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Book Summary and Reviews of The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

The Berry Pickers

A Novel

by Amanda Peters

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • Published:
  • Oct 2023, 320 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A four-year-old Mi'kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a family, and will remain unsolved for nearly fifty years.

July 1962. A Mi'kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family's youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister's disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren't telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. Amanda Peters has said that the opening line "The day Ruthie went missing, the blackflies seemed to be especially hungry" came to her, and the rest of the book followed. How did this line set the scene? What expectations did it give you for the story, and were those fulfilled?
  2. When did you figure out the relationship between the two storylines, and how did it make you feel?
  3. Have you ever discovered a family secret? How did it change your relationship with the people around you?
  4. Did you prefer Joe's voice, Norma's, or the combination? Were there other characters you wished could give their point of view?
  5. After Ruthie goes missing, what do you think keeps the remaining family members bound together? What do ...
Please be aware that this discussion may contain spoilers!

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About the The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Join us in our book club discussion of The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
-system


If you were going to write a novel based on stories of family history your parents told you, as Amanda Peters has here, where would it be set and what might it be about?
If you were going to write a novel based on stories of family history your parents told you, as Amanda Peters has here, where would it be set and what might it be about?
-kim.kovacs


Overall, what did you think of The Berry Pickers (no spoilers, please!)
Overall, what did you think of The Berry Pickers (no spoilers, please!)
-kim.kovacs


What audience would you recommend The Berry Pickers to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
What audience would you recommend The Berry Pickers to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
-kim.kovacs


How do you feel the opening line sets the scene? What expectations did it give you for the story, and were those fulfilled?
Amanda Peters has said that the opening line "The day Ruthie went missing, the blackflies seemed to be especially hungry" came to her, and the rest of the book followed. How did this line set the scene? What expectations did it give you for the story, and were those fulfilled?
-kim.kovacs


How does Ruthie's disappearance echo tragedies and atrocities in the broader history of Indigenous peoples? Have you learned more since reading the book?
How does Ruthie's disappearance echo tragedies and atrocities in the broader history of Indigenous peoples? Have you learned more since reading the book?
-kim.kovacs


How does Norma's feeling of being stuck between worlds come out in the story? In what ways might other characters feel a sense of duality or out of placeness?
How does Norma's feeling of being stuck between worlds come out in the story? In what ways might other characters feel a sense of duality or out of placeness?
-kim.kovacs


The family receives very little help from the authorities when Ruthie goes missing. How do you think this scenario would have been different today? What factors do you think influence a quick response when someone disappears?
The family receives very little help when Ruthie goes missing. A police officer tells them (p. 18), "If you were so concerned about the girl, you'd have taken better notice, I guess." How do you think this scenario would have been different today? What factors do you think influence a quick respo...
-kim.kovacs


June tells Lenore that “kids don’t even start to form actual memories until they are five or six” (p.35). Do you agree with this? What’s your first memory?
June tells Lenore that "kids don't even start to form actual memories until they are five or six" (p.35). Do you agree with this? What's your first memory?
-kim.kovacs


After Ruthie goes missing, what do you think keeps the remaining family members bound together? What do you think pulls them apart?
After Ruthie goes missing, what do you think keeps the remaining family members bound together? What do you think pulls them apart?
-kim.kovacs


Is there a quote or section of the book that had special meaning for you? Why do you think it resonated?
Is there a quote or section of the book that had special meaning for you? Why do you think it resonated?
-kim.kovacs


You might say this story is ultimately about forgiveness. Are you able to find all the major characters redeemable in some way, or are there any you cannot forgive?
You might say this story is ultimately about forgiveness. Are you able to find all the major characters redeemable in some way, or are there any you cannot forgive?
-kim.kovacs


Have you ever discovered a family secret? How did it change your relationship with the people around you?
Have you ever discovered a family secret? How did it change your relationship with the people around you?
-kim.kovacs


What did you think about Lewis, Joe’s father, faking a stereotype to make more money from wealthy recreational hunters?
What did you think about Lewis, Joe's father, faking a stereotype to make more money from wealthy recreational hunters?
-kim.kovacs


Why do you feel Norma had so much difficulty maintaining relationships? Do you have friends from childhood or college, or have you lost touch with most friends from earlier days?
Why do you feel Norma had so much difficulty maintaining relationships? Do you have friends from childhood or college, or have you lost touch with most friends from earlier days?
-kim.kovacs


In the end, why do you think Norma's mother did the very drastic thing she did?
In the end, why do you think Norma's mother did the very drastic thing she did?
-kim.kovacs


On page 7 there’s an exchange between Joe and his father regarding Frankie, the town drunk. Joe is told, “[B]e kind to Frankie. You never know when you might need kindness from people.” How do you think this plays out throughout the rest of the novel?
On page 7 there's an exchange between Joe and his father regarding Frankie, the town drunk. Joe is told, "[B]e kind to Frankie. You never know when you might need kindness from people." How do you think this plays out throughout the rest of the novel?
-kim.kovacs


When did you figure out the relationship between the two storylines, and how did it make you feel?
When did you figure out the relationship between the two storylines, and how did it make you feel?
-kim.kovacs


Did you prefer Joe's voice, Norma's, or the combination? Were there other characters you wished could give their point of view?
Did you prefer Joe's voice, Norma's, or the combination? Were there other characters you wished could give their point of view?
-kim.kovacs


Mae ends up being Joe’s caretaker, much to his surprise (“I would never have imagined Mae as the caring type” – p. 47). Do you think this side of her was always buried within, or did she change over time? Why do you believe this?
Mae ends up being Joe's caretaker, much to his surprise ("I would never have imagined Mae as the caring type" – p. 47). Do you think this side of her was always buried within, or did she change over time? Why do you believe this?
-kim.kovacs


