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Sarah's Bookshelves Live

Ep. 161: Amanda Peters (Author of The Berry Pickers) + Book Recommendations

Sarah's Bookshelves Live

Sarah Dickinson

Bookrecommendations, Bookpodcasts, Sarahsbookshelvespodcast, Sarahsbookshelveslivepodcast, Sarahsbookshelveslive, Bookpodcast, Literarypodcast, Whatshouldiread, Arts, Bookreviewpodcast, Reading, Readingpodcast, Books, Sarahsbookshelves

4.9 • 732 Ratings

🗓️ 7 February 2024

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In Episode 161, author Amanda Peters joins me to discuss her surprise hit novel, The Berry Pickers. This debut novel (which was the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Pick) seamlessly blends sadness and heartwarming moments.  In our chat, Amanda shares what (or who) started her on this journey, the road to publication, and what she hopes readers take away from her first novel.  Plus, Amanda shares some great book recommendations!

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Highlights

  • A brief, spoiler-free overview of The Berry Pickers.
  • How Amanda’s family history shaped the story.
  • Amanda’s journey from book concept to securing an agent and getting published.
  • Recognition as a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick for both November and 2023 overall.
  • How Amanda’s life has changed in the wake of the book’s runaway success.
  • What it’s like to be an introverted author on tour.
  • Amanda’s decision to focus on character journeys rather than presenting the book as a typical mystery.
  • Examining the topic of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
  • The recurring theme of the unconscious mind’s ability to remember trauma.
  • The role of self-forgiveness and how difficult that can be.
  • A glimpse into what’s next for Amanda, including a collection of short stories and a new manuscript.

Amanda’s Book Recommendations [25:28]

Two OLD Books She Loves

Two NEW Books She Loves

One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About

Last 5-Star Book Amanda Read

Other Books Mentioned

About Amanda Peters

Website | Instagram 

Amanda Peters is a writer of Mi’kmaq and settler ancestry. Her debut novel, The Berry Pickers is the Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Fiction, the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discovery Prize Winner, and was shortlisted for the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year and the Atwood Gibson Fiction Award from the Writers Trust of Canada. Her work has also appeared in the Antigonish Review, Grain Magazine, the Alaska Quarterly Review, the Dalhousie Review and Filling Station Magazine. She is the winner of the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for Unpublished Prose and a participant in the 2021 Writers’ Trust Rising Stars program. Amanda is a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts Program at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has a Certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Toronto.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to Sarah's Bookshelves Live.

0:11.9

I'm your host, Sarah Dickinson.

0:13.8

Join me every other week as we get real and sometimes a bit snarky about books and reading.

0:19.3

Sometimes I'm joined by one of my co-hosts, Catherine,

0:22.0

from Gilmer Guide to Books, or Susie from Novel Visits. Other times, I talk with a bookish guest,

0:28.4

including authors and publishing insiders who give us a behind-the-scenes peek into different

0:33.4

corners of the book world. But always, we're bringing you great book recommendations in every

0:39.3

single episode. Let's get rolling. I haven't talked about the berry pickers by Amanda Peters on the

0:45.3

big show until today, but I am so happy to get to tell you about it because I loved this book.

0:51.9

This is a surprise hit debut novel, which somehow manages to be sad and

0:56.8

heartwarming at the same time. The prologue tells us how the story ends, so the details of how we get

1:02.1

there are what propels the story. I loved this structure. This story is about living with regret and

1:07.9

anger, but it's also about learning how to forgive yourself.

1:16.1

It's a quiet family story with gorgeous writing that wormed its way into my heart. So I am thrilled to welcome Amanda Peters, author of The Berry Pickers, to the podcast today. Welcome, Amanda.

1:22.3

Thank you. I'm really happy to be here. Amanda is a writer of MiGMA and Settler Ancestry.

1:29.0

The Barry Pickers is her debut novel,

1:35.9

as I mentioned, and is the 2023 Barnes and Noble Discover Prize winner. It was also shortlisted for the Barnes and Noble book of the year, the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Fiction,

1:40.4

and the Atwood Gibson Fiction Award from the Writers' Trust of Canada. Amanda is the winner of the

1:45.9

2021 Indigenous Voices Award for Unpublished Prose and a participant in the 2021 Writers Trust Rising Stars

1:52.8

program. She's a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program at the Institute of American

1:58.1

Indian Arts in Santa Fe and has a certificate in creative writing from

2:02.1

the University of Toronto. Amanda, for those who haven't had a chance to read the book yet,

...

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