Books like The Berry Pickers make me feel heartless. This is certainly a story that should evoke strong emotions in me, focused on the abduction of a young Mi’kmaq girl from a Maine blueberry field in 1962 and the multigenerational fallout of that event, but I felt strangely disconnected throughout the entire book. The story is told from two perspectives: that of Joe, the brother of the kidnapped little girl; and Norma, a girl who grows up with overprotective parents, occasionally escaping into dreams about a life she barely remembers.

Reading this, I was reminded of the experience I had reading Where the Crawdads Sing and Go as a River – both widely-loved books that left me feeling cold. There’s a certain element of emotional manipulation and a calculated quality that all three books share, at least for me: The plotting seems deliberately intent on getting the maximum emotional response from the reader. But in The Berry Pickers, Amanda Peters stays too close to the surface of these characters and it was difficult for me to connect with them emotionally, despite the difficulties and hardships they faced. It felt like Peters was only giving us the highlights of their lives – or maybe I should say “lowlights,” because they certainly did suffer. I found myself questioning whether this story was told from the right perspectives. I wonder if I’d have gotten more out of it if the mothers’ perspectives had been included, and I think I would have; to understand the trauma and the motivations of the mothers would’ve likely added the emotional richness I felt was lacking.

I was expecting Peters to delve into the mid-century treatment of Canadian indigenous people in a meaningful way, but she kept that discussion very subtle. There was obviously a lot simmering beneath the surface, informing the characters’ choices, but it felt like a missed opportunity to explore certain aspects of Mi’kmaq culture and history in a more overt way. I also didn’t get a strong sense of place or time from the book; it spans several decades, but didn’t feel firmly placed in any of them.

All of that said – The Berry Pickers is still a worthwhile read. Peters explores themes of grief and loss, the effects of generational trauma, family dynamics, identity, and redemption in thoughtful ways, and I did appreciate the book’s message. Ultimately, it just didn’t feel as important as I wanted it to. I listened to the audiobook read by Jordan Waunch and A'aliya Warbus (who is a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia), and they did immerse me in the world of the book – although I found both of their voices too young-sounding as the characters aged. Thank you to RB Media for the complimentary listening opportunity.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me listen to this. The narration was engaging and I could not stop listening. I really loved it and hope others love it as well. The story was engaging as well as the characters. I would recommend.

I started reading The Berry Pickers with high hopes, drawn in by its promising setting and plot premise. However, despite the appealing setting, I found myself unable to finish the book.

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. This isn’t their first summer and the family settles right in to their camp. The summer is going well, until one night 4 year old Ruthie wanders off from the campfire and everything gets turned upside down. Only Joe, sees her wander off and he will never forgive him self for following her. Obviously the family searches high and low for her and the police help but she isn’t found.
In Maine a young girl named is Norma, is growing up with an affluent family. She has an over protective mother and a distant father. She wants for nothing and feels loved but something is off. She just never feels like she fits in. She has very realistic dreams that feel more like memories and she is told to ignore them. But these dreams and her feelings make her want to dig deeper into her family history. Is she prepared for what she will find. Will her parents open up and help her find the truth? And how will Joe and his family come to terms with never finding Ruthie? Or will they find her? This was a very well written story. The characters and the setting were very good. I loved how the author went between both families. This was a 4 star listen for me. Aaliya Warbus, Jordan Waunch Did an excellent job narrating, they were the perfect pair for this story. I want to thank Netgalley, Amanda Peters & RB Media for my copy of The Berry Pickers, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to listen and review this book.

This is such a great listen. I got this audiobook as an e-galley from Netgalley. All opionions are my own.

How gut wrenching this would be..to lose a child and never know what happened to them.

This book follows a brother and sister who were separated and how lidlfe continued with a missing piece.

Really interesting and well written. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives of the brother and sister in the chapters.

This beautiful drama follows a Mi’kmaq family through their work as berry pickers in Maine and the disappearance of a 4 year old girl. Told from two points of view - the deathbed of the missing girl’s brother and Norma, who has her own tragic story to tell. The writing is stunning. The story will hit all of your emotions. Don’t miss this one!

*The Berry Pickers* by Amanda Peters is a poignant and beautifully woven tale of family, loss, and identity. Peters’ evocative storytelling captures both the heartache and hope in the characters' journeys, making for a deeply moving and immersive read. It's a powerful exploration of resilience and the ties that bind us.

"The Berry Pickers" is a gem of a novel that will linger in your heart long after you've turned the final page. Highly recommended for anyone in search of a moving and unforgettable read.

This book was excellent. Would definitely recommend if you’re looking to read more Indigenous stories, as it is wonderfully written and beautifully narrated. The mystery will keep you reading, but the characters will make you feel.

