What is it about the small fruits of field and wood that encourage rapture? These gifts of the earth—flagrant in hedgerows, carpeting the forest floor or coloring tablelands—are so ubiquitous as to be commonplace and yet so extraordinary that we have woven them into our folklore, our fables, and our art. Strawberries were painted in the frescoes of Pompeii, brambles twined into the borders of medieval miniatures, and mulberries have been embroidered on silks and linens. Today, the huge demand for these nutrient-rich fruits is pushing berry cultivation into new territories, from South America to Scandinavia, and changing the nature of our relationship with these much-loved fruits. In this delightful, surprising, and occasionally juicy botanical exploration, Victoria Dickenson traces the humble berry’s journey across cultures and through centuries with humor and passion.

Victoria Dickenson is adjunct professor in Rare Books and Special Collections at the McGill University Library in Montreal. She is the author of Rabbit and Seal, both published by Reaktion Books. A devoted amateur botanist, she spends summers on the berry-covered island of Newfoundland, where she has learned to savor the tiny, delicious fruits of field, forest, and bog.

Preface

1 Berries True and False
2 Berries in Mind
3 Berries in the Hand
4 Garden Varieties
5 Preserving the Harvest
6 The Global Berry

Timeline
References
Bibliography
Associations and Websites
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index