I’ve had a few requests for outfits for tennis, pickleball, and golf this spring and summer season. I have some thoughts on this. Above: wearing a Rhone skort (go a size up in this) and Alp N Rock jacket, two brands that are both functional and ultra-chic. I’m in love with the contrast stripe ribbed cuffs on the jacket — throwback and chic! Below, some other great finds —
I specifically wanted to call out this adorable Byrdie golf dress, which has shorts beneath in a cute contrasting print. The dress is SO comfortable and cute. I would wear this off the course!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
By: Jen Shoop
The first time they wheeled my daughter out of my hospital room, I was terrified and a little relieved and ashamed to be a little relieved. With my son, the same. Maybe I was better at parting ways with him, knowing as second-time mothers do how hungry little children are for your attention and care; how thin-on-the-ground alone time is. I trusted, even as he left, that I had many long days of lying with him in my bed in our cramped Central Park West apartment, during which I could study his perfect features and whisper ancient promises to him and rock him back and forth, mine and only mine.
But those hospital separations did something to me. They are the dawnbreak thoughts that rise when I think of — when I hear the words — goodbye. Firefly memories that tap on and off, automatically, usually without my thinking much about them. Someone could call out “goodbye, Jen!” across a playground and that moment in the hospital flashes before me, and it disappears before I can even blink.
The other day, I realized something: those goodbye memories are more origin stories than anything–and not solely theirs. The babies were out of my body, and out of my room, and I was adjusting to my new life as a separate entity, forever changed from my former self–from even the self who had delivered them and held them to my chest just hours earlier. In those moments, after the nurses had wheeled my children out to the nursery, I was alone again with my own body for the first time in ten months. Or maybe it is more accurate to write: I was alone for the first time with my own body. Because my body was new to me on March 5, 2017 and again on May 31, 2019. Each birth marked me — left a wide scar, and then another, plus all the other imprints associated with having a baby. I was Ambrosia, transformed to grapevine,* amidst the first of many metamorphoses. “Hello, nice to meet you,” I might have said to the unfamiliar scar and tender abdomen in the hospital bed with me. “Thanks for all you’ve done. Now let’s get down to the business of getting comfortably acquainted.”
I can’t explain the way this feels, but I assume other mothers know it: that moment is an ending and a beginning, and it’s unusually well-announced.
I mean, how often do big life plot points creep quietly by? It’s not often we know “this is the last time I’ll see my grandmother” or “this is the final walk with my dog” or, on the less lachrymose side of things: “this is the day I meet my husband” or “this is the essay that puts me on the map.” A lot of them only become remarkable after the fact. But that moment in the hospital, for me, was a clarion genesis; I entered it with a “this must be the place” energy. It was the beginning of a lifelong process of separation and salutation. My heart leaving the room in a bassinet, my heart returning to itself. Two pulses cleaving. Aching against the distance, and at the same time craving it. It is motherhood, isn’t it, this duality, this everything and and and in which we forever lose and discover ourselves. I see myself in my son; he is his own. I can’t explain the mystery. Where does he end and I begin?
Valedictions, salutations; motherhood makes it difficult to tell the difference.
Post-Scripts.
*In Greek mythology, Ambrosia was a wet-nurse to Dionysus. When Lycurgus outlawed the worship of Dionysus, she was imprisoned and sentenced to death. Gaia transformed her into a grapevine to save her.
**I must provide some telling context to this musing: about half of it was written while continuously interrupted by my son, who was home from school and playing in my studio, chirping little observations and questions every other minute. Maddening conditions for writing, but also completely a propos of the subject today.
+This yellow zip-front shirtdress is SO gorgeous. I live in these kinds of dresses. While you’re there, these patterned pants I mentioned a week or so ago arrived and are divine. Petite friendly because of cropped length and so comfortable!
+I know we’re heading out of pointelle season (or are we…), but several Magpies have raved about Marea’s pointelle pieces; I just ordered one of these. We’ll see if it compares to my gold standard, Leset, which I wear constantly!