Thanks to RB Media and Recorded Books for the ALC!

Really beautiful. Loved the story and the narrators. My one note for the audiobook was that Norma/Ruthie’s narrator spoke much slower than Joe’s so the pacing felt a little off. I almost wanted to adjust the speed each time it changed but that would have been a little tedious.

I loved the POV of First Nations migrant workers, but the complaining down by the brother reminds me of the complaining in Catcher in the Rye. Good story and compelling read otherwise.

As of right now, this is probably the best book I have read in a long time. It is an intense story about family and loss and grief and the choices that make e make. The things we hold dear and the things that stay with us forever. It is also about forgiveness and truth.

The audiobook narrator was wonderful and easy to listen to.

This is a phenomenal and heartbreaking story of identity, family, and trauma. I was blown away by this story, the excellent writing, and the depth of character. Though incredibly sad, it's also somehow heartwarming? It's the kind of story that will stick with you for a long time.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the author’s writing style. She was really able to paint a vivid picture. She brought her characters to life and made you feel so much for them. I liked the alternating view points of Norma and Joe.

The narrators were great at emoting and told the story with feeling.

the Berry Pickers was an excellent listen and read. I liked the two storylines and that not everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end. It was beautiful writing and I appreciated the time jumps.

3.75/5 ⭐️ (so rounding up to 4)
Ruthie, a young indigenous girl, disappears one day while her family is in Maine to pick berries. Her brother, Joe, was the last one to see her. Alternating between Joe and Norma (aka Ruthie), we see how their lives were forever affected by this.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I do think it was hard on audio to figure out exactly when things were happening. It was told in a way that in present day, Joe and Norma are looking back on memories, and thus, sometimes they pan back in the middle of a memory to modern day. This was a lot harder to track on audio as there were not clear cues for this. This also was very heavily character driven, as not much plot wise really happens until the end - it is mostly just them telling about their lives. Personally, I would have preferred a little more plot - like maybe Ruthie finding out before her non-biological parents die.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Stories about family really speak to my soul, and family drama will forever be my very favorite sub-genre, if you can even call it that. Either way, if you hand me a book that’s heavily focused on family dynamics, I’ll read it. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters was the perfect book for me to listen to over the Christmas break. It follows a Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia who travel to Maine in 1962 to pick blueberries for the summer, and then something devastating happens. Four-year-old Ruthie, the youngest in the family disappears, and her brother, Joe was the last one to see her. Her mysterious disappearance haunts him for his entire life, and was an event that shaped (and followed) him into manhood. The novel is told through Ruthie and Joe’s alternating perspectives, and gives the reader a thorough look at how this tragedy affected their entire family. I’m also a big sucker for books set in Canada, so of course this one got bonus points for that. The city I used to live in, Winnipeg was even mentioned, so that certainly made me smile. This was a quick read/listen, and when I finished, I was left wanting a little more. I felt like it needed an extra hundred pages or so. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I think it had to do with character development. I craved a little more from both Ruthie and Joe, as well as their siblings. If you’re looking for an engrossing novel about race, class, trauma, loss, grief, and healing, then give The Berry Pickers a try. It’s a solid read, and definitely worth your while!

This was a compelling story about a Mi’kmaq girl, Ruthie, who goes missing. The story explores the role of racism and how Native populations are often treated by police, the impact of the loss of the little girl on their family, and her own investigation into her past as an adult.

I thought the family impacts were well fleshed out and I enjoyed getting to know them, particularly her brother, Joe, who narrates parts of the story. But, I felt like the role of the white people in this story were inconsistently mapped out. We get a lot of the impact of the white people the family interacts with at the beginning when Ruthie goes missing, but I think they were left off the hook for their role in what happened to Ruthie and the it's far-reaching impact.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and the audiobook narration, and I'd definitely pick up another book by this author.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

While this was a slow burn it still keeps you intrigued throughout! Such an interesting premise. The narrator did a good job as well.

Excellent characters. Believable real-life situations and challenges. Wonderful Indigenous representation.
Even thought The Berry Pickers is outside my norm for typical books I select; I still enjoyed it. This is a ‘book club’ like pick (which I usually avoid). As it’s an Indigenous story I wanted to read it. I’m glad I did. There is a lot that can be unpacked here; not least of which is perhaps why parents, children, and teenagers all keep secrets from one another. If everyone could be more honest and ask questions safely (no matter the topic) I think we’d all be better off.
While the overall story lags at times; especially when it’s Norma’s POV. The Berry Pickers is still a good contemporary literature book. It has depth, believability, and you’ll likely want some Kleenex nearby near the end.

The audiobook has a typical narrator. Nothing special but good enough.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.