Book Review: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

“Anger is exhausting. Holding on to it will drain the life out of you.”

Amanda Peters, The Berry Pickers

Review:

In the early 1960s, a young Mi’kmaq girl goes missing while her family is in Maine working as berry pickers. Her brother Joe, the last person to see her and who had left her sitting alone on a rock, will feel the impact of this day for the rest of his life. 

Norma grows up in a fairly regular household. Sure, her mother is protective to a fault, and her father doesn’t show much interest in her, but her life is ordinary and secure. That is, aside from the torments of vivid dreams that feel realer than imagination alone. These dreams upset her mother terribly, so as she grows older, she learns to keep them to herself until she can grow out of them. 

I hadn’t heard of this book until my friend Ashleigh started reading it and told me that she thought it would be one I would enjoy. This turned into a buddy read, and she was absolutely right. I loved both Joe and Norma’s narrations, and that we got to watch their lives unfold at a slower pace rather than relying on time jumps and missing whole sections of their lives. I listened to the audiobook version, and I felt that listening to it complemented the way the story was told. 

Even though the mystery is easy to figure out, there are all of the whys and hows that need to be answered along the way. This kept me engaged, and I struggled to walk away from it. I must read this author’s other book! 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• How the book captures the air of mystery from beginning to end.
• I liked learning a bit about the Mi’kmaq culture.

What I didn’t like:

• I felt like the story strayed here and there and took focus away from the main plot.
• I struggled with Joe’s narrator for the audiobook because he tended to mumble.

Afterthoughts:

Thanks again, Ashleigh, for this recommendation!

Where to buy the book: