Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.

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nominator: Tammie
official page count: 307

Chapter Breakdown

Date		Chapters 		MPDQs
16 Jun. 	One - Three. 		Denise - CNT 
17 June. 	Four - Seven. 		Lisa AG - Sky
18 Jun. 	Eight - Ten. 		Cat/Kaley - Liz
19 Jun. 	Eleven - Thirteen. 	Catherine - Burj 
20 Jun. 	Fourteen - Seventeen. 	Eldarwen - Lotus

Guidance for DQ setters
Aim for a reasonable number of questions: 4 - 5 is typical. Please don't post too many - any more than 7 gets unwieldy!
Use consecutive numbering of the DQs for your days. So, for example, if Day One is posted as questions 1-4, Day Two should start at number 5 etc.
Don't worry too much about your questions: you aren't being tested on how clever your questions are!
Hints and tips:
- Is there a quote that jumped out at you? Use that in a question.
- What about the characters - do they generate strong feelings? No feelings? - either way, we can explore that!
- What about that plot twist?!
- Explore the writing style: is there an unusual structure being used? what's the tone of voice like? or the point of view?

Want more information about how NBRC runs their Book of the Month discussions? Check out the information here

Volunteers

Nominator: Tammie (??CNT??)

Teddie (ESB)
E (Lotus)
Aiswrya (Pisa)
Jenny (ESB backup)
Fiona (3P)
Erin PBH (Belem)
Cat (Liz)
Lisa AG (Sky)
Amanda (Eiffel)
Carrie (ESB backup)
Lexi (Belem backup)
Angie (ESB backup)
Judith (Belem backup)
Preeti (sky backup)
Logan (Lotus backup)
Rina (Liz backup)
Catherine (Burj)
Christina OoA
Denise (CNT backup)
Melanie Joy (Icono)
Kaley (Liz backup)
Christina (Ooa) extra entry
Angie ESB extra entry
Judith Belem extra entry
Ashley (pisa backup)

List Randomizer
There were 14 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Sky
Liz
Burj
Lotus
Belem
Esb
Eiffel
Esb extra
Icono
Pisa
Ooa extra
3p
Ooa
Belem extra

Timestamp: 2025-06-14 11:14:48 UTC

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I'm up for DQs! (Team ESB)

I'm in for this one, volunteering for DQs as well.

(Team Lotus Tower)

Volunteering for DQs (Pisa)

Me too! (Team ESB)

Volunteering for DQs - Team Three Pagodas

Volunteering for DQ's for Team Belém Tower

volunteering for Team Liz

Volunteering for team Sky Tower

Volunteering for DQs from Eiffel Tower!

Volunteering for DQ's for Team Empire State!

Volunteering for DQ's for Team Belém Tower

Volunteering a for DQs ~ (Team ESB, backup)

Another back up for Team Belem

Volunteering for Team Sky Tower (backup)!

Volunteering for DQs - (backup for Team Lotus Tower)

Volunteering for DQs as backup for Elizabeth Tower

I can be another Belem backup.

Volunteering as backup for Eiffel

Volunteering for Team Burj Khalifa

Volunteering for backup Three Pagodas

Volunteering for OoA :)

I’ll be another backup for Elizabeth Tower.

Volunteering for back up for Pisa! :)

I would like to use an extra entry please! (Belem)

I would like to use an extra entry for ESB, please.

Volunteering for DQs from Icono Tower!

I'll also use one of my tokens please :) (OoA)

Backup for team CNT

Volunteering for Team Burj Khalifa

Confirming Tammie is on team CNT.

If it's acceptable, Denise a fellow teamie would like to write the DQs in my place as she hasn't done it before. Let us know if this is OK. Prefer day 1.

thanks

Tammie & Denise,

That’s perfectly fine as she’s also volunteered to write DQs in a post above.

You can always trade amongst members of your team as long as they volunteered to do so before the DQs are assigned.

DQs have been allocated.
Apols for poor formatting - forgot I was going to be without laptop this weekend, will tidy up on Monday
Also apols for no name, same reason with added laziness! We are all adults and seasoned pros at this, so mentally insert the first volunteer named, or whoever (named) you are switching with.

Enjoy!

Haha no worries, we can figure it out :-)

Lotus day is good for me!

Looking forward to reading this one! My Libby loan is due back on the 18th, so I'll have it done early.

All good for me (Sky) Day 2 !

Day 1: ready to go.

DQs for day 1

Some of these questions will lead to possible spoilers. Please be sure to hide any spoilers

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book?
2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are?
3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq?
4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow?
5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings?
6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad?

Denise
2029 books | 4 friends
see comment historyDQs for day 1

Some of these questions will lead to possible spoilers. Please be sure to hide any spoilers

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book?

