Queen of Leaves: The Story of Botanist Ynes Mexia

This biography tells the story of botanist Ynes Mexia and her search for the wax palm. Mexia found her interest in botany at age fifty-one, and the book sets her life journey beside the story of the palm, a species she rediscovered. Their parallel narratives address loneliness, adaptation, scars, and growing strong, following both the Mexican American botanist and the tree she sought.