+Two morning athleisure staples: this half-zip (on sale in select colors) and these leggings — my absolute favorite, and also on sale in a few colors.
+I was never really into diffusers — I always thought they were overly perfumed and just preferred the soft glow and vibe of a candle anyhow — but when we stayed at Passalacqua, the hotel had diffusers everywhere that gently perfumed the entire lobby and its various convening spaces. It felt so elegant and opulent. I went home a changed diffuser woman. Now we have one in our front hall and one in our powder room. I am absolutely obsessed with this fields scent diffuser from Linnea. I followed a Magpie reader’s rec (I think it was you, Kelly Stop Worrying!) and only use a small number of the sticks at a time to prevent the smell from being too cloying/big. You must try it!!!
+Two new hair products I just received and am excited to test: this plumping volume spray from Lolavie and this air-dry cream from Divi. I actually used the latter today. I’m trying to let my hair air-dry more frequently (whenever possible) and I was impressed at how this really glossed and smoothed my strands — it didn’t air dry into those ugly crimps like usual.
+Speaking of hair products, still really love and have faith in this inexpensive mint-rosemary oil for hair strength and shine. My neighbor with great hair also swears by this clarifying shampoo, which intrigues me. When I need a good detox/scrub, though, I still use and LOVE my Goop stuff (15% off with SHOOP15).
+Have you heard of the sandal company Beek? I learned about them via a petite influencer I love following named Shannon Pulsifer, who recently did a collab with the shoe brand that sold out! I am in love with the hardware-heavy styles, like this. Like jewelry for your feet!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
By: Jen Shoop
I didn’t expect to fall in love with jellies again, but here we are. I ordered a few styles last summer, fully expecting them to be a flash in the pan summer 2024 pool shoe (I picked up these and these) — and now here I am, a year later, building outfits around them that will never see a drop of chlorine.
I am finding a lot of the styles I’ve tested a) more comfortable than expected (soft, pliable plastic, and lots of room to breathe), and b) wildly practical — water-resistant, wipeable, and basically weightless in a weekender bag. I think part of their charm is that they fit “the wrong shoe” theory. (Have you heard about this?) The basic premise is that a lot of very chic people believe you should take the shoe that “goes” with the look and swap for something unexpected for a surprisingly chic look with a serious point of view. For example: loafer instead of sandal; sneaker instead of heel. A jellie always feels a little kitsch, a little off, a little “did you forget your shoes at the pool?”
Anyway, if you’ve been on the fence, consider this your sign — spring is the perfect time to bring back the jellies.
By the time you read this, I will be on spring break, so I’m not sure if everything here is going to make the final cut (i.e., fit in my suitcase), but I was very disciplined with myself and did an enormous try on session one afternoon so I could really map everything out. The older I get, the more I hate packing. I’m such an intuitive dresser and I hate having to fore-plan what I might be in the mood to wear. But anyway — onward —
01. For park days at Disney, I’m planning to test a few of the formulas Magpie readers have recommended. One day, I’m wearing an athletic dress and splashy sneaks; another day, I’m wearing my Agolde parkers, a Doen top, and Birks. At the time of writing this, I haven’t yet cracked the code on the third day. I’m really not a big athletic wear person so will probably pack an extra pair of shorts and tank/blouse for the third day…or possibly my new Kule terry dress. I can already feel some of you urging me against wearing a dress to the park but we shall see…I might layer over a swimsuit if it’s one of the days we plan on doing more of the water rides? I am such a nube; stay tuned for me to come back with my tail between my legs.
02. For travel day, I’ll probably wear my linen F&E set — it is so comfortable but puts me in an easy vacation mode. Plus they can be worn separately, as cover-ups, etc.
