Blackberry Winter

by Sarah Jio

In 2011, Sarah Jio burst onto the fiction scene with two sensational novels--The Violets of March and The Bungalow. With Blackberry Winter--taking its title from a late-season, cold-weather phenomenon--Jio continues her rich exploration of the ways personal connections can transcend the boundaries of time. 

Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and departs to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May-Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying face-down on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator's.


Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 "blackberry winter" storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways...

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Chick Lit, Book Club, Historical

286 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Sarah Jio is the New York Times bestselling author of WITH LOVE FROM LONDON, coming from Random House (Ballantine) 2/22, as well as seven other novels from Random House and Penguin Books, including, ALWAYS, ALL THE FLOWERS IN PARIS, THE VIOLETS OF MARCH, THE BUNGALOW, BLACKBERRY WINTER, THE LAST CAMELLIA, MORNING GLORY, GOODNIGHT JUNE, and THE LOOK OF LOVE. Sarah is a journalist who has contributed to The New York Times, Glamour, O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, SELF, Real Simple, Fitness, Marie Claire, and many others. She has appeared as a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition. Her novels are translated into more than 25 languages. Sarah lives in Seattle with her husband, three boys, three step-children and two puppies.

Reviews

[Sarah Jio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very special novel to me. I dedicated it to my three young sons, and to mothers everywhere who have lost children. I hope you will enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it! xo

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm - hard to review this book. I liked the story - I read it quickly - and I wanted to know what happened. But the whole thing read to me like a soap opera. The characters all seemed cliched to me, and sort of one note. The dialogue was overblown - people don't really talk like that - especially from the older characters in the book. The actions of the characters didn't always ring true, or seem believable, and sometimes small details didn't track, which was distracting. The whole thing just seemed overly dramatic, and romanticized.
And the main character has suffered a trauma - to which she alludes in the first few pages, this isn't a spoiler - but she dances around it and hints at it for many chapters. Why not just explain what happened? I found that really annoying. In the book, she's our narrator, and we're experiencing her story. It doesn't make sense that we don't get to know what happened to her until we're halfway in. I don't know if it was supposed to be suspenseful, but to me it was frustrating and made it harder for me to understand her POV - it kept me outside of her and her story for a while.
This reminded me a little of The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Actually, my reaction to the writing was similar, but the stories/framework are also kind of similar, too. That was another book that was very well reviewed, which I didn't love. I wasn't sorry I read either of these books, but I found the writing itself to be distracting and a little annoying... which doesn't make for a great reading experience.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a late spring snowstorm (called a blackberry winter) hits Seattle in May 2010, Claire Aldridge - a feature writer for the Seattle Herald - is asked to write a story comparing the whiteout to a similar event that occurred in May 1933.



After researching the historical storm Claire decides to focus her article on Daniel Ray - a three-year-old boy who disppeared during the depression era snowfall.



Daniel's mother, Vera Ray, barely eked out a living as a maid at Seattle's Olympic Hotel.



Unable to take Daniel along when she worked the night shift, Vera was forced to leave the sleeping child at home. On the night of May 1st, snow blanketed the city and - with public transportation out of commission - Vera trudged all the way home in the morning ---- to find Daniel gone.



Distraught, Vera ran through the streets calling for Daniel - and asking pedestrians if they'd seen him - but all she found was the child's teddy bear.



Vera went to the police, but they were dismissive, suggesting that Daniel had run away. (Can you imagine. A three-year-old child?) Poverty-ridden and powerless, Vera had to look for Daniel herself. Things soon went from bad to worse when Vera was evicted from her apartment for inability to pay the rent and lost her job for taking too many days off (looking for Daniel).



A wealthy resident of the Olympic Hotel offered to help Vera, but there were strings attached. (Ick!!)

The book has two alternating story lines: Claire's life in the present and Vera's life in the past.

We learn that Claire and her husband Ethan experienced a tragedy a year ago that put an enormous strain on their relationship. Both spouses are suffering but Claire is completely unable to get past the event, which haunts her. To add to the problem, Claire is annoyed that Ethan - the Seattle Herald's editor-in-chief - goes to restaurants with the newspaper's attractive food critic.....presumably as part of his job.



