The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters Genres: Adult, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Published by Catapult on October 31, 2023
Format: Hardcover (320 pages) • Source: Owned
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Winner
Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in FictionA four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a mystery that will haunt the survivors, unravel a family, and remain unsolved for nearly fifty years
"A stunning debut about love, race, brutality, and the balm of forgiveness." —People, A Best New Book
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.
"A harrowing tale of Indigenous family separation . . . [Peters] excels in writing characters for whom we can’t help rooting . . . With The Berry Pickers, Peters takes on the monumental task of giving witness to people who suffered through racist attempts of erasure like her Mi’kmaw ancestors." —The New York Times Book Review
I bought this book on a whim (because of all the positive reviews and hype) at a book event a couple of years ago and it sat on my shelf. I was never sure literary mysteries – especially historical fiction – would be for me. I had a few major success stories with them this year and then my book club picked this for our July meeting, so it was finally time to try it… and it’s really not a mystery honestly.
The book follows a Native American family as they come down to Maine from Nova Scotia to pick berries each summer. Their youngest daughter, Ruthie, goes missing one summer and they are never the same. Meanwhile, there’s another POV following Norma – a young girl growing up in Maine. It kind of sounds like a mystery of trying to find this missing girl but it’s painfully obvious what’s happening the entire book. There’s really no actual mystery – it’s more a story of how Norma and Joe (Ruthie’s brother) survive and go through struggles over the years.
I really have no idea how the rest of book club will feel about this one. It has such a high rating on Goodreads but honestly I was completely underwhelmed. Yes, some of it is because I was expecting a historical literary mystery – I absolutely loved THE GOD OF THE WOODS and ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK. I was hoping for something similar.
Even once I realized the book wasn’t a mystery and I came to terms with it and tried a new perspective, this book was fine at best. I didn’t mind the characters and thought the arc was generally interesting but unfortunately it lacked a ton of oomph for me.
I received this book for free (hey, thanks!) in exchange for an honest review. I promise that this does NOT affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. For real.
Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft Genres: Adult, Mystery/Thriller
Published by Grand Central Publishing on July 8, 2025
Format: Audiobook, eARC, Hardcover (352 pages) • Source: Library, Publisher, Spotify Audiobooks
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble
In what Jeneva Rose declares a “chilling and atmospheric” tale, Nola Strate, a late night radio host in Portland, Oregon, listens to stories of hauntings and cryptic sightings for a living. But one foggy evening, a caller describes an eerie scene that triggers memories of Nola’s childhood escape from a serial killer, and she fears he’s back to finish what he started.
Nola Strate is being watched, again.
After an encounter with a notorious serial killer in the Pacific Northwest as a child, Nola has grown up and tried her best to forget her traumatizing night with the Hiding Man. She installed security cameras outside her Oregon home, never spoke of her experience, and now hosts Night Watch, a popular radio call-in show her semi‑famous father used to run. When coincidences lead Nola to believe that she is being stalked, and a caller on Night Watch has a live incident with an intruder in the caller's home—the description of whom is chillingly familiar—Nola is convinced that the Hiding Man has resurfaced and is coming for her.
With a mysterious next‑door neighbor lurking in the shadows, more people getting hurt, the police not taking her concerns seriously, and evidence pointing towards her own father, Nola decides to become, like her listeners, a Night Watcher herself, and uncover the monster behind the Hiding Man's mask.
I’m a fan of Daphne’s podcast Going West so when I saw she was writing a mystery/thriller/horror book, I immediately added it to my TBR! I got a review copy early but ended up saving it for Summerween – it was the perfect pick for the readathon.
The story follows Nola, a radio host focusing on creepy/true crime stories from callers, as the serial killer she escaped as a kid seemingly comes back. The story follows primarily her POV but also a detective/family friend working the case. (I don’t think his POV added much but I’m not mad about it.)
I don’t know why I read a book about a man who stalks victims and hides in their houses while I was alone for the weekend, but reading during the day helped! It was definitely creepy but not quite as creepy as I expected. Daphne’s writing was better than expected though – as a debut author who also does podcasts, I wasn’t sure how it would read without a ghostwriter/collaborator. I was seriously impressed with her writing style!
I think the ending and resolution were a little rushed. There were some plot holes or at least a lack of explanation in some areas; the book could have benefited from another chapter or two. I predicted who was responsible but I don’t know if there was a way to figure out the person’s motivation, if that makes sense? I wanted a little bit more. from the ending and some of the characters on the side.
Despite that, it was a very solid debut – atmospheric, super easy to read and well-written, and addicting. I read it in two days across multiple formats because I was continuously curious about what would happen next. I will eagerly and immediately read anything else she writes after this one!
Leave a Reply