Why do you think art-making becomes so important in the story? Are there other themes that jump out at you about making a meaningful life after loss?
Why do you think art-making becomes so important in the story? Are there other themes that jump out at you about making a meaningful life after loss?
-kim.kovacs


What are you reading this week? (2024-10-31)
I just finished The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, about a Native American family of berry pickers whose four-year-old daughter goes missing. The plot is character-driven and there's not a lot of act...
-kim.kovacs


What are you reading this week? (11/07/2024)
I am currently listening to The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller–A unique and beautifully lyrical retelling of Achilles and the Trojan War–and The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters–Alternating chapters told by Norma [four-year-old Ruthie who suddenly 'goes missing'] and her older brother Joe, both members of the Mi'k maq tribe i...
-Sunny

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Peters beautifully explores loss, grief, hope, and the invisible tether that keeps families intact even when they are ripped apart. A quiet and poignant debut from a writer to watch." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Enthralling ... Powerfully rendered ... [A] cogent and heartfelt look at the ineffable pull of family ties." —Publishers Weekly

"Peters' debut combines narrative skill and a poignant story for a wonderful novel to which many readers will gravitate ... Indigenous stories like this matter." —Booklist

"One family's secret is the source of another family's pain in this poignant debut that reads like a modern literary classic. Moving, heartbreaking, and hopeful, The Berry Pickers is a powerful tale of haunting regret, bonds that will never be broken, and unrelenting love. Amanda Peters's skilled storytelling evokes all the sensations of summer in Maine, singing around a fire, and the horror that takes hold when a child goes missing." —Nick Medina, author of Sisters of the Lost Nation

"With every sense engaged, and in a lyrical tribute to her father's stories, Amanda Peters manages to take you home to the east coast in the very best ways—through family love and personal grief and the precious accounting of minutes and memories. You cannot help but love these characters from the first chapter, they stay with you long after the last page." —Cherie Dimaline, author of The Marrow Thieves

"A marvelous debut. The Berry Pickers has all the passion of a first book but also the finely developed skill of a well-practiced storyteller. I can't believe Amanda Peters is just getting started. She writes like someone who has been doing this a long time, and no doubt she has, only now we get to share in the creativity of her amazing mind. She's going to be the next big thing. I am placing my bets now. The Berry Pickers is a triumph." —Katherena Vermette, author of The Strangers

This information about The Berry Pickers was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Nancy S.

I can see why it is a Best Seller!
From the beautiful cover to the well crafted story and characters I thoroughly enjoy this book. I found it to be believable, authentic, well thought out with characters I was interested in learning about. Amanda Peters crafted her book with great care as she took me on a journey with Norma/Ruthie and Joe. I appreciate when the author takes great care in bringing their story to a conclusion. Ms. Peters did just that. It was a story I will remember and recommend to friends.

Carmel B

Heartwrenching - Hearthwarming
You’ll want to be sure to have a box of tissues handy for this one. Peters is a master in the art of weaving humor and heartbreak into one story, one character, one chapter. Prepare for a roller coaster of emotions and a late night of reading. If, as Ruthie says, “Some people are meant to read great works and others are meant to write them,” by the end of “The Berry Pickers” readers know to which category Peters belongs. Enviable debut!

Cathryn Conroy

A Chilling Psychological Study of Two Lives Forever Changed in a Heartbeat and a Love That Never Ends
It is July 1962. Joe is six years old. Ruthie is four. They are the part of the Mi’kmaq tribe and live in Nova Scotia, Canada. Every summer, the family—mom, dad, and the five kids—come to Maine to work as blueberry pickers. But this summer is different. This summer Ruthie disappears…and Joe is the last one to see her.

This emotionally searing book by Amanda Peters follows Joe and Ruthie through a lifetime of guilt and confusion, of fleeting memories and unforgiving thoughts of what could have been vs. what is. Ruthie was snatched by an affluent woman desperate for a child, but Ruthie's family has no idea what happened to the little girl. They fear someone killed her, and so they keep looking for her dead body not only that summer, but also in the years to come. They never find any clues, and the local police refuse to get involved because they are itinerant Indians.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Joe and Ruthie, who is renamed Norma by her new family. Joe's perspective is that of an adult man who is dying of cancer, as he recalls the past, specifically what happened that awful summer and the effect it had on his life and the lives of his three siblings and parents. Meanwhile, Norma's story is told in chronological order, progressing as the years go by as she grows up with parents who look nothing like her and a mother who keeps a tight rein on her all the time. Eventually, Norma realizes her parents have big secrets they aren't telling her…secrets she is determined to uncover.

Considering the storyline, one would think this book would be all about the plot. Interestingly, it's not. The plotline is actually somewhat weak. Instead, this novel is built on character development. It is all about Joe and Norma/Ruthie, a chilling psychological study of two lives that were forever changed in a heartbeat.

It is a story of trauma, grief, anger, memory, and truth. It is a story of a love that never ends.

janelle13

I could not put this book down
I loved reading this book. The story was so fascinating that I could not put it down. I just had to keep reading. I loved the way the story was written. The characters were well developed and made you really feel for them. This one will leave you wanting more.

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Author Information

Amanda Peters

Amanda Peters is a writer of Mi'kmaq and settler ancestry. Her work has appeared in the Antigonish Review, Grain Magazine, the Alaska Quarterly Review, the Dalhousie Review and Filling Station Magazine. She is the winner of the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for Unpublished Prose and a participant in the 2021 Writers' Trust Rising Stars program. A graduate of the Master of Fine Arts Program at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Amanda Peters has a Certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Toronto. She lives in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, with her fur babies, Holly and Pook.

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