The book, out in 2027, explores Hua’s foraging journey through memoir and nature writing
Credit: Marc Puich; Grace Han
NEED TO KNOW
- Vanessa Hua explores her foraging journey and the importance of the natural world in her upcoming book Uprooted
- “I hope Uprooted might inspire others to get outside and find themselves in nature, too,” Hua says
- The author and journalist’s debut nonfiction book is out in early 2027
Vanessa Hua is reflecting on the impact of the natural world.
The author and journalist will publish her first nonfiction book this year. Uprooted: A Forager’s Search for Wonder, Resilience and Home is out in spring 2027 from Tin House, an imprint of Zando.
While in lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic, Hua took to exploring the area around Berkeley, Calif. While walking through its hills, she discovered a small green plant.
“I texted a photo to a naturalist friend who confirmed my hunch,” Hua explains to PEOPLE. “In elementary school, I’d learned how the 49ers dined on the plant — Claytonia perfoliata, also known as miner’s lettuce — because it was high in vitamin C, to prevent scurvy. Indigenous peoples stewarded and enjoyed these greens for even longer.”
Credit: Grace Han
“The leaf was a bit grassy for my taste, grassier than spinach, but not bitter like arugula, not tough like kale,” Hua continued. “I stuffed handfuls of its dewy and delicate leaves into my tote. As we continued walking, I didn’t study the alerts or the emails on my phone. Instead, I looked for plants to identify. I wasn’t distracted. I was grounded, literally and metaphorically.”
Hua’s discovery set off her journey into foraging. Accompanied by her family, the writer came to find all kinds of natural abundance, from bay nuts on the roadside to chanterelles in the forest.
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Uprooted interweaves nature writing with personal memoir to share Hua’s foraging experience. The book also takes into account how factors like immigration, capitalism, colonialism and climate change impact the natural world, along with what it means to be “native” to a place.
Credit: Marc Puich
For Hua, foraging has become a deeply personal ritual. In Uprooted, she reflects on her family’s immigration story, and what caregiving looks like — both for people and for nature.
“Foraging has transformed me, shaping me still,” Hua says. “Paying close attention to plants and trees can change how you see yourself and your place in the world. I hope Uprooted might inspire others to get outside and find themselves in nature, too.”
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Hua is also the author of the novels Coyoteland, Forbidden City and A River of Stars, along with the story collection Deceit and Other Possibilities.
Uprooted: A Forager’s Search for Wonder, Resilience and Home will be published on April 17, 2027 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.
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