No expectations at all before picking up the book. I'm only reading it because its a BOM. But now that I've started and realise what it's about, I'm sure its going to be an uncomfortable read.
2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are?

It's based on their memories, so I'm sure although they think it is a truthful representation there will be some inconsistencies and recollection of events from their POV. This is not always "the truth".

3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq?

He is picking up on the inherent racism of the time sadly from a young age.

4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow?

I guess the dreams are her sub conscious trying to break through remembering her former life.

5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings?

She's paranoid because she knows "Norma" isn't hers by biology and probably had arranged for her to be snatched. So she doesn't want it happening to her. She seems to have mental health issues from her losses, so she is trying to keep "Norma" a little girl.

6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad?

Not sure, maybe because he was trying to reassure his mother he wouldn't leave her. Or because of the events of the guide. The not so subtle racism .

DQs for day 1

Some of these questions will lead to possible spoilers. Please be sure to hide any spoilers

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book?
I expected it to be an interesting story and from the description it looked like it was similar to The White Girl, which I liked a lot.
2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are?
I think both are unreliable. Memories from childhood are often distorted and they may both have understood things completely wrong. On top of that, it is difficult to understand your own motives or tell your deep nasty secrets
3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq?
Joe understands at a very young age that other (white people) think in stereotypes about him and his people. On top of that these stereotypes are not positive
4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow?
Norma does not remember on conscious level. But part of her memories are still with her and she dreams of them. I think it foreshadows the moment she will remember where she lived before
5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings?
Lenore is afraid someone might see and recognize Norma. And maybe she is afraid someone else might do what she probably did. As to the dolls, I think it is her way to keep her daughter close with her, remembering her lost child. She has definitively a problem with Norma growing up
6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad?
Joe didn’t like the way the white men didn’t do anything and his dad didn’t get any credit. Also he was upset because of what happened with the camera, maybe afraid of his dadS real reaction. And most of all, he might have found it difficult to see how his dad behaved like he was a bit of an idiot to give the men the stereotype of an Indian

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book?
I expected to learn some geographical history of the area, which is true, and that definitely Norma is Ruthie
2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are?
I don't think either of them is reliable as so far it is memory based and memories can be distorted. In Norma's case the memories are confounded by the lies she's being told making it even harder to separate fact from fiction. They are not being intentionally unreliable however, they are telling the truth as they see it.
3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq?
He recognizes that the Mi'kmaq are considered inferior but are also generally misunderstood as a group and culture
4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow?
I think we are definitely foreshadowing the truth of Norma's past. This wasn't known in 1962, but today we know that dreams are very likely a combination of the consolidation of memories, and some problem solving. Images flash through our minds at night and our brain weaves them into what we call dreams. So she likely has flashbacks all day, maybe subconsciously, and at night her brain is trying to make sense of the flashbacks, which further adds to her unreliability.
5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings?
It appears that Norma attends school and has been seen in public as she is referred to as "Lenore's odd girl" so I don't think there is a fear of being discovered. People in the town know she has a darker skinned child (passed off as Italian). But perhaps her loss of several children does give Lenore a fear of losing Norma, maybe she even ruminates a list of ways it could happen (various accidents or kidnapping). I think the doll issue is projecting. Norma arrived at 4 years old and combined with the previous losses, Lenore never got to hold and nurture a BABY. That is her fervent desire and she casts that onto Norma, not being able to imagine why she wouldn't want to play baby doll all the time. At that time it would be wildly inappropriate to play with the baby herself (though today there are custom made baby dolls that adults CAN nurture) so watching Norma gives her a chance to vicariously nurture a "baby"
6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad?
I think he was devastated that the guide job gave him a view of his dad he didn't expect. He's horrified that his dad plays into the stereotypes for the entertainment of the Americans (pretending to not know English for example) and also at the dishonesty his dad shows in charging for everything. the first thing his dad shows him is how to be dishonest in his dealings by tramping down the "path". In some ways I think he "lost" his dad and wants to return to his youth before he learned the truth of what goes on during the "scout" missions he so desperately wanted to be a part of

DQs for day 1: Chapters One - Three

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book?

No expectations.

2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are?

I don't think they are unreliable, though obviously Norma's memories of her early life have been warped.

3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq?

It shows the othering of the Mi'kmaq by white people as being the norm.

4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow?

I don't think the dreams foreshadow anything, so much as will lead to discovery of the truth

5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings?

She is desperate for a child, but only on her terms, and probably thinks that letting Norma play with other toys will jog memories or take her away from her view of the ideal child

6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad?