Claire has also become obsessed with discovering what happened to little Daniel, and her investigation takes her to various parts of the city. All this leads the reporter to spend too much time away from home; become overly friendly with a helpful (and handsome) café owner/barista; neglect an important family event; avoid Ethan's phone calls; and generally behave badly (IMO). It seems like Claire is on track to completely wreck her marriage.

In flashbacks to the past, we find that - before Daniel was born - Vera met a dashing blueblood named Charles, who swept her off her feet.



Charles' family didn't approve of Vera, and predictable consequences ensued. The author paints a clear picture of Vera's destitute lifestyle: threadbare clothing; holes in her shoes; insufficient food; rough neighborhood; libidinous smelly landlord; and so on. It made me angry for Vera, who worked hard to make a home for herself and her son.... but was disrespected by 'rich people' and blown off by the police.

As Claire is researching young Daniel's disappearance she visits the Rays' old Seattle apartment and talks to people who remember the events of 1933.



This leads to a series of serendipitous discoveries - photos, drawings, papers - that eventually reveal what happened to the child. As you might expect, the Claire and Vera story lines converge as the book approaches it climax.

For me this romantic suspense novel is overly contrived. Sarah Jio writes well, and a story about a missing child is always compelling. However, the book has far too many 'happy coincidences' and the fairy tale ending seems more like a Disney movie than real life. Still, fans of 'happily ever after' would probably love this book.

You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down...really pulled at the heartstrings. This is one of my favourite story telling formats. The story goes back and forth in time to present day. In May of 1933, a boy goes missing in a freak snowstorm in Seattle. In present day Seattle there is another freak snowstorm in May. A reporter starts to research the 1933 snow storm and discovers the story about the missing boy. She sets out on a quest to find out what happened to him.

[Kait · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so frustrated with this novel that I often wonder how I had the drive to finish it. As other astute reviewers have noted, this is no more than a lifetime movie put on paper using high school-level writing. Everything was so conveniently positioned in the "uncovering" of her "mystery" from the people she randomly meets- to the secret briefcase in the secret room that conveniently contains the precise papers she needs. (Side rant: this is an infuriatingly feeble attempt at emulating a case file interview). Aside from all the coincidences that are responsible for the plots progression, I have never read the word "said" (ie. "She said," "He said," "I said.") so many times in one story. It's as if she didn't want to waste her time thinking of another word. So where did she spend her time? It certainly wasn't on proofreading her own work. There were so many grammatical and sloppy errors in this book it was actually atrocious. Examples? 1. "Thomas" is said to be younger than Warren (Warren says this himself), this is actually IMPOSSIBLE if "Thomas" was supposed to be Daniel. Daniel was born in 1930. When Daniel went missing in 1933, Warren was just conceived. That would have made Daniel/Thomas 3 YEARS OLDER than Warren. I actually cringed when Claire reflected on this and uttered in amazement, "The dates calculated perfectly." No Sarah, they actually don't. My second example, and my favorite, is on pg. 154. It is a chapter labeled "Vera," making her the first person narrative voice. This must have slipped the author's mind three pages later (when Charles and Vera are in his car): "That came out wrong," he SAID. "I don't mean to imply that she disapproves of you, CLAIRE...." UHHH, I'm sorry but unless Claire conveniently met someone with a time machine and teleported back 80 years to insert herself in that conversation (which is completely possible considering how helpful everyone is in this story), unless that happened, Jio made an outstanding mistake. Although to be fair, I think this entire novel was a mistake. F -

[Vaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Με αφορμή μια χιονισμένη πρωτομαγιά του τώρα και του παρελθόντος, η Κλέρ ανακαλύπτει την εξαφάνιση ενός παιδιού και πασχίζει να ανακαλύψει τι συνέβη.
Μέσω της έρευνας που κανει, αναπροσδιοριζει και η ίδια τη ζωή της και αποδέχεται τις καταστάσεις και πλέον είναι έτοιμη να τις αφήσει στο παρελθόν.
Η ιστορία είναι καλοδουλεμένη, οι χαρακτήρες σωστά δομημένοι και ανεπτυγμένοι και φυσικά έχει το λυτρωτικό τέλος που της αρμόζει.

[Roxanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was abysmal! The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars instead of one is because I actually read to the end - I'll save the 1 star rating for books I don't finish.

Let's start off with what initially attracted me to "Blackberry Winter". I love the cover, and the blurb on the back sounded interesting. I was expecting an intelligent read with everything I've come to expect from that genre that Amazon calls "Literary Fiction". I guess that's why I shouldn't judge a book by its cover!

