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Cranberry Queen

3.3 of 5 stars 3.30 · rating details · 839 ratings · 106 reviews

Diana Moore, a thirty-something professional in New York City, is brooding over rumors about her ex-lovers beautiful new girlfriend, when the unimaginable happens: a terrible car accident in which her entire family is killed. Seeking refuge from her well-meaning friends, Diana heads out of the city and ends up in the Pine Barrens, an oasis of simple living in New Jersey wh...more

Paperback, 264 pages

Published April 17th 2002 by Miramax Books (first published December 1st 2001)

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Jan 13, 2009 bookczuk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookcrossing, good-but-made-me-sad, satisfying

Once in a while you stumble upon a book that, while it may not be the most well crafted writing in the world, it touches something inside you and causes you to dig deep inside yourself and reflect on life.

Cranberry Queen was one such book. I picked it up over a year ago, as possible fodder for one of the OBCZs. I've passed it by multiple times when glancing over the stacks, trying to choose my next read. I picked up up now, because I'd hoped it would be a title that could qualify for a challeng...more Once in a while you stumble upon a book that, while it may not be the most well crafted writing in the world, it touches something inside you and causes you to dig deep inside yourself and reflect on life.

Cranberry Queen was one such book. I picked it up over a year ago, as possible fodder for one of the OBCZs. I've passed it by multiple times when glancing over the stacks, trying to choose my next read. I picked up up now, because I'd hoped it would be a title that could qualify for a challenge (it doesn't). But when I found it didn't qualify, I didn't put it down. I kept reading. It is having a profound impact on me. Who would have thought that a little paperback I picked up for pennies at a place that sells used books by the pound, would make me ponder life so much....

It centers on a woman readjusting her life after a horrible car accident. (She wasn't in it, but her entire family was.) The back of the book just mentions an accident, not what it was, etc, but it's all about recovery, and it had been so long since I'd registered it, that I completely forgotten the publisher's blurb. The entire family-- her parents and brother, are killed by a drunk driver while driving to a "meet the parents" dinner with his new fiance's folks.

It is no secret that I love my family. They are my treasure, my heart and my hope. I remember when I first realized that love, in all its glory, was a two edged sword. That by opening your heart to another, and laying it on the line for the cause of love, you became vulnerable. I'm not talking about the kind of vulnerability where someone hurts or betrays you. What I am referring to is the vulnerability of mishap or accident. If something happened to me- an accident, illness or whatever, it would be hard and painful, but it would be me. I could deal with that. And if I die, I die. My beliefs in life help me to accept my fate after life. If I am alone, not opened by love, the circle of my life is one. Something happens, the implications don't radiate beyond that circle.

But when you love, you are vulnerable by extension. The safety you worry about is not your own, but that of your beloved. To hurt, it no longer has to happen to you but to the one you love.

Death happens. I know that. But premature or unexpected death is one of my horrors. I don't know how I might cope-- what strengths I might find or what depths I'd plunge. I still don't know, and I hope I never do. But this little volume made me take out all my worries and fears, shake them out and air them on the line, and let the breath of prayer and hope blow through them again.(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

At 33, New York City professional Diana Moore is already grieving over an ex-boyfriend referred to only as "The Monster" who couldn't stand to be with her any longer. Suddenly thrown into a deeper hopelessness when her parents and only brother are tragically killed in a car accident, Diana quits her job, jumps in her Volvo and takes off for parts unknown. She runs into Rosie (literally), a 70-year-old woman on a motorcycle and her granddaughter Louisa in a part of New Jersey she's never seen bef...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Candace rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting book. You really felt like you were in her thoughts.
This story is about a women who has a total life altering event ..... Her family ( mother father and brother who is about to be married) was killed by a drunk driver. Now she has to learn how to go on and pick up the pieces of her life. Only she doesn't know how. She tries to run away from her NYC life and ends up crashing into a little town in New Jersey. It is here that she finally is able to do some healing and gain...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-fun

I just started this book, and so far, it's a good read. About a young woman who ends up in the New Jersey Pine Barrens after her parents are killed in a car crash (it's not nearly as heavy as it sounds!)

UPDATE

I really enjoyed this book (Suzanne, I think you would really like it!) It has a surprisingly light touch, considering the topic - meaningful without being heavy. The use of the location is really terrific, and the secondary characters are all authentic and interesting. It reminded me a lit...more

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Jun 30, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, general-fiction, 2010

This is an amazing book. Instead of doing a review (because in all honesty, I just loved everything about it and that isn't helpful on it's own in a review) I'll add some of my favorite quotes.

