GREEN GOLD - AVOCADO BOOK TALK WITH CO-AUTHOR MONIQUE F. PARSONS '88 - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2025


🥑 Please join us in Evanston for a fascinating book talk with local co-author Monique F. Parsons '88, a third-generation avocado grower. Doors open at 5 pm for an avocado variety tasting, avocado toast and drinks. The book talk begins at 6 pm, facilitated by bookstore owner and two-time James Beard Award winner Nina Barrett.  This event is FREE, but registration is required.  Please read carefully and see below for details on how to sign up.🥑


Anchored by the story of two exceptional trees that stood out among hundreds of rivals, Green Gold is a spirited and often surprising behind-the-scenes look at how dedicated avocado enthusiasts in Mexico and California developed an ideal fruit to sell to the world. Navigating the Depression, two world wars, Mexican revolutions, violent drug lords, drought, and disease, these pioneers were driven by the avocado’s potential to captivate the palates and hearts of consumers across the globe. Their efforts, inspired by the success of California citrus, launched today’s lucrative industry and helped the avocado win a place among such supermarket staples as oranges and bananas.

The Wall Street Journal, chef Rick Bayless, Publisher's Weekly, and The American Library Association have all offered praise for Green Gold.

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Please also REGISTER with the Princeton Club of Chicago by 6/24 so we know you are part of the Princeton group.   

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Monique F. Parsons '88 & Sarah Allaback '88 

Monique Parsons '88 is a third-generation avocado grower from Carpinteria, California. A journalist and audio producer, she earned degrees from Princeton University, Harvard Divinity School, and Medill School of Journalism. She’s reported on religion as an independent producer for WBEZ and NPR, served as managing editor of Interfaith America Magazine, and produced award-winning audio documentaries about religion and civic culture. She lives near Chicago with her family.

Sarah Allaback '88, an historian specializing in architectural history and landscape preservation, has worked for the National Park Service, Monticello, and the Library of American Landscape History. Her books and articles explore the lives of designers who shaped the American landscape. Allaback is a graduate of Princeton University and MIT, where she earned her doctorate in architecture, art, and environmental studies. She grew up in Carpinteria, California and lives in Amherst, MA.

🥑 Praise for Green Gold 🥑

“Green Gold is an impressive read. Whether you’re a history buff or just enjoy a chip full of guacamole, you’ll be thoroughly captivated by the play-by-play wrestling match between the two most famous varieties (Hass and Fuerte), and ultimately between California and Mexico (and now the rest of the world). Green Gold is a well researched, captivating story.”

— Rick Bayless, James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and restaurateur

"A solid, minutely documented, multifaceted and challenging work that amply rewards close reading and rereading. For years to come it’s likely to be the go-to source for both scholars and lay readers seriously interested in exploring root, branch, blossom and fruit of the avocado story." 
— Anne Mendelson, The Wall Street Journal

“A comprehensive history of the nursery owners, scientists, marketing whizzes, and health experts who transformed the avocado from an exotic equatorial fruit into a multibillion-dollar industry.”
— Publishers Weekly