|
About the The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
|
|
2
|
157
|
December 14, 2024
|
|
Overall, what did you think of The Berry Pickers (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
31
|
792
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
When did you figure out the relationship between the two storylines, and how did it make you feel?
|
|
26
|
238
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
In the end, why do you think Norma's mother did the very drastic thing she did?
|
|
23
|
1114
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
You might say this story is ultimately about forgiveness. Are you able to find all the major characters redeemable in some way, or are there any you cannot forgive?
|
|
23
|
386
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
The family receives very little help from the authorities when Ruthie goes missing. How do you think this scenario would have been different today? What factors do you think influence a quick response when someone disappears?
|
|
19
|
217
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
June tells Lenore that “kids don’t even start to form actual memories until they are five or six” (p.35). Do you agree with this? What’s your first memory?
|
|
19
|
209
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
Did you prefer Joe's voice, Norma's, or the combination? Were there other characters you wished could give their point of view?
|
|
17
|
185
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
After Ruthie goes missing, what do you think keeps the remaining family members bound together? What do you think pulls them apart?
|
|
16
|
229
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
If you were going to write a novel based on stories of family history your parents told you, as Amanda Peters has here, where would it be set and what might it be about?
|
|
15
|
125
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
Is there a quote or section of the book that had special meaning for you? Why do you think it resonated?
|
|
14
|
224
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
What did you think about Lewis, Joe’s father, faking a stereotype to make more money from wealthy recreational hunters?
|
|
14
|
122
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
Mae ends up being Joe’s caretaker, much to his surprise (“I would never have imagined Mae as the caring type” – p. 47). Do you think this side of her was always buried within, or did she change over time? Why do you believe this?
|
|
13
|
85
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
Why do you feel Norma had so much difficulty maintaining relationships? Do you have friends from childhood or college, or have you lost touch with most friends from earlier days?
|
|
12
|
201
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
What audience would you recommend The Berry Pickers to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
|
|
10
|
269
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
How do you feel the opening line sets the scene? What expectations did it give you for the story, and were those fulfilled?
|
|
9
|
128
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
Have you ever discovered a family secret? How did it change your relationship with the people around you?
|
|
7
|
66
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
On page 7 there’s an exchange between Joe and his father regarding Frankie, the town drunk. Joe is told, “[B]e kind to Frankie. You never know when you might need kindness from people.” How do you think this plays out throughout the rest of the novel?
|
|
6
|
77
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
How does Ruthie's disappearance echo tragedies and atrocities in the broader history of Indigenous peoples? Have you learned more since reading the book?
|
|
4
|
86
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
Why do you think art-making becomes so important in the story? Are there other themes that jump out at you about making a meaningful life after loss?
|
|
4
|
100
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
How does Norma's feeling of being stuck between worlds come out in the story? In what ways might other characters feel a sense of duality or out of placeness?
|
|
3
|
90
|
January 20, 2025
|
|
Reminder messages re discussion posts
|
|
1
|
32
|
January 20, 2025
|