"He-the Monster-is now dating someone whose name begins with "L". I think her name is Lola or maybe, possibly, Lolita. (Tiptoeing off the tounge. How lovely. Lovely Lola Lolita) The Monster, everyone say is much better now. He doesn't drink (I'm not around) and he doesn't smoke (I'm not around) and he doe...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The description on Goodreads is inaccurate - it must be for a different book! This one is heartbreaking; on page five, Diana gets the horrible news that her parents and brother have been killed by a drunk driver. Had I known this going in, I probably wouldn't have started. As it was, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to continue. I can't imagine going through a tragedy like that and didn't want to read about someone who had. I had tears in my eyes several times throughout the book. But having lost...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book starts with a family tragedy changing Diana's life, and, like Diana herself, it doesn't recover. After being unable to cope with her newly fragmented life, Diana leaves home without knowing where she's going. She finds herself in a beautiful landscape with strangers who are willing to take her in. There are many opportunities for a great story to evolve, but instead too many characters are introduced that cannot be kept straight, and everyone's lives and problems are only dealt with in...more

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Aug 10, 2007 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Gals who like to read

Shelves: kick-ass-covers

Great story--I actually balled at the end. Lay off, I was fragile. Some books you just read at the right time in your life, and this was one of them.

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Nov 18, 2010 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

The main character, Diana, suffers a tragic loss. In the face of that, she runs off to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, where she is "befriended" by a young woman and her family and friends. Much of the rest of the book focuses on the two days she spent there. I really could not get into this book, particularly because I found the "friend" Louisa to be extremely irritating. There is also a strange subplot about love at first sight, and another about Diana's father's former best friend coming out...more

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Aug 16, 2010 Lyn M (readinghearts) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lyn M (readinghearts) by: Jennifer and Colleen.

Shelves: 2010, borrowed, ccclib, contemporary, women-s-fiction

This book was a recommendation to me from two of my best GR buddies. These ladies and have a lot in common as far as reading goes, so I was excited when Jennifer said that she came across this book at a book store and really liked it, then when Colleen read it and also liked it. Sure enough, right off the bat, I could tell I was going to like the voice of the main character (the story was told in the first person). She was sarcastic, but it was a witty sarcasm, which I really enjoy. Three pages...more This book was a recommendation to me from two of my best GR buddies. These ladies and have a lot in common as far as reading goes, so I was excited when Jennifer said that she came across this book at a book store and really liked it, then when Colleen read it and also liked it. Sure enough, right off the bat, I could tell I was going to like the voice of the main character (the story was told in the first person). She was sarcastic, but it was a witty sarcasm, which I really enjoy. Three pages into the book, though, tragedy struck, and everything changed. The main character went from a brash, sarcastic, self doubter to a lost, confused victim. The more lost and confused she got, the more confused I became as a reader. I both liked and didn't like where the author was taking me. A perfect example is when Diana talks about being angry that people keep asking her how she is, but being angry later when they accept her "I'm fine" and she is left alone. On the one hand, this behavior seems childish and pathetic. On the other hand, I can see myself doing the same thing in a similar situation. There are many such places in the book where I feel good and bad at the same time.

I have always had a hard time with people who just accept being a victim, and as this seems to happen to Diana the book started to lag a bit for me. But just when I thought the author was going to wallow in the main character's lost withdrawal, Diana makes a rash decision and ends up in rural New Jersey with a cast of refreshingly flawed supporting characters. Rosie, Louisa, Jack, Fritz, and Billy really made the book for me. I became very vested in how they were all going to interact (which, by the way, was in a very Big Chill sort of way).

In the end, Diana finally mans up and gets her life back together, and things end up with the author alluding to a Happily Ever After ending. Here again, I both liked it and didn't like it. It was satisfying that Diana was able to work through her issues, in fact, when I finished the book I actually sighed with contentment. On the other hand...I felt that it took her too long to get to this point (although chronologically it was only two days, lol) and that the happy ending was just a little to formulaic.

I am giving this book 3.75 stars, but not 4. Although I liked the story and the supporting characters were flawed enough to make them interesting, the story lagged for me in places. (less)

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Sep 07, 2008 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

An entertaining piece of fluff. Cute book for the beach - especially since all of it takes place in NJ. :)

My favorite part of this book is this excerpt:

"...I turn off at Exit Nine. New Brunswick. A river - the Camden? the Roanoke? (no, idiot, that's in Virgina)-streams underneath the overpass. I go onto Route One, South. No reason.
But Route One isn't working either. It is lined, at first, with green lawns and trees, buffeting the entrance to either Johnson & Johnson's massive headquarters or...more An entertaining piece of fluff. Cute book for the beach - especially since all of it takes place in NJ. :)

My favorite part of this book is this excerpt:

