As many of you know I love to recommend Sarah Jio’s books, especially perfect for summer reads.
Blackberry Winter takes place in Seattle in 1935 and the present with two snowstorms separated by nearly a century on the 2nd May. During the first snowstorm a child is kidnapped and never found although his mother relentlessly searches. Decades later after another storm, a reporter Claire Aldridge awakens to a similar snow and is asked to write a story on the unsolved abduction. She investigates with unexpected family consequences. Claire herself is undergoing a difficult time with the premature death of her child and estrangement of her husband.
There is a gentle mystery with interesting character development and an uplifting resolution of family threads. I enjoyed the historical details and found the lives of the present day families moving. Illustrating the power of hope and dreams, this is a heartfelt and engaging novel, perfect for that lazy summer weekend. Don't miss her newest novel The Last Camellia.
Quotes
Every child deserved a taste of cake, even poor ones.
…just one button remained. At 5 cents apiece, it seemed frivilous to think of replacing the ones that had gone missing.
Seattle seems to have an insatiable appetite for condos and Starbucks
His life was like a tragic novel missing the final chapter, a beautiful one. We’d found it, dusted it off, and now it was time to read it.
Your heart never forgets your mother.
