In the last few miles above the Cape Cod Canal, visitors to the Cape pass through the towns of Middleboro, Carver, and Wareham. To most, these places will never be more than a roadside sign, but there is life here--of a very particular sort. Beyond the highway are 11,000 acres of bog, and each fall, after the tourists have gone home, men and machines appear to harvest a third of the nation's cranberries, turkey's tablemate. This book looks at the history of this tart and diminutive fruit, the ways it is cultivated, cared for, and consumed. It looks into the lives and livelihoods of those who harvest it--some families have been in the business for five generations. It provides a rich and surprising story of this under-appreciated berry. Stephen A. Cole directs the natural resources and sustainable communities programs at Coastal Enterprises, Inc., a community-development corporation. He is co-author of I Was Content and Not Content: The Story of Linda Lord and the Closing of Penobscot Poultry and author of The Rangeley and Its Region: The Famous Boat and Lakes of Western Maine. He lives in Damariscotta, Maine, with his family. Lindy Gifford is an independent graphic designer and photographer. She did the book design for The Cranberry, as well as much of the photography and historical research. She has designed other book covers and interiors for Tilbury House, Down East Books, WoodenBoat, and other publishers. She also lives in Damariscotta with her family (which includes Steve Cole). Cole and Gifford lived for years in Marion and Wareham, Massachusetts, before moving to Maine.