What else did I like about this book? Not much. I guess I kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened to Daniel Ray, the three year old boy who went missing in 1933. If that was not part of the plot, I probably would have stopped reading after Chapter 7, where we meet Charles, Vera Ray's love interest.

Here's where we get into what I didn't like about this book. (The list is long, so grab a coffee or something!) Charles is so good, he makes me want to puke! At first I thought the author must be yanking my chain. I mean, what young, rich man wants to trade his life with a bus boy during the Great Depression so he can be free? Blech, seriously??? I just did not buy it. And the fact that he fell in love with Vera at first sight? Come on. Why? Was she pretty, or smart? I honestly don't know what her appeal was, except that she was poor and maybe Charles was looking for some variety, but they really didn't have any chemistry. It was basically, "Hi, being rich is overrated, you're poor but cute, let's dance, I love you." For real. If you think I'm exaggerating, pick this book up, flip to chapter seven, and see if you don't gag. I dare you!

I hated, absolutely HATED, all the coincidences and parallel situations between Claire and Vera's lives! This aspect of the book was so overdone, I actually laughed! Out loud!!! Like:

- Vera is poor and working class. Claire is from a working class background.
- Vera's little boy was abducted. Claire lost her baby in a tragic accident.
- Vera falls in love with a rich young man. Claire falls in love with a rich young man.
- Charles gives Vera a sapphire bracelet. Ethan gives Claire a sapphire bracelet.
- Charles's sister is a mega bitch. Ethan's sister is a mega bitch.
- Vera lived in a building where Claire now goes for coffee every day.
- Vera goes for a sandwich at Pike Place Market. And, you got it, Claire goes for the same stinkin' sandwich at the same stinkin' diner! I am not even kidding!

And don't get me started on the blackberry vines!

The whole plot was completely unrealistic. I'm not saying that I have to read books with realistic plots, I've been known to enjoy paranormal books, dystopian books, and even fantasy books where the plot is anything but realistic. But I was expecting that this book would be at least somewhat believable. I'll give you a couple of examples of what I'm talking about:

- Claire gets hit by a car and her unborn child is killed. Believable, yes, it could happen. What I didn't believe is that nobody went after the driver of the car. Seriously? If that happened to me, I'd be after retribution, big time!
- Everybody that Claire interviews about her story is so freakin' nice! Like the elderly lady who invites her over to her million dollar home to snoop around. "Oh, you didn't find anything? Here, dear, let me show you into the top secret compartment! Oh, you want my father's briefcase that he brought to work everyday and probably has extreme sentimental value for me? Okay, just make sure you bring it back, dear." Give me a break!

Argh, just thinking about it pisses me off! I could go on and on about the crap in this book, but to wrap it up, let me just say that if you want a book where you're beat over the head with impossibilities every page, go for it. If not, stay far, far away!

[Kelly Roll · Rating 2 out of 5]

While other readers will probably enjoy the story it just wasn't my cup of tea. I felt that the characters were somewhat one dimensional and I felt no rapport with any of them. I think if more back story had been given I might have been more intrigued. In some instances I felt that the characters reactions where unrealistic. One case in point is that Vera is willing to sleep with a gentleman of ill repute but with a certain amount of influence as she hopes he will help her find her son. However, after a very brief meeting with the father of her son she is unwilling to press her case and have him help her find the boy.While she may have been afraid of ruining his life by telling Charles that the boy was his she could have avoided doing so but still prevailed upon his kindness and their past association. In all likelihood he would have helped her.
I had actually assumed that her lover was dead as the author emphasized how in love he was with Vera and yet he made no attempt to find her or persuade her to stay with him in spite of their differences after Vera tells him she must leave him.
Finally I also felt that clues were presented far too conveniently, drawings and pictures cropped up with seemingly no effort, one individual just happens to know someone who turns out to be the childhood friend of the kidnapped boy, Claire just happens to go to the coffee shop that was the former residence of Vera etc.

[elaynne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Borrowed from the Pikes Peak Library District

I can NOT remember what compelled me to borrow this book - not just borrow it but I wait-listed it. All I can say is UGH.

I need to stop reading books that I know are NOT in my favorite genres. This is one. Pathetic and predictable. I read some reviews that marveled at the "twist ending" but I saw it coming a mile away.

