Berries

Description

What is it about the small fruits of field and wood that encourages rapture? These gifts of the earth - flagrant in hedgerows, carpeting the forest floor or colouring the uplands - are so ubiquitous as to be commonplace and so extraordinary that we have woven them into our folklore, fables and art. Strawberries, brambles, blueberries and raspberries were painted in the frescoes of Pompeii, twined into the borders of medieval miniatures and 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 exploration, Victoria Dickenson traces the humble berry's journey across cultures and through centuries with humour and passion.

Victoria Dickenson is Adjunct Professor, Rare Books and Special Collections at McGill University Library in Montreal and the author of Rabbit (2013) and Seal (2016), both published by Reaktion. A devoted amateur botanist, she spends summers in the berry-covered island of Newfoundland, where she has learned to savour the tiny, delicious fruits of field, forest and bog.

"Dickenson traces the humble berry's journey across cultures and through the centuries with humor and passion." * Gardens Illustrated * "Berries is a visual feast. From the stunning front cover to the many color illustrations the book is a joy to behold. . . . There are no berries as delicious and satisfying as those that we grow or collect ourselves. This attractive and informative book helps us to appreciate them all the more." * OxVeg News * "This book brings to readers a beautifully packaged cultural and scientific exploration of some of the world's favorite fruits. Dickenson, an amateur botanist, brings her skills with rare books and archives to the table as she highlights writings surrounding the history and lore of the berry across the centuries. The situation of berries in global culture is presented as a critical component of their history, and passages from the works of, e.g., Thoreau and Ovid provide context to Dickenson's characterization of the importance of berries throughout history. . . . Recommended." * Choice * "I thoroughly enjoyed Berries, particularly since I always like learning about the scientific basis for the history of the classification of food plants. . . . Berries are clearly a difficult food to classify, and Dickenson has managed to make the history of the taxonomy and cataloguing of these small fruits both entertaining and informative." * Digestible Bits and Bites * "A book that will change the way you think about berries, familiar and unfamiliar. Beautifully written, packed with information and arresting ideas, all six chapters will appeal to a range of readers, who can savor the mouthwatering illustrations as much as the harvest and preserves of the kitchen." -- Mark Laird, author of "A Natural History of English Gardening"