03. For pooltime, I am really excited to wear this new swimsuit from new-to-me brand Monday Swimwear — it’s a lot like Hunza G but I like the structured/bustier-style neckline; it’s a better fit for me — and this unbelievably chic Cleobella. The material is opaque! Super flattering on — not as compressive as other styles I’ve tried. And of course I’m bringing my favorite swimsuit: the Flora from Follow Suit, which I will be styling with this pareo. For other cover-ups, I have a pareo, a terry cover-up, and a JA Husband shirt. I’m also packing these pants and a simple white tee; I figure they can work as a cover-up or be worn out and about with sandals.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
By: Jen Shoop
Happy Easter to those celebrating! We have my sister and her family in town, and will be attending Mass, a big family brunch, and an Easter egg hunt. Every year on this holiday, I think about this musing I wrote a few years ago, just after moving from New York to Bethesda. I felt so full, so satisfied on that particular Easter Sunday after “the long parch and parsimony of COVID.” It’s wild to think how far we’ve come from those days of isolation; I felt at the time I’d never forget it, and never get out from under it. I look back and am glad I took the time to praise the thaw. It’s important to mark these transition points, to remember how capable and resilient we are.
Earlier this week, while eating lunch by the Rotunda at UVA, Landon and I noticed — or, rather, were interrupted by — a noisy, red-throated songbird announcing itself to the world. It had a clarion voice, and made a big song for such a little body. I felt sure I was in the presence of rarity, and consulted my Merlin app. It turned out to be a common house finch.
Which, I mean – doesn’t that say it all? A reminder that there is magic, and bigness, in the everyday. And that we, too, can be the small being that calls the universe to itself. We, too, can sing our satisfaction.
Onward —
Sunday Shopping.
In a blue mood (not emotionally, just aesthetically) —
Wanted to mention that I ordered one of these Stakt mats at the rec of several enthusiastic Magpie readers, and afterward, the brand sent me a code to use — JEN15. I’m really genuinely excited about this order because I often work out on the same mornings as my husband, and so I’ve been doing some of my workouts on towels or carpet in the basement and I can’t wait to have a proper (sturdy!) mat to use instead.
Also, got this great striped tee from Tuckernuck (try either code YOUROCK or YOURULE for 20% off). It’s a thick, heavy-weight that really holds its shape. Looks great with white jeans.
Also — if you’ve been following me for awhile, you know I absolutely love gauze pieces for summer (soft and plush but also breathable and airy), and I just ripped open this package from Splendid featuring these palazzo pants and the matching shirt. OMG. The best fit. The best! It’s actually pretty similar in silhouette to my favorite Frank and Eileen linen set, but even softer. This is what you want to wear on travel day, or post-pool/beach while on vacation. You know that period of time after you’re done with the day’s activities, and you’re tired, and you just want to be in cozy clothes? This is it.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
By: Jen Shoop
+SITTING WITH TODAY’S VERSION OF YOURSELF: A friend sent me this beautiful Instagram post: “I will never have this version of me again. Let me slow down and sit with her.” What a gorgeous sentiment. It left me a bit more tender-hearted toward myself. If nothing else, the Jen of today is trying her absolute best. I know that. I also found the thought cropping up in odd moments — like when I was powering up the final big ascent of my usual running route, and I thought: “I feel lucky to be this able and strong right now!”
+PETIT A PETIT, L’OISEAU FAIT SON NID: On the heels of announcing my book and ruminating over the murky lines between fate and agency, I remembered an aphorism from high school French class: “Petit a petit, l’oiseau fait son nid.” (Little by little, the bird makes its nest.) The little things add up to the big things; there are no big breaks. Stick with it.
+THIS, TOO, IS THE JOB: I wrote not long about acknowledging the parts of our daily work that are often overlooked, and naming them as constituent, real parts of our lives that consistently call for our effort. I loved this quote from Walter Mosley, which made me think differently about the days where I sit at my desk and scratch at the earth for awhile:
“If you sit down in front of the screen and read what you wrote yesterday, that’s enough. Writing is all about the unconscious, and the unconscious should be checking with the story every day.”
This is either a great vote of confidence for fallow time as a creative, or an excellent excuse for procrastination…
VACATION BOOK REC, PLS: I should have solicited this input on my book review post earlier this week, but do you have a vacation book recommendation? Something light and fluffy and romantic — Emily Henry vibes? (I’ve read her entire backlist though.) You can share by clicking the little “feedback bubble” icon that is wiggling at the beginning of this blurb.
