In 1962, a four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl named Ruthie vanishes from a blueberry field in Maine while her family works the harvest. Her brother, Joe, is the last person to see her, and he spends the rest of his life burdened by the weight of her disappearance. The narrative alternates between Joe’s perspective and that of Norma, a young girl raised by a wealthy, secretive family in Maine. Norma grows up plagued by vivid dreams and fragmented memories that do not align with her parents' version of her childhood, eventually leading her to uncover the truth of her own identity and the circumstances of her arrival.
Readers interested in the history of Indigenous displacement and the mechanics of family trauma will find this narrative particularly relevant. It serves those looking for a character-driven study of how secrets erode a person’s sense of self over several decades. One finishes the book with an understanding of how systemic injustices manifest through individual lives and how the biological drive to belong can survive even the most total personal erasure. It is a focused examination of grief, cultural loss, and the persistence of memory.
Inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2023
- Language
- EN