The main character and her husband are falling apart from each other in a landslide kind of way. She lost her baby while jogging when she was EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT because she was hit by a car. Really? Just REALLY? Anyway, she harbors a lot of guilt about it (damn straight) and pushes her husband toward his former girlfriend while all the while, she's accepting comfort from another man who is interested in her EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS SHE'S MARRIED!

While all of this is going on, as a reporter, she's trying to get to the bottom of a story about a child who went missing decades earlier when a major snow storm hit Seattle in May. Another similar snowstorm recently hit and her boss (who happens to work for her HUSBAND, who is the BIG boss of the newspaper), wants her to find a story that can tie the two storms together. The missing child angle is intriguing and probably the only redeeming storyline in the book.

Anyway, as you can tell, I didn't really like the book. I wouldn't recommend it unless you had absolutely nothing else to read and were desperate. Even then, I'd hedge.

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story intricately weaves the events surrounding the disappearance of a 3-year old boy (Daniel Ray) in 1933 with a journalist's (Claire Aldridge) search for answers in present day. There's a somewhat mystical element in how seemingly unrelated situations converge to help unravel the mystery. The transitions were done skillfully, using Claire's journey as a means for her to confront and face her own paralyzing grief.

I really enjoyed how the story was presented as much as the actual tale. The realities of the divide between the wealthy and poor during the Depression era was realistic and enlightening. It's an interesting story with other very strong themes that give it weight.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vera Ray works hard and long hours at her hotel cleaning job in Seattle, but working comes at a cost when she is forced to leave her three year old son, Daniel at home alone. One morning she returns home after a tiring shift to find, Daniel's bed empty. Frantically, Vera searches everywhere for Daniel, but it seems he can't be found anywhere. Has Daniel wandered off or has someone taken him?

Claire is a newsreporter who has a troubled marriage and a past that still haunts her. A strange snowstorm hits Seattle and Claire is assigned to write a story on a similar storm that hit Seattle in the 1930's. Whilst investigating the story, Claire comes across the unsolved case of Vera and her missing son. Claire starts to dedicate a lot of her time to this case in the hope of finding out what really happened to, Daniel. But it seems, Claire may have more in common with this case than she ever imagined.

I really enjoyed this book. This is the first book I've read by Sarah Jio and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books. A captivating story about love and loss. Highly recommended.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the style of writing very much, the story was well thought out although I guessed what happened right after the kidnap. But I didn't appreciate the sentimentality and the moral lessons.

[Burçak Kılıç Sultanoğlu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kalbe dokunan yürek burkan bir hikayeydi.
Tamam tahmin edilebilir bir olay ama duygular insanı çok etkiliyor. Ben çok beğendim.

[Skip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, evocative writing by Sarah Jio, who weaves together two stories, with a freak Seattle snowstorm in May as the tying element. In 1933, single mom Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and goes to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She returns home to find her son missing. In 2010, Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, is assigned to write about the current storm and learns of the prior storm and the unsolved abduction. Claire doggedly pursues the story despite the potential personal loss it may entail.

Jio manages to alternate chapters seamlessly between Vera Ray in 1933 and Claire Aldridge in 2010, portraying each time period quite well, but linking the stories in several ways, not just the two stories of love between a wealthy Seattle man and a woman from lesser means.

[Kerova Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm not crying you are

[Rumelia Nikolaeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ Истинският приятел не е този, който застава до теб, когато преживяваш труден период… Това може да го направи всеки. Истинско приятелство, твърди тя е, когато някой може да оцени щастието ти, да го съпреживее с теб. При това не е задължително той самият да е щастлив.”

“ – Предполагам, че не е толкова спомен, колкото чувство… Инстинкт. Сърцето никога не забравя майката.”

“ Никой не говореше за миналото. Всичко беше внимателно обвито в мъгла, докато в един момент изскочи на повърхността. Така стоят нещата с тайните. Те винаги намират начин да излязат наяве. Дори това да им отнеме цял един човешки живот.”

[Kayla Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from a first reads giveaway here on goodreads!

I was so excited when I found out I won a copy of this book through the first reads program here on goodreads! I was even more excited once I started reading this book and got swept up in the amazing mystery! This book was an amazing read that did not disappoint.

This book alternates between two points of view: Vera in the 1930's and Claire in present day Seattle. Sarah Jio is an excellent storyteller - she weaves together two different stories effortlessly. I loved switching points of view and putting the pieces together; watching the stories connect as each chapter progressed.