+SELLING OUT FAST: I have developed relationships with some of the brands I know and love and routinely feature on this blog, and wanted to mention that I heard through the grapevine that The Outset is running low on its new tinted lip oasis line. Try the dune (nude) before it sells out! I’m obsessed with it.
+BESTSELLERS: These Frank and Eileen sweats, on sale here! As I mentioned last week, incredibly comfortable but hold their shape in a flattering way that doesn’t outline every curve on your body like some sweats do? I love the length. Great colors! Run TTS.
*Can you share how you use K18, if you do? I’ve read so many different ways people use it and I’m still finding my footing. I think the best result happened when I used it, got out of the shower and let it sink in for 30 minutes, and then rinsed it back out, but that was kind of an ordeal (in/out of shower). My friend and neighbor (with great hair) said she leaves it on for four minutes and then rinses out. I do think it’s too heavy for me to leave in; it weighs my hair down. What are your strategies?!
+AVOCADO INVENTORY MANAGEMENT: Landon and I make the same green smoothie every single morning: kale, avocado, banana, orange juice, water, and ice. So we buy a lot of avocados, and have devised a great system for inventory management: did you know you can keep the firm ones in the fridge and they will stay firm until you remove them and let them temper on the counter for a few days?! It’s completely revolutionized our shopping process. Still, I had to send this meme to him —
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
By: Jen Shoop
A Country Concert Dress.
I had planned to wear this dress with cowboy boots to the Tyler Childers concert on Sunday, but it was canceled! So I wore the dress with little heels and a cardigan and clutch to dinner instead. I absolutely love Rixo. I find the silhouettes so flattering on petites!
I am queen of the utility pant. I love them so much — the casualness of them, especially when offset with a little blazer; the looser, more comfortable fit, which enables me to sit at my desk all day without the rigidity of denim! The more I think about it, the more I realize this is me in my most writerly state. Ina in her denim shirts; Jen in her utility pants. I really like both of the pairs below; the first is from Paige. I went up a size in these because I usually find my true size a little snug in Paige but these are pretty loose on me — I feel like maybe take your true size in this particular style.
Really testing the pant silhouettes this week! I styled these La Ligne Dunton high-waist, wide-leg white jeans with my favorite soft Negative henley and a gray cashmere sweatshirt from Quince (it’s $50!). I was really cold this particular day after a morning run, and I felt cozy in this outfit. The henleys are SO good. Second-skin softness. I own in three colors. They are pretty low-cut so I layered over this bralette. I think I mentioned this recently, but the older I get, the less tolerant I become of wearing anything but really soft cotton against my skin in the winter months. I just run too cold if I don’t have that first soft layer!
This little coat from Cinq a Sept was kind of surprise to me — it looked online like more of a blazer situation but it’s a true coat and the shape, pockets, and gold buttons are so fabulous. I don’t know if you can see how tired I am in the photo below — the dark circles under my eyes were next level. Another joy of perimenopause: randomly not sleeping all night. Has this been happening to anyone else?
I felt very cool in this outfit, but I only got terrible pictures of it. I was wearing this TWP shirt and these TWP jeans and just felt very polished. I love the silhouette!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
By: Jen Shoop
Magpies, I can hardly believe I’m writing these words:
I signed a book deal!
Coming May 2026: a collection of musings, poems, lists, and moments noticing the small everyday things that bring joy and meaning to our lives, published by Quarto, authored by me.
May 2026 feels far away right now but, as we say: it takes a long time to become. And I am learning about the long, recursive, and beautiful process of making a book, and seeing it through edits, and having a real, live editor (and copy-editor!) to collaborate with, and talking about design and layout. In truth, the book began a long, long time ago, when I was six years old and first stapling together stories written on construction paper for my mother, and feeling that strange, never-ending compulsion to translate my observations into letters. That’s probably the truest origin story I can find in myself; the bulk of the intervening 34 years has been a blur of revision.
