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Blackberry Winter A Novel Sarah Jio Books

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Blackberry Winter A Novel Sarah Jio Books

You can also read my review of this book and others on my blog - tomesdevotee.blogspot.com/2015/03/blackberry-winter.html
Vera Ray is a devoted single mom trying so hard to eek out a living in the harsh early 30's. Her sweet three year old boy Daniel has to stay home alone while she goes to work at the night-shift. A crazy late snowstorm has hit Seattle and Vera leaves for work in the middle of it. When she returns home her baby boy is gone. And so starts a tragic nightmare for this woman.

Claire Aldridge is drowning in sorrow. Each day is a chore. She and her husband are drifting apart and she can't seem to stop it. When she wakes to a crazy May snowstorm, her job as a reporter for the Seattle Times calls her to duty. Report about this and the previous crazy Blackberry Winter as it's been dubbed. The story takes her on a journey to the past and the mystery of Daniel's disappearance and the tragic story of Vera. The connections to her own life open her eyes and ultimately her heart that she has closed off.

Will Claire be able to put the pieces of her life and marriage back together?

I loved this book, Sarah is truly a master of blending the past and present seamlessly. I so enjoy turning each page wondering as any fan of Jio will, "Ok, where's the connection? Who's it gonna be?" Your heartstrings are tug, sometimes you want to shake the protagonist, but you're never disappointed. Another wonderful story that a highly recommend!


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Blackberry Winter A Novel Sarah Jio Books Reviews

I haven't read anything of Jio's before. Blackberry Winter was a Daily Deal and the description sounded interesting. At worst, I'd be out three dollars. At best, I'd find one of those gems that sneak up on you. Blackberry Winter is definitely a gem.

Blackberry Winter weaves together two different tales of struggles and loss. Vera heads to work one evening and when she leaves there is snow blanketing the ground and her son is gone. Claire's life is in pieces and it takes a snow storm to put her on the path to fixing herself. The stories are beautifully interwoven, constantly pulling at my heart and never giving a moment of rest.

I did figure out early on most of how the characters are connected. I initially thought that knowing the big mystery would take me out of the novel. It didn't at all. I still needed to know how things got from point A to point B and all the little pieces in the middle.

Vera's story had me in tears. The pain she went through is something no mother should ever have to go through. And to have it set in 1933, when times were dire or times were fantastic, all depending on how much money there was to your name. She worked hard to make life as good as she could for her son, and it was so easy to feel the love she had for him.

Claire is going through her own heartache. Her world has been broken to bits and she's not sure how she's supposed to put it back together. When a May snowstorm hits and she comes the story of Vera and Daniel Ray, something in her compels her to dig the truth out. She needs to find out how Vera's story ends and I loved going on that journey with her.

Sarah Jio is an author that hadn't been on my radar before. But after reading Blackberry Winter, I will definitely be reading more of her writings. She wove a breathtaking story through these pages and had me tearing up at the end. This is a book that needs to be read.
Blackberry Winter A Novel is the first book I have read by Sarah Jio and I selected it for my February book group read based upon the wonderful things I have heard about her work.

The novel is set in Seattle and alternates between the years 1933 and 2010. In May of 2010, an unusual snowfall hits Seattle and newspaper journalist Claire Aldridge is assigned the story of writing about a similar snowfall that hit in 1933. Claire struggles with how to make it interesting and stumbles across the story of a three-year-old boy that disappears into that snowstorm and is never heard from again. The reader follows the story of what happened to the boy as well as what is happening to Claire and her husband in current time after a catastrophic event shakes their marriage.

I was intrigued by the premise and very eager to read the novel. I love books that are historical in nature and have intertwining storylines with the present. While the book was readable, it didn't live up to its potential in my opinion. While this had the possibility of being literary fiction, it ended up being a more light, beach-type read with implausible actions taken on the part of the characters that required non-critical thinking to be enjoyed. After I read the book, I looked at the other reviews here on and have to say that the January 31, 2013 review by Maryd523 pretty much nailed it on the head. I didn't feel as strongly about the book (I thought it was fine for what it ended up being) but she articulates so well where the novel fell short. The review does contain spoilers so be careful about reading it until after you have finished the book or it will ruin it for you.

Bottom line Perfectly adequate light read but not the great novel it had the potential to be.
Claire is a reporter for a family owned newspaper in Seattle. She has suffered a tragedy and is just getting back on her feet, but is struggling with her relationship with her husband, whose family owns the paper. She is assigned to cover the late winter storm, dubbed a “blackberry winter”, comparing it to its counterpart storm in the 1930s. Claire feels uninspired until she stumbles upon the story of a missing boy, only three years old. The story flips between Claire and that of single mother, Vera Ray, who is struggling to keep her hotel maid job while taking care of her young son. When he disappears, she is distraught and desperate and takes great risks to find her son. As Claire digs in to find out what happened, clues begin to appear on both sides of history, leading to some startling revelations in both the past and present.
You can also read my review of this book and others on my blog - tomesdevotee.blogspot.com/2015/03/blackberry-winter.html
Vera Ray is a devoted single mom trying so hard to eek out a living in the harsh early 30's. Her sweet three year old boy Daniel has to stay home alone while she goes to work at the night-shift. A crazy late snowstorm has hit Seattle and Vera leaves for work in the middle of it. When she returns home her baby boy is gone. And so starts a tragic nightmare for this woman.

Claire Aldridge is drowning in sorrow. Each day is a chore. She and her husband are drifting apart and she can't seem to stop it. When she wakes to a crazy May snowstorm, her job as a reporter for the Seattle Times calls her to duty. Report about this and the previous crazy Blackberry Winter as it's been dubbed. The story takes her on a journey to the past and the mystery of Daniel's disappearance and the tragic story of Vera. The connections to her own life open her eyes and ultimately her heart that she has closed off.

Will Claire be able to put the pieces of her life and marriage back together?

I loved this book, Sarah is truly a master of blending the past and present seamlessly. I so enjoy turning each page wondering as any fan of Jio will, "Ok, where's the connection? Who's it gonna be?" Your heartstrings are tug, sometimes you want to shake the protagonist, but you're never disappointed. Another wonderful story that a highly recommend!