Amanda Peters makes The Berry Pickers ‘easy to fall in love with’
When four-year-old Ruthie’s Mi’kmaw family goes to Maine for their annual blueberry picking job, she mysteriously disappears. Despite weeks of desperate searching, her family is forced to return home to Nova Scotia, leaving behind their cherished memories of Ruthie. This story follows her six-year-old brother Joe, who deeply struggles with this loss, and the guilt of being the last person to see her.
Separately, a four-year-old girl named Norma from an affluent Maine family keeps having dreams which feel eerily real. However, when Norma shares these vivid dreams with her mother, she is met with anger and discouragement, constantly reminded that she is giving her mother “a headache.” Undeterred, Norma secretly documents her dreams in the hopes of unravelling their origin. Suspicion lingers in her mind, but is continuously repressed by her mother’s controlling personality.
The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters, is told through the perspectives of both Joe and Norma, and includes a series of coincidences, connecting the dots and bringing them frustratingly close to each other. Over the span of fifty years, both Joe and Ruthie endure lives full of tragedy, of which the reader can only imagine would have been significantly better if it hadn’t been for that fateful occurrence.
In this beautifully told novel, the author transports us to the scenic landscapes of Nova Scotia, and Maine, painting a vivid backdrop for the unfolding story. The parallels between Joe and Ruthie’s struggles serve as a frequent reminder of the continuous impact of their shared loss. The author skillfully captures both characters’ emotions of grief, longing, and suspicion, filling the story with a sense of urgency and intrigue.
I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s ability to connect the reader to the characters. I found myself rooting for them even when they are blatantly in the wrong. There is also such beauty in the writing, with author Amanda Peters painting the feelings of misery, loss, and depression in such romantic and compelling ways. Although much of the story has dark themes, it is incredibly easy to fall in love with both the characters and the story.
While the story navigates through decades, the pacing remains consistent, allowing readers to become fully invested in the lives of these characters. The author’s meticulous attention to detail breathes life into the scenes, making the journey all the more immersive.
Overall, this story draws readers into these tragic yet beautiful lives, leaving them captivated right until the final page. Through the compelling story of mourning a life that both characters didn’t have, this book offers a deep exploration into the human spirit and the meaning of connection.
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