The entire thing feels like a woozy dreamwalk; maybe this is what I was grappling with when I asked whether you believe in fate, or magic, or what have you. All I can say is that I wrote in my New Year’s Bingo Card that I wanted to query agents for a manuscript I was working on, and here I am in April with a book deal. Through some combination of mystery, grace, and hard work, here we are.
But let me get to my point, which is to thank you for making this possible. Every time you have visited my blog, or shared an essay, or left a comment, or liked a post on Instagram, you have paved a little bit more of this path for me. In many ways, this book is a product of our little community of noticers, and I am so proud of us for it.
+Have you seen Banana Republic’s new April arrivals? Absolutely gorgeous dresses for special occasions. I love this robin’s egg blue fit and flare, this patterned midi (Alemais vibes), this khaki utility style (Ulla Johnson, is that you?!), and this breathtaking poplin midi.
+Speaking of sets: I just ordered this white linen two-piece set from Few Moda. It’s made by the same manufacturer that produces Jenni Kayne, but $89 if you’re a member at Few Moda, which — just through 4/21, is free for the first quarter if you buy any item there.
+As you know, I love a pouch. I am the pouch queen! I have one of these Minnow ones in a different pattern, but love this one too! The ones from Pehr are also excellent, whether using for baby/children or just yourself! I love to give those as baby gifts. They’re a great, roomy size — I use now for packing undergarments while traveling — but excellent for holding diapers, pacifiers, little sets of clothing, etc.
+Speaking of Pehr, I just saw they released sleep sacks! Their swaddles are so incredibly soft and charmingly printed; I know these will be the same. Our favorites when my babies were little were by Kyte. (Quince has a good look for less.)
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
By: Jen Shoop
Today I thought I’d pick a few pieces for spring and spotlight how to mix and match them over the course of a few looks — I realized sometimes I get into a rut where I only style the same things in the same ways, and this felt like a good creative challenge to take a few pieces and re-imagine them in a couple of different ways. I am especially loving these classic raffia ballet flats from Mansur Gavriel, seen above. I feel like you could throw them on with anything and instantly look spring-ready. Margaux has a great mary jane option for a little less.
Below, more finds that scream “spring,” and how to style —
Earlier this week, a friend of mine wrote to let me know she was preparing to start her own business (further proof that, for many of us, life truly does begin at 40), and that she was feeling scared, and that she’d found encouragement in my post about magic and possibility. (“Reality is about 65% if.”)
If I can do nothing else for this community of generous noticers and giving creative spirits, it is to let you know:
Yes you can. And you’re going to love it.
If you are sitting there nodding but still grappling with the reality of taking a big step — starting a business, leaving a job, taking a demotion to pursue something you love, let me ask: what is stopping you? Really, what is it? If it is financial, that is one matter, and a tough one. (I could talk at length about this as it pertains to young entrepreneurs — you must be clear-eyed about the fact that you will likely not make any money for a long time; how long can you truly sustain yourself with no salary? Are you willing to move in with your parents and eat ramen? Really, really. Map out a year without salary. Is it doable for you? This is something that cannot be overstated. The exception to the rule is the hockey stick growth chart. For most of us, it takes a long time to become. Every overnight success story is ten years in the making.)
But if it is voices of criticism (real or imagined — often-times the imagined ones are the most vicious), I always try to evaluate how much attention I should be giving them. (Are they the howling wolves?). If I find myself not doing something I’m driven to do because of what someone might say, that person holds power over me — and I ask myself: am I OK with that locus of control? Is it permissible; is it healthy? Sometimes there are such voices. For example, I routinely evaluate my own decision-making through the lens of what my paernts and husband might say, or think. I do this because I trust their opinions and expertise, and I know that they will only ever act out of love and my best interests. So if I am contemplating doing or writing something, and I imagine them reacting with confusion, or hurt, or disquiet, I will often pull the project. But I’m OK with that balance of power.
