The Berry Pickers

In the years following Ruthie’s disappearance, Joe looks for her where the family picks berries in Maine. His mother is sure that Ruthie is alive somewhere. Each year, fewer workers return, and eventually, the family stops coming. During their last summer there, Joe is 15. A carnival comes to town. Joe is most excited for the distraction—tired of envisioning finding Ruthie’s bleached bones in the berry fields. At the carnival, his brother Charlie gets into a fight with a man named Archie. Archie and his brothers beat Charlie so badly that he dies of his injuries. The family heads back to Canada, much to the ire of Mr. Ellis. Joe recalls seeing Archie years later, walking along the side of the road after leaving prison. Joe swerved to hit him. He missed, and he isn’t sure if he really meant to kill the man, but he thought that Archie deserved it.

As Norma ages, her mother’s headaches, like Norma’s dreams, grow rarer. They return the year that Norma leaves for college in Boston. Norma enjoys spending time with her friend Janet, but often escapes into books. Reading is her favorite activity, offering distraction from her overbearing mother and the guilt she feels for worrying her.