NATIONAL BESTSELLER 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Winner Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction A 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
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About the author
Amanda Peters
Author
Amanda Peters is a Canadian writer from Falmouth, Nova Scotia, whose debut novel The Berry Pickers was the winner of the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award, 2024 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence, and 2024 Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction.
The Berry Pickers
by Amanda Peters
Books Like The Berry Pickers
If you're looking for books similar to The Berry Pickers, here are some recommendations based on themes, tone, and narrative style.
Homegoing
Yaa Gyasi
An epic novel tracing the descendants of two half-sisters from Ghana through generations of family history. The book explores how historical trauma and racism impact families across time and continents. Similar to The Berry Pickers, it examines the long-lasting effects of separation and cultural displacement.
Where the Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens
A lyrical novel about isolation, survival, and a mysterious disappearance in a small community. The story follows Kya Clark, an abandoned girl who grows up alone in the marshlands of North Carolina. Similar to The Berry Pickers, it explores themes of family, loss, and the search for identity in a complex social landscape.
Pachinko
Min Jin Lee
A multigenerational saga of a Korean family struggling with displacement and discrimination in Japan. The novel explores themes of cultural identity, family survival, and the impact of historical trauma. Similar to The Berry Pickers, it examines how families navigate systemic racism and maintain their connections.
There There
Tommy Orange
A groundbreaking novel about urban Native American experiences, following multiple characters converging at a powwow in Oakland. The book explores Indigenous identity, community, and survival in modern America. Similar to The Berry Pickers, it provides a nuanced look at Native American experiences and intergenerational connections.
The Vanishing Half
Brit Bennett
A powerful novel exploring family secrets, racial identity, and the complex bonds between sisters. Two light-skinned Black twins choose dramatically different paths in life, with one passing as white. The book delves into themes of identity, generational trauma, and the lasting impact of family separation, similar to The Berry Pickers.
The Round House
Louise Erdrich
A powerful Native American story about a young boy investigating a traumatic crime against his mother. The novel explores Indigenous identity, justice, and family resilience in the face of systemic racism. Like The Berry Pickers, it provides a deep, nuanced look at Indigenous experiences and intergenerational trauma.
The Nickel Boys
Colson Whitehead
A powerful novel based on a real reform school where Black boys were systematically abused. The story follows two boys navigating a brutal system of racism and violence. Like The Berry Pickers, it explores themes of systemic oppression, trauma, and the long-lasting impact of childhood experiences.
Woman of Light
Kali Fajardo-Anstine
A multigenerational story of an Indigenous family in the American West, tracing their struggles with racism and displacement. The narrative explores family connections, historical trauma, and the resilience of marginalized communities. Like The Berry Pickers, it examines the lasting effects of cultural erasure and family separation.
The Night Watchman
Louise Erdrich
A novel based on the author's grandfather's fight against Native American displacement. The story follows a Chippewa council member battling government policies threatening Indigenous lands. Like The Berry Pickers, it addresses themes of Indigenous resilience, family bonds, and resistance to cultural erasure.
The Midnight Library
Matt Haig
A philosophical novel about a woman exploring different versions of her life through a magical library. The story delves into themes of choice, regret, and the impact of family connections. While different in style, it shares The Berry Pickers' exploration of memory, identity, and the paths not taken.
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