Now, if it is your own inner voice holding you back — well, welcome to the messy middle of the entrepreneurial journey. My inner voice is as Janus-faced as they come. I can sit down to an essay on a Monday and think: “Amazing, Jen, wow, you nailed it” and sit down on a Tuesday and look at the same page with the same words and say, “That’s total and absolute garbage.” This, though, is the creative’s condition: it is impossible to get enough critical distance from your own work to assess it fairly. (And it may be a fool’s errand anyway, as once I release my work into the world, it ceases to belong to me entirely. It takes on new legs and wings and hearts and feet as you, the reader, pass it through the filters of your own experience.) I think all creatives must find a way to balance healthy delusion with humility. That is, you must somehow believe you can do something as well as or better than other people in the same space as you, and you must also continuously question your own handiwork in the name of improvement. The sooner you accept this cognitive dissonance, the better.
And finally, if it is some unknown collective of voices — what your boss might say when you quit, what your friends might say when you announce you’re leaving your comfortable and respected job to pursue the unknown, what some person on LinkedIn might think of you changing your title and role — well, most people aren’t going to give what you do much thought, so you might as well do as you please. This is not because people are heartless; it’s because they are wrapped up in their own wild and precious lives, as they should be.
What I mean is —
No one is paying attention to your life as much as you are, so you might as well —
Go blonde to see if you’ll have more fun;
Play against type;
Read what you like;
Order the burger when everyone else is ordering the salad, or vice versa;
Laugh when you whiff;
Take the selfie;
Pursue whatever you are passionate about as far and fiercely as you can;
Wear the edgy ear cuff, or the barrel jeans–or don’t!;
+We have been burning this “roma tomato” candle around the clock and it is absolutely divine. Smells like a sun-ripened vine. Earthy, vegetal, fresh.
+Love this sardine motif scarf. I’d layer over a white tee and jeans with simple leather sandals.
+Cleobella sent us a code that is valid only through Sunday — jenshoop20. I am packing this outfit of theirs (tried it on here) and this fantastic swimsuit (opaque, runs tts, very flattering!) for spring break!
One of my favorite ways to elevate a sundress or casual everyday look in the spring and summer — statement jewelry. Even just a pair of white jeans and a white tee become something else when layered with a bold tangle of beaded necklaces. Let me begin with something out of my personal budget to set the aspirational tone: these playful, colorful beaded necklaces from Carolina Bucci. I’ve been looking for similar styles to work into my own wardrobe for a pop of unexpected color and whimsy. All my best finds below —
01. This Etsy shop has some Bucci-inspired pieces, including this bracelet and this necklace!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.Image via Pinterest.
By: Jen Shoop
In The Berry Pickers, Amanda Peters tells the story of a young Mi’kmaq girl, Ruthie, who is kidnapped by a white couple devastated that they are unable to produce their own child. Ruthie’s absence from her family leads to five decades of family trauma, mainly lived out through the character of Joe, Ruthie’s brother, who holds himself accountable for Ruthie’s disappearance and in turn succumbs to addiction, violence, and various forms of self-neglect and self-loathing. The novel shuttles between the perspectives of Joe and Ruthie until the two are reunited at Joe’s death in a moment that Peters paints as a — if not curative, then rightful — denouement.
I found the novel’s character expression powerful, and specifically appreciated the low-fuss way in which Peters reveals the inner workings of her two protagonists through quiet, hard-won insight expressed in monologue (and occasional, catchy aphorism). I don’t think I’ll soon forget the cinematic vista of Joe driving west, blood stains on his jeans, as he grapples with his own failings, or Ruthie hearing the voices of children while the waves break on the beach. Peters has a masterful way of conjuring deep and conflicting sets of emotions in her characters without straight exposition.
The book is also powerfully atmospheric: it is a sparse and elegiac, painterly and quiet. Whenever I picked it up, even when encountering the violent scenes, I had the impression of being in a library, where everything is hushed and echoing. I can’t pinpoint the exact technicalities that brought this to bear, but it gives the book a distinctive sound and tone.
