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A review by readmollyread
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Wonderful. Family dysfunction, feelings of displacement, longing, unyielding love. Last 2-3 chapters had me sobbing.
—
The Berry Pickers is a beautifully written, emotionally stunning story about the complexities of family, identity, belonging, and secrets. Centering on a girl growing up in Maine and an adult man dying in Nova Scotia, this story is made especially compelling by the expansive timeline and the alternating POVs that explore the characters’ lives and minds. The book’s final chapters had me sobbing and desperately wanting more time with these Norma, Joe, and their families, but so grateful for the time I spent with them.
The audiobook is narrated beautifully, too, though I am yet again PLEADING with audiobook producers or whoever to provide pronunciation guides. The town of Bangor, Maine is called Bang-GOR, not Bang-er.
First five star read of 2024.
—
The Berry Pickers is a beautifully written, emotionally stunning story about the complexities of family, identity, belonging, and secrets. Centering on a girl growing up in Maine and an adult man dying in Nova Scotia, this story is made especially compelling by the expansive timeline and the alternating POVs that explore the characters’ lives and minds. The book’s final chapters had me sobbing and desperately wanting more time with these Norma, Joe, and their families, but so grateful for the time I spent with them.
The audiobook is narrated beautifully, too, though I am yet again PLEADING with audiobook producers or whoever to provide pronunciation guides. The town of Bangor, Maine is called Bang-GOR, not Bang-er.
First five star read of 2024.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Miscarriage, Child death, Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, and Violence