“What really is a truffle?” Nonna’s hand hovers over Saint Christopher. She stares at her granddaughter, a slow smile burgeoning across her face. “Well, it depends on who you ask. There is a whole kingdom underneath the soil that we cannot see. All manner of fungi spread tiny threads through the earth—each thinner than spider silk or a single strand of saffron. The fungi are creators and destroyers of life; there are recyclers and undertakers. Some are friends and some are enemies in this dark kingdom.” “That sounds terrifying.” “Not at all. Fungi are essential to life. Without fungi, we would
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