The Orange and the Dream of California

by David Boulé

Cloaked in mystery and until modern times available only to the elite, the orange has been known as the fruit of the gods, the food of emperors, a token of gratitude, and the symbol of health, wealth, and love. The dream of California since its discovery by Europeans has been that it is a place of plenty, of potential, of personal opportunity. When the orange and California were finally linked, their partnership created a compelling fantasy and a fantastic reality.

The Orange and the Dream of California takes a lively, literary, and extraordinarily visual look at the symbiotic and highly symbolic relationship between the Golden State and its "golden apple." Untold thousands of adventurers and health-seekers came West in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, lured by postcards of orange blossoms juxtaposed to snow-capped mountains. Orange juice became the way to start every day after Sunkist spread the word that drinking a California orange was not only as sweet and delicious as eating one, but held the promise to a healthy life. The orange became a symbol of everything California promised, and California became the center of the Orange Empire.

In 176 full-color pages and more than 250 images, author David Boulé shares the absorbing story of the orange and its impact on the culture—historic, financial, artistic, and even romantic—of California. And, he tells the tale of citriculture, the complex, captivating, and controversial world of growing the orange.

Boulé traces the orange's roots back to Southeast Asia, and links its influence on California all the way back to Califia, a fictional warrior queen whose name became bona fide history. "The orange and California have built upon one another for hundreds of years," explains Boulé, "crafting a vision that appeals to our universal desire for beauty, health, enchantment, and reinvention." Boulé brings the world of the orange and California alive in words and pictures, including the spirit, the optimism, the whimsy, and the innovation of the many ambitious nonconformists involved in making the orange the symbol of California's dream. Drink it all in, and savor every delicious drop of this "sunsational" story: The Orange and the Dream of California.

176 pages
full color throughout
250+ images
9w"x9h"
hardcover; ISBN 978-1-883318-62-8; $35.00