Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

I received a copy of Blackberry Winter in exchange for an honest review. This book is a 5 star – a must-read. That’s all I have to say……Okay, not really, of course. But wow, what a book! I actually got up out of bed one night because I couldn’t sleep without knowing what would happen. That does not happen often. The story switches back and forth between 1933 and present day, set in Seattle, and both during a blackberry winter. In 1933, Vera Ray’s three year old son Daniel disappears one night while she is working the nightshift. Vera makes it her mission to get her heart back. In present day,  reporter Claire Hanson gets assigned to write a story about the blackberry winter – a late-season snow storm. Her research takes her to the story of Vera Ray and her son Daniel, and Claire soon becomes obsessed with finding how her story ended. What happened to Vera? Was Daniel ever found?

Like I said, you must read this book. I had goosebumps almost the entire way through, and the way the writing flowed with such ease yet intensity makes this a top read of 2012, hands down. The ending left me breathless, in tears, and wanting to literally jump into the book and be with the characters and this inspiring tale. I can keep raving about this book all day, but I’m too afraid I’ll give even the slightest detail away, and I would hate doing that. Read this!

[Rating: 5]