crisscrossed the American heartland on foot, facing bitter weather, debilitating illness, and hostile encounters. With his long hair and beard, sacks of seeds slung over his shoulders, and a Bible tied around his middle with a rope, John Chapman was a picturesque, selfless figure who soon became known across the country as Johnny Appleseed. Lynda Durrant has created a vivid fictional portrait of a real-life American folk hero, rich in carefully researched historical detail and filled with insight into the man's beliefs and quirks. Johnny Appleseed emerges from these pages not only as the stuff of legend but also as a very real man-an eccentric visionary who was generations ahead of his time.