A Seed Takes Root: A True Story, by acclaimed artist Michele Oka
Doner, is an homage to the natural world and to one very special banyan
tree in particular.
A Seed Takes Root describes a decades-long relationship between the
author and a banyan tree that begins when the author is a young girl.
For her, the tree is a place for play, for refuge, and also a source of
inspiration. While this is a true story of one tree and one
girl/woman/artist that celebrates a particular banyan tree, it is also a
testament to the quiet power shared by all trees. Further, this
beautifully told story is not only of the relationship between an artist
and a tree, but is a strong environmental statement made more effective
by being non-polemical.
The banyan tree featured in the book is in the process of being
designated a City of Miami Beach heritage tree. In 2021, Michele Oka
Doner was officially proclaimed guardian of the ninety-five-year-old
banyan tree by the City of Miami Beach. A book and work of art that
defies classification, A Seed Takes Root is simultaneously an art
book, a poetic meditation, a memoir, a fable, and a tale suitable for
children and for readers of all ages.
