The Berry Pickers

Author: Amanda Peters

Publisher: Catapult 2023

The Mi’kmaq are a First Nation people from Northeastern Canada and the USA. A Mi’kmaq family living in Nova Scotia travels with other families to berry fields in northern Maine to pick blueberries during the summer. (The story began to evolve in the 1950s.) The father of the family is the leader of the group. There are five kids in this family: three of them—Ben, Mae, and Stevie—are teenagers; Joe is just two years older than the youngest, Ruthie, who is only four years old. They live in a cabin in the berry fields during the blueberry season.

One day, Ruthie disappeared. The whole group searched for her throughout the summer but could not find her. One of the most affected by her disappearance is Joe.

Somewhere in Maine, four-year-old Norma, the only daughter of a family, is experiencing regular nightmares. She remembers a close friend named Ruthie and her baby doll. Norma’s mother thinks that Norma is just having bad dreams.

When Norma was about nine years old, she noticed that her skin was darker than both of her parents’. When asked why, her father explained that it was due to genes, mentioning an Italian grandfather in the family. Her mother is overprotective and does not let Norma walk anywhere or associate with anyone in the neighborhood.

Eventually, Norma forgets all about Ruthie. However, the Mi’kmaq family still hopes to find their missing daughter someday.

This is not a book I would usually pick up to read. I joined a book readers' group this month. They meet via Zoom on Wednesday afternoons during the first week of every other month. The next meeting is scheduled for October 2nd, and the book they are reading is this one. I joined this group for several reasons: first, they are former colleagues; second, there is sufficient time allocated for reading a book; third, there is no pressure even if I do not read the book; and fourth, I liked the way the discussion went at the only meeting I attended.

Amanda, the author, is of Mi’kmaq and settler ancestry, so I assume she knows about Mi’kmaq culture. She is also a good writer. However, I could not emotionally connect with the story. In my view, Norma seems too naive. There is almost no information about her school days, her friends, the bullies, or even her teachers, even though she attended school.

Towards the end of the story, the Mi’kmaq family prepares “tapatat” (potato) and “piteway” (tea). Tapatat and Piteway are Mi’kmaq words. I know that potatoes are native to the Americas, but tea is not. The British only began growing tea in the 19th century after learning from the Chinese. 

(Read “For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Famous Drink and Changed History” by Sara Rose.)

In Sri Lanka, we used to drink "Polpala," and "Ranawara" which are like tea but not tea. Is it possible that "Piteway" refers to a native drink similar to Chrysanthemum "tea" or Polpala "tea", or Ranawara "tea"?

I do not know.