Vera's story was absolutely heartbreaking - my poor heart seriously ached for her. I could not imagine ever having to go through such an awful ordeal. Claire, our present day narrator: a journalist who is told to write a story about the recent snow storm in May or the "blackberry winter", is also going through her own tragedy and my heart ached for her as well. I loved watching Claire unravel Vera's mystery and help heal her heart by solving Vera's own heartbreak.

I don't want to give too much away because I always find books better when there's surprises at every corner. Let me just say, this book is no ordinary mystery. This is a great story for mothers who enjoy mysteries, although I would recommend it to anyone. It's heartbreaking though, so you might need some tissues on hand!

[Noella · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1933 woedt er een sneeuwstorm in mei, de dagen van de ijsheiligen. Vera, een jonge alleenstaande moeder, moet een nachtdienst werken in een hotel, en is gedwongen om haar driejarig zoontje die nacht alleen te laten. Wanneer ze 's morgens thuiskomt, is het kind verdwenen, en ze vindt zijn beertje in de sneeuw. Omdat ze een van de zovele armen is, maakt de politie niet veel werk van de zaak, en zegt dat de kleine weggelopen is en wel weer zal opduiken als hij honger krijgt.
Maar de kleine Daniel blijft spoorloos.

Tachtig jaar later, Claire en Ethan maken een huwelijkscrisis door. Een jaar geleden, is de acht maanden zwangere Claire, na een ongeluk, haar kindje verloren. Ze kan dit maar niet verwerken, en blijkbaar verwerkt haar man dit op zijn eigen manier, door zich op zijn werk te storten en veel tijd door te brengen met een ex-vriendin.
Claire is journaliste, en als er na al tijd weer een sneeuwstorm in mei voorkomt, wordt haar gevraagd hierover een artikel te schrijven. Tijdens haar research stuit ze op het verhaal van Daniel en Vera. Ze is vastbesloten uit te vinden wat er met het jongetje gebeurd is.

Ik vond dit een zeer aangrijpend en pakkend verhaal, waarin ik me helemaal liet meeslepen. Misschien wat te voorspelbaar voor sommigen, maar dat vond ik helemaal niet erg. Alhoewel het voor de aandachtige lezer reeds snel duidelijk wordt wat Daniel overkomen is, is het toch interessant om verder te lezen, om al de details en de twists in het verhaal te weten te komen. En om te ontdekken hoe alles uiteindelijk op zijn pootjes terechtkomt.

Een aanrader voor liefhebbers van het genre.

[Van Krishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm grateful to goodreads, for without it, I don't think I would have discovered this masterpiece. You know how sometimes you find a title so intriguing that you can't help but read the synopsis (even if it's not in your favorite genre) and out of no where, you find yourself reading the book? Wondering if the book would deliver on it's premise because you've done this before...you've tried to assuage your curiosity and you were let down? But when it does deliver, you never look at the genre the same way again...never look at life the same way again? Well, this is one of those novels. :)

Being a guy, in his mid-twenties, I didn't think I could relate to this novel as much as say, a mother would, but I was wrong. Sarah laid out so much depth and emotion in both Vera Ray's and Claire Aldridge's characters that it's almost impossible to look at it from an outsider's perspective. You feel their pain.

Now, there weren't a lot of laugh-out-loud moments (I love humor) and the plot was slightly predictable at times. Having said that, I'm inclined to believe that it was more of a conscious decision, considering the complexity of the plot (altering view points and the generation gap).

Bottom line? Great read! Would definitely recommend it.

[Danito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Историята ми поддържаше интересна до самият финал. Обстановката и усещането за безнадеждност и тягостно, в историята на героините, беше добре поднесена. Съчувствах на Вера и аз като родител осъзнавах страха и болката ѝ, която изпита. Харесах Клеър също много, как се затвори в себе си и в същото време се бореше да разбули една тайна, скрита вече 80 години. Линията с личната ѝ трагедия и рушащият се брак с Итън също ми поддържаше интереса и създаваше друг вид напрежение. Много се надявах някои неща да се случат за Клеър и Сара Джио ми даде тази емоция (Йейй), това ми наклони звездите за 5*
Книгата я слушах в сторител, а Христина Ибришимова ми скри шапката със своето четене. Актрисата я четеше така , все едно тя го преживя.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackberry Winter was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Penguin Group (USA).

