The Berry Pickers

Loved it.

Fun read with lots to think about.

Scored high among group. Well written.

This book was a pleasure to read. It gave a different picture of First Nations peoples and migrant workers, essentially delivering a bit of an education into these insular communities. It discussed some of the abuse towards and within the community, but it was not a deep dive into all the ills of colonization. Both Joe and Norma/Ruthie had strong voices as characters; however, other characters could have been fleshed out more. While trauma and tragedy ran through this book, there were periods of joy and forgiveness as well. Overall, an easy read and my book club enjoyed it.

Solid read. This book has a dual perspective and is told in first person. Each chapter jumps back and forth through time. I listened to it on audio while reading on kindle. I enjoyed the writing style. The author uses a lot of descriptive language to describe relatable subjects. From the beginning, you know exactly what happened, which I liked. The entire story you are watching it unfold and the pieces of HOW it happened are put together. I appreciated the last few chapters where loose ends were tied up. I read it in 24 hours and I would recommend it, but I feel like the dual perspective/time jumping might be a hindrance for some people.