Baron in the Trees

In The Baron in the Trees, Italo Calvino imagines a life lived entirely in trees. Cosimo di Rondó—a young Italian nobleman of the 18th century—rebelled against his parents by climbing into the trees, where he remained for the rest of his life. He adapted to an existence in the forest canopy—he hunted, sowed crops, played games with earth-bound friends, fought forest fires, solved engineering problems, and even had love affairs. From his perch in the trees, Cosimo saw the Age of Enlightenment pass by and the new century dawn.