Two stories with years separating them are more intertwined than one might think…

May 1, 1933...
Vera Ray works the nightshift as a maid at a hotel in Seattle. A snow storm has blown in during the night; strange with how late in the year it is. When she kisses her three year old son Daniel goodbye she doesn't know that when she returns he won't be there waiting for her.

'Two snowstorms, sharing one calendar date, separated by nearly a century...'

May 2, 2010...
Claire wakes to find snow is falling in Seattle. Snow this late in the year is known as a Blackberry Winter and it rarely happens, but this happened once before many, many years ago.

Vera's story was one of immense sorrow: the loss of her only child. The obvious pain she suffers as a result was vivid and heartbreaking. The story switches back and forth between past and present but I was most intrigued by this back story, the mystery surrounding it, and how we’re slowly given bits and pieces of the puzzle. The mystery itself may have been a bit coincidental at times but didn't end up diminishing my overall (positive) opinion. Claire is also living her own heartbreak as her relationship with her husband is crumbling and she doesn’t have any idea where to start to fix it. It was hard accepting Claire’s reluctance to work at her relationship at first until you find out the bigger picture regarding why their relationship started to crumble in the first place.

A definite page-turner and one that I enjoyed immensely. Blackberry Winter is a heartwarming story that at first glance appears to be hidden under a mountain of sadness with no hope in sight. As the story continues, the two stories slowly start coming together, questions become answered, and realization dawns at the immensity of what occurred so many years ago.

[Annie-Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blackberry Winter was recommended to me. I tried Sarah Jio's first book, and didn't care for her writing, but thought I'd give her another try. It was a quick read, and I finished it, which pretty good for how little I actually enjoyed it.

This is a mystery with very little mystery. Every clue or new piece of information seemed to be such a coincidence, but each "twist" and "turn" was really predictable. The characters the protagonist meets are too convenient to helping her in her story - she jumps from one realization to the next without actually really having to work or think. She just gets referred from one person to the next until all is revealed to her. The book is based on a series of coincidences and a lot of luck. Without either, the protagonist would have been spinning in circles, likely crying.

When she tried to create a scene that was light-hearted, or funny, (which is the role the protagonist's best friend was supposed to play) it came off as cheesy, clunky, and unnatural.

The cliche critique of the wealthy and entire theme of the book being poor vs. rich also got old. There are plenty of well-written books about the plight of the poor that don't spell it out so obviously and simply, citing each time a person with any money does something terrible, or would do something terrible, and contrasting it with a person with little means doing something wonderful or having a good heart. It's as if the author believes the reader is too stupid to pick up on what she is trying to say. Conveying the same point of view is very possible without the dozens of examples of this stereotype sprinkled in each chapter of this book.

The book's only saving grace was that it read quickly. If it was slow-moving, I would never have made it all the way through.

[Noeleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackberry Winter has a little bit of everything, historical fiction, mystery and romance. The story is told from two different time periods, that of a young single mother Vera and her son Daniel in Seattle in 1933 during the Great Depression and Claire Aldridge, a reporter in Seattle in 2010. The ‘blackberry winter’ which occurred in both 1933 and 2010 leads Claire to uncover the story of Daniel’s disappearance when he was three years old.

This is a quick and easy read. The prose is light and engaging and the plot is one which sucks you in right from the beginning with some twists along the way that I didn’t expect. There were some coincidences in the book which I felt were a little convenient and far-fetched but they didn’t alter my enjoyment of the overall story in any way. I enjoyed the story immensely and could forgive these slight flukes. The format of the book, which alternates between the two time periods is one which I really enjoy in books and it worked particularly well for this book. With this format, I find many times that I enjoy one era of the story over the other, but on this occasion I was interested in both Vera and Claire’s stories equally. It was a very sad book at times with both characters trying to deal with their personal grief after the loss of a child.

This is my first time to read a book by Sarah Jio and I will definitely read more of her novels. I really enjoyed this book and the story kept me interested throughout. If you are looking for a book whereby you can just curl up for a few hours and totally get lost in the story, Blackberry Winter is ideal and I would recommend it.

[Britany · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a quick read!! I became immersed in this book, and finished within a few days. I actually finished reading during lunch at work one day and had to try to control my emotions over frozen ravioli!