"...I turn off at Exit Nine. New Brunswick. A river - the Camden? the Roanoke? (no, idiot, that's in Virgina)-streams underneath the overpass. I go onto Route One, South. No reason.
But Route One isn't working either. It is lined, at first, with green lawns and trees, buffeting the entrance to either Johnson & Johnson's massive headquarters or the campus of Cook College's agriculture school. Then the road bequeaths strip malls and Taco Bells and just too many traffic lights. This is not what I want, although I have no idea what I want. I take the next exit, Finnegan's Lane, I think.
Then I am on a mishmash of roads, Routes 518 and 522 and 527 and 547 and 539; I have no idea where I am. If you grow up in Princeton, all you learn is how to get to New York City. (A friend with whom I grew up used to say, "New York City, gulp, is the center of the universe; I mean, you can fly to both Moscow and Paris from there!") Maybe, if your parents wanted some cultural diversion, you'll know how to get to Philadelphia. and maybe on a true "road" trip, you'll go the long way, via Lambertville and New Hope and Bucks County; past streams and green trees and chic artistic boutiques and picturesque bridges, to see the "country."
But Princeton, to many of the families that live there, is simply not New Jersey. It is Princeton, a place unto itself. Moreover, this sentiment is never voiced-a true Princetonian would never need to note is distinctiveness. Like Caroline Kennedy or President George H Bush, the need to assert one's dignity or otherwise account for one's subtlety snd innate aplomb is nonsensical, a ballet dancer pirouetting in a swamp.
In any event, the Princeton I grew up in is pristine, classic, a university town above all else, nothing garish or loud, neither in architecture nor inhabitants...But now I am driving in what looks to be Iowa (I have never been to Iowa, but I know it looks like this.) It can't be New Jersey. This is land, real land, green and outstretched, a verdant expanse as long as a Caribbean beach, bordered not by an ocean, but by tall, multicolored, autumn-painted, red, gold, and green trees...I feel like Alice, tumbling down a rabbit hole in a fantasy place labeled the Garden State. I grew up in New Jersey I've been to rural places (in Maine, not New Jersey, but how different can it be?), yet this is very strange. I stop the car and get out. I am on the side of the road near a farm of some sort, a farm where there are rows and rows of small bushes about five feet high, planted equidistant in what looks to be sand...I step to the bush. I see a cluster of small clumps, dried clumps of...berries, blueberries, I realize. This is where they come from; this is how they grow. For some reason, I though they only grew in Maine...Maine blueberries reek intrinsically of estates and reserve; New Jersey blueberries by definition must reek of noxious gases and neon. Could there be some association between big-haired Jersey girls and these small dried berries in my hand?...This is a foreign land; this is a strange place. This is New Jersey?"

It's only about two pages in the book, but I love that part. The part when the "Princetonian" gains understanding that the "Garden State" isn't all industry and landfilles. And that we didn't get that name because of all of the pretty flowers. I love when people "discover" our state and all it's resplendent beauty - even if the protagonist grew up only 45 minutes or so away - in Princeton. Of course we should have known she was hopeless when she thought the river running through New Brunswick was the Camden!? Or even the Roanoke!? Right there, I just wanted to say "Really? The Roanoke?" Yikes! Good thing she only ended up in the Pine Barrens and NOT Camden (or Virginia). (less)

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Mar 18, 2010 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was really taken with Kathleen DeMarco's 2001 novel "Cranberry Queen" (Hyperion, $12.95, paperback, 254 pp.)

Maybe because it had an unforeseen twist and was refreshingly, engagingly witty. But mostly because I started it on a plane ride filled with what seemed to be an unusual number of babies and wanted to be absorbed in a good story.

Check out the rest of my review on my blog, Balancing the Books, at

http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/blogs...

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Apr 26, 2013 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit

Really interesting book with a different style. I wasn't sure what to think at first since it seemed a little all over the place, but I ended up getting used to it and enjoying her style. The characters were not the run of the mill type so they were enjoyable. I did find it interesting to see what life was like pre-9/11 for this New Yorker and how the story would have been completely different if it was written a few months later. And of course, I was happy for the little twist at the end.

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Feb 16, 2010 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There were a few passages in this book that I went back and reread multiple times because they contained such perfect insight, and I could easily relate to how the protagonist was feeling. I could also see the vivid colors and beauty of the setting.

This book could have been really cheesy, but the author skillfully avoided making it too precious. My one complaint was that there were too many cute metaphors, but other than that this was a very enjoyable read and I recommend it.

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May 30, 2012 Crystal rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 06, 2010 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally chose book by it's Title. I have a serious obession with cranberries... I enjoyed this book, because the main character was on the path of self-discovery and to that I can relate. The main character, Diana, is on the road to find out who she is, in her 30s. She is normal, she is depressed and yet still so silently strong. What else, but adventure, motorcycles, crazy friends and self discovery... Just read it! =)

5 out of 5
Read in 2003

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Jun 22, 2009 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was my first book from Kathleen DeMarco. I thought that the book was just alright. I was confused by the characters behaviors, and how everyone seemed to just be friends from the moment they meet. I don't see that as being realistic. I mean, Diana hit Rosie with her car while she was riding her motercycle. I guess that's just me, I couldn't be friendly with someone who would have knocked a loved one off a bike and then take them into my home.

