Nancy Liscum

The Berry Pickers is a compelling story with many themes: what constitutes a “good” family; the secrets that so many keep; a yearning to understand oneself in terms of actions and identity; the different shapes love takes, and more. Yes, there is a terrible disappearance of a child, and the grieving that consumes her family. Yes, there is loneliness, isolation, violence, and guilt, so much guilt. The losses are overwhelming, yet the primary characters, Norma and Joe, feel realistic in their search for identity and wholeness. Peters’ first book offers a window into disturbing abuses suffered by Indigenous people, yet it also includes absolutely gorgeous descriptions of nature and the characters’ feeling for it. The plot, though somewhat predictable, moves the story along well. This is a tale worth reading.