Berries

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.