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Jul 05, 2012 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-on-a-fluke

Quick Comment: I have to give kudos to this easy to read, quick page turner because at times it seemed like someone had been snooping around in my brain and stealing my thoughts. Its a nice, light, filler book, doesn't leave you scratching your head with deep, philosophical discussions... but may find a hook into those of us that are very private individuals who don't follow the typical mold.

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Jul 25, 2011 Jodi added it

I have two words to summarize this book... Don't Bother!!!

The main character has absolutely no depth whatsoever. She is so self-centered and egocentric that she takes the accidental death of her family as a personal assault on her. According to her, all eyes must be on her, and the only voice heard is hers.
I could not relate to such a child like, immature character. I only finished it to see how it ended, and even that was a disappointment.

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Dec 04, 2010 Tracyj rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pleasant little read. Somewhat predictable. There were some characters I just didn't like (Louisa) and others I don't think were developed well enough to really feel like you knew who they were. I loved the NJ setting - I know this area of the state quite well - and there are few books that take place in this part of NJ, so that setting was nice to read about.

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Dec 27, 2012 Andrea Stegman added it · review of another edition

One of the stupidest books I've ever read. Then again, I bought it for a dollar at a church tag sale, thus once again proving the old saying "You get what you pay for." The blurb for this book on Goodreads isn't even correct, that's how bad it was - perhaps someone thought the description of a different book would be more enticing.

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Sep 06, 2012 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

The description on Goodreads is inaccurate. It must be for a different book!

Diana, age 30, receives life-changing news involving her family. Her friends try to help her come to terms with this news however Diana tries to escape her life (there is also a boyfriend involved) jumps in her car and ends up in Pine Barrens which is a rural corner of New Jersey. Here nobody knows her and she is able to take a hard look at her life and begin to like and love herself again.

There are many quirky characte...more

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May 19, 2011 Christy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is also one of my favorite books. It's about a woman who suffers a tragedy and runs away. She spends time with these quirky, tangled people. There are so mant great moments in this book. It's been a while since I read it but so many moments stand out in my head, even after all this time. Another tear jerker, though.

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Jan 18, 2011 Julieb rated it 4 of 5 stars

A moving story about a young woman who loses her whole family in the blink of an eye--thus ending her life as she knew it. How do you put the pieces back together? Read to find out the unexpected way she copes and reinvents herself, taking a path to a deeper, more meaningful life than previously lived.

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Jul 01, 2012 Kathleen Lynch rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I especially enjoyed learning about the Pine Barrens of NJ. I had no idea of their existence and I am putting it on my list of places to see. I didn't know they had cranberries in NJ. I thought they were specific to MA. Hey, we learn every day. The story was unique also!

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Jun 28, 2010 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I first started reading Cranberry Queen by Kathleen DeMarco, I found myself extremely irritated. It seemed like the writer was all over the place. But about 1/2 way through the book, the main character became less annoying and I really started to relate to the characters. It took me so long to finish this book, but I am so glad that I did. In the end, it was something I really enjoyed.

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Oct 08, 2009 Riley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1999-2003-high-school

My friend impulse bought this book based on the cover, then let me borrow it. I remember being simultaneously underwhelmed (it's a quiet, simple story) and yet also pleasantly surprised (I enjoyed it).

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Oct 10, 2009 Susanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Eh. The author is clearly in the film business. The book reads like a soft rom-com that you'd half watch on a Sunday when there's nothing else to do. Not terrible, but a bit of a time-filler.

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Mar 23, 2008 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: poetic people who enjoy visual and visceral reads

I really loved this book. From the reviews I thought it might be more lightweight, chicklit fare (not that I mind that) but it was quite emotionally complex. This was a book about navigating loss, loneliness and a need for self understanding. I liked that it was not overly melodramatic considering the shocking nature of the tragedy that the main character Diana experienced. I think perhaps some parts were a little too far-fetched for me (ending was slightly trite) but the language and writing st...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book quickly gets you involved in the story and main character's thoughts. It feels real and you just can't help wanting to know how she progresses through her healing.

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Quotes from Cranberry Queen

“This time, there are no tears. This time, there is only emptiness and I feel it set in the straight line of my mouth. I am not strong enough for this. I want an earthquake, a hurricane, anything - even a devil, the one with the cloven hoof - Mrs. Leed's unfortunate 13th child - to rush out and stomp on me, break me into little pieces and hurl me to the stars, let me go back with those people I love. Please.” — 41 people liked it

“That's why an Angelina Jolie is always going to win over a Winona Ryder. Fuckups are more interesting.” — 6 people liked it

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