He started to see his dad as not having the power, and despite playing the game of being a "real Indian" he saw that he could still be at risk from racism

DQs for day 1

Some of these questions will lead to possible spoilers. Please be sure to hide any spoilers

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book? It seems from the blurb to be about such a serious subject that I think parts might upset me.

2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are? As reliable as memories are - so probably mostly truth, and not intentionally misleading.

3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq? I think it's sad, and I can't help but wonder if similar things happen now with migrant field laborers. I have no idea, but... I wonder. Then I wonder if I SHOULD have some idea.

4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow? I think her dreams are memories.

5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings? I think the first is guilt and worry about getting caught - and the second is that she really doesn't want Norma to grow up.

6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad? I'm not positive, but I think the reality of racism and fear is getting to him. His family has been broken and help isn't available.

DQs for day 1

Some of these questions will lead to possible spoilers. Please be sure to hide any spoilers

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book?

It's not really a book that I would pick up on my own (doesn't sound interesting enough) so my expectations aren't that high.

2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are?

I have no reason to believe that they are unreliable at this point.

3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq?

I'm not sure that particular quote establishes that. But do think he learned early on the stereotypes of his people.

4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow?

I'm not sure they are foreshadowing, but are memories that were repressed.

5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings?

I think losing the babies plays into Lenore's paranoia. And maybe also fear that Norma will be taken away (probably like I'm sure she did to get her). I think she makes her play with dolls because she wants to keep her a baby.

6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad?

I think because of the experience out in the woods with the white men. It's one thing knowing stereotypes and racism, another to actually feel it and see what his father had to do.

DAY 2 QUESTIONS - CHAPTERS 4-7

7. "But sometimes I think that sadness drilled down deep and some of it might just be there for good"
"now get lost and leave me to my book."
"There was love in that house but none of us really knew what to do with it."
In chapter four we learn more about Norma's parents and life in their house as she grew up. Does learning about Lenore's past make you more sympathetic to her? And how about their parenting style, I can't imagine ever telling my children or grandchildren "to get lost" because I wanted to read a book. (Ok, I'm sure all parents might have thought it at times, but saying it to a child is a definite no no in my book!)

8. In juxtaposition to Frank, Lenore and Norma, we have alternating chapters about family life from Joe's POV. Thoughts and why does the author structure the novel this way?

9. Chapter 5 - the horrible incident with Frankie and Charlie. How did you feel reading about this injustice? Could anything been done to avert this tragedy? How does Amanda Peters' writing the scene add to the heartbreak?

10. What you think of Aunty June and her role in the story? Why does she encourage Norma to interact with the Indian protesters only to pull her back when she is recognized as Ruthie?

11. Joe seems to be a tragic figure as the story of his life is revealed. How he has responded to racism and trauma make you feel when reading this book? Are you enjoying the story or does it make for uncomfortable reading?

DQs for day 1

Some of these questions will lead to possible spoilers. Please be sure to hide any spoilers

1. What expectations do you have for the book based on the blurb or other description of the book?
The blurb tells of a girl disappearing in Maine and another girl trying to find answers to the mysteries in her life. It seems obvious that they will turn out to be one and the same. The story will fill in the blanks.

2. How reliable do you the think the 2 narrators are?
They are young children, so they will not remember everything clearly and those memories will be affected by things they learn over time, what they connect those memories to and how those key things bring the memories into focus as they age.

3. Chapter 1 opens with " The day Ruthie went missing the black flies seemed to be especially hungry...Indians made such good berry pickers...something sour in our blood kept the black flies away". How does this establish Joe's view of the relationship that exists between the whites and the Mi'kmaq?
He's beginning to see racism and learning that everything told to him is not the truth and that truth varies depending on who is telling it.

4. How much is Norma dreaming vs remembering? What do you think the dreams foreshadow?
Not sure that they are foreshadowing anything. I think they are blurs of memories and probably some waking events and things she has been told. I know my dreams are not always memories but a consolidation of daily thoughts and images, mixed with things that have happened and things that can likely follow in the scenario. I read a lot and find what I read mixed in to what I dream also.

5. How do you explain Lenore's paranoia about Norma being out alone? How do you account for the incongruity of her insistence that Norma likes to play with baby dolls when she sees Norma choosing other playthings?
I don't think it is entirely because of the fear Norma will be stolen but also the fear that Norma will want to leave out of curiosity or to be with other children. The dolls are to keep Norma a baby. She did not have a baby live and go through a normal growth and separation process. She is fixated on having a baby and doesn't accept any change beyond that..

6. Why did Joe act so clingy when he returned from his first "guide" with his dad?
He no longer sees his father as his hero and his disillusionment makes him cling to his mother whom he still sees as a hero figure.