Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

1. Amanda Peters has said that the opening line "The day Ruthie went missing, the blackflies seemed to be especially hungry" came to her, and the rest of the book followed. How did this line set the scene? What expectations did it give you for the story, and were those fulfilled?
2. When did you figure out the relationship between the two storylines, and how did it make you feel?
3. Have you ever discovered a family secret? How did it change your relationship with the people around you?
4. Did you prefer Joe's voice, Norma's, or the combination? Were there other characters you wished could give their point of view?
5. After Ruthie goes missing, what do you think keeps the remaining family members bound together? What do you think pulls them apart?
6. How does Ruthie's disappearance echo tragedies and atrocities in the broader history of Indigenous peoples? Have you learned more since reading the book?
7. 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?
8. 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?
9. In the end, why do you think Norma's mother did the very drastic thing she did?
10. 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?
11. 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?
12. 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?
13. The family receives very little help when Ruthie goes missing. A police officer tells them (p. 18), "If you were so concerned about the girl, you'd have taken better notice, I guess." How do you think this scenario would have been different today? What factors do you think influence a quick response when someone disappears?
14. 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?
15. 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?
16. What did you think about Lewis, Joe's father, faking a stereotype to make more money from wealthy recreational hunters?
17. 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?
18. Is there a quote or section of the book that had special meaning for you? Why do you think it resonated?
19. Overall, what did you think of The Berry Pickers (no spoilers, please!)
20. What audience would you recommend The Berry Pickers to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Catapult. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.