Vera Ray is struggling as a single mother to doe eyed baby Daniel. It's the 1930s and she goes to work one snowy night in May leaving Daniel home asleep in his bed, only to come home and find him missing. What happened to Daniel?

Present day- the city of Seattle is having another Blackberry Winter a late season snowstorm, and Claire Aldridge is coming off her own tragedy. Throwing herself into her job- a reporter for the local newspaper- her boss gives her a story of finding Daniel Ray. The two stories alternate back and forth until they finally converge into one. For some reason, I didn't guess the ending and found it wonderfully satisfying. This was exactly what I needed right now. Perfect time for a wonderful book.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 4-4.5/5.

Feel like some questions remained unanswered & the mystery part could've been executed better in my opinion. But it's a very emotional book & Ms Jio pulled this off very well, even made me cry at the end.

[Sena Nur Işık · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gözyaşlarımı tutamadığım, sonunda burnumu çeke çeke bitirdiğim bir kitap oldu. Tavsiye ederim

[Raquel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story, although it tied up a bit too neatly/preciously at the end and the ending seemed quite rushed. (Deadline?) I enjoyed the parallel narratives of the two women and liked the slow unfolding of the mystery and the revelation of how the two women's lives intertwined. I can't give it a higher rating though because the quality of the writing is not great. Phrases along the lines of, "Love oozed from their every fingertip" are pretty bad.

Some of the characters seemed a little flat. Certain coincidences seemed a little too handy. And the long, drawn-out allusion to Claire's tragedy was unnecessary. I guessed almost immediately what had happened to her to cause her such pain and to stress her marriage, so continually alluding to it and drawing it out as a "mystery" instead of just stating from the start was more annoying than enticing. Knowing right away rather than dragging it out would have helped me relate to and like Claire immediately. Instead, I was like, just freakin' tell us what it is already. Her husband's character was absolutely flat. I felt nothing about him at all and wish I could have understood him better. He was painted as so distant and unpleasant I couldn't imagine why they'd bothered marrying in the first place, as she tells us so little about why they fell in love and married. Would have enjoyed more back story to make him more real.

Not a bad way to whittle away a few hours. Entertaining but fluffy; mediocre.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 What a heartfelt, poignant and bittersweet story. My favorite of hers so far, it is a combination of so many things, a mystery, characters trying to overcome a terrible grief and the horrible times after the great depression. Taking place in 1930 and in 2010 the story lines are related by the horrible and terrifying loss of children. A rather simple, quiet story told in a very relateable manner, the characters tug on your heart strings and although the ending is a bit pat it is fitting in this story and actually went well with the tone and atmosphere. Look forward to Jio's next book.

[Anastasiia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️
Пишу відгук з червоними очима від сліз.
Посвята — вже читаючи її розумієш що буде тяжко далі.
«І всім на землі на матерям, особливо тим, кому довелося сказати своєму дитяті «прощавай»».
Історія розповідає нам про двох жінок, які жили в різні роки в Сіетлі.
Віра (1930-ті роки) - дівчина з бідної родини, яка закохується в заможного хлопця Чарльза. Вагітніє від нього, але родина хлопця не може погодити їх союз, тому вона не кажучи Чарльзу, що вагітна, тікає від нього. (Чому він за нею не пішов? :(). Але все змінюється, коли в 1933 році її маленький хлопчик Деніел зникає. Віра дуже сильна жінка, вона сповнена надії, самопожертви та готова зробити все, щоб повернути свого хлопчика

Клер — журналістка, яка вже в 2011 році має написати статтю про таку ж хуртовину, яка відбулася майже 80 років тому у травні. Вона знаходить історію про зникнення Деніела та починає своє розслідування. Але Клер також пройшло через втрату дитини, вона досі проживає горе (воно назавжди залишається з тобою), проблеми у стосунках з чоловіком.

На перший погляд, вони зовсім ніяк не пов'язані, окрім статті, які пише Клер, але вони прожили однаковий досвід і навіть більше...
Так, в книзі багато "фантастичних" збігів та якоїсь вдачі, але для мене це зовсім не зіпсувало книгу. Мені також не вистачило більш ґрунтового розв'язання проблем Клер з її чоловіком.
Але, я була занурена в історії цих жінок, відчувала біль, плакала, сподівалася разом з ними, любила, втрачала та прощала.

Історія про ожинові пагони 💔

[Viktoriia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Неймовірна історія💔