At the same time, I found the plot distractingly heavy-handed. The siblings’ path-crossing in Boston, the aunt’s discovery of the obscure news clipping, the berry farm owner’s willingness to shell out sensitive personal information all read like roughshod contrivances. And Ruthie’s seeming lack of awareness about her appearance relative to her parents’ and the synchrony between her “dreams” and the onset of her mother’s headaches felt farfetched, too. But I think the plot’s weaknesses are forgivable within the broader commentary Peters is making about the Mi’kmaq experience, forced assimilation, and the devastating history of taking indigenous children from their families and sending them to white schools where (borrowing/adapting the words of Ruthie’s eldest sister, Mae): “they try to erase the Indian out of you.” In a sense, this is what has happened to Ruthie: she has been forcibly taken from her Mi’kmaq family, and re-introduced to herself as “a white girl with Italian ancestry,” and the book operates sufficiently at that meta level, too, by demonstrating just how grave forced family separation can be. Her abduction leads her to lose much of herself — her memories, her culture, most importantly the deep love of her family — and deeply wounds multiple generations within her birth family. It is an unimaginable crime, and I think where the plot falls short, Peters is underlining this point by showing us the extreme lengths to which people will go to keep or restore their families. This book, then, is about family ties — the delusions and lies we tell ourselves to keep them, and the beautiful ways in which they can hold us together. We even see this lived out though Ruthie’s “adoptive” (using the term ironically) family: they somehow convince themselves that their abduction is excusable because they genuinely love and care for Ruthie. And Peters cultivates some pathos from her audience on this front, too. (How hard do we come down on her Aunt June?) On the other side of the story, we have Joe, who continuously injures himself by deceiving himself into believing he has been the cause of his sister’s abduction and brother’s death — misapprehensions born of deep familial love that destroy his body and spirit.
Mainly, though, when I think of this book, I see a sprawl of loneliness, in which characters isolated from their families whether by choice or crime or violence or some combination of all three hang suspended in their own inner turmoil. Even when the characters are able to connect with one another in various ways (including at the novel’s tidy ending), the book still reads like a set of isolation journals, with the characters anxiously watchful, and their monologues verging on the solipsistic. I am thinking not only of Ruthie and Joe and their relationships with their siblings and parents, but also Ruthie and her husband, from whom she chooses to distance herself after a miscarriage. She makes herself be alone. Again and again, the characters withdraw and withhold–until the novel’s end. In this way, the storyline runs like spilt milk, the liquid running every which way but together, filling little grooves and cracks, running further and further down the table. I felt helpless watching it unfold, a sensation furthered by Peters’ decision to give us early access to the truth of the situation. We know, within the first few chapters, exactly what has happened; the characters don’t find out until the novel’s end.
My concluding review: I would recommend this book as a perfect fit for a book club, capable of sustaining substantive conversation but easy enough to read in a couple sittings.
The Berry Pickers Book Club Questions.
I used to write book club questions for our book conversations and have somehow fallen off. I have a high suspicion that this book will be heavily read in book clubs the world over, so am sharing a couple of conversation starters here in case you’re in that boat:
+Why do you think Peters chose the title “Berry Pickers” for the novel? Why not, for example, anchor a title in Ruthie’s abduction, or in the family itself? How does the title draw us out of (or into) a specific narrative?
+Why do you think Ruthie chose to leave her husband after her miscarriage? What did this decision do within the broader themes of family tie, bloodlines, isolation, etc?
+How did the narrative structure make you feel? Do you think the dueling perspectives worked?
+Why do you think Peters let us know the truth of Ruthie’s abduction so early in the novel?
+How culpable do you find Aunt June? What do you think Peters is saying about her complicitness in Ruthie’s abduction?
Post-Scripts: What to Read Next.
+Books in a similar vein: The God of the Woods (which I’ve read; full review linked) and All the Colors of the Dark (which I’ve not, but is often mentioned by well-read friends in the same breath).
+Currently reading: The Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (a literary thriller; the cover copy summarizes the gist with: “A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.”). I know a lot of you read and loved this book; can’t wait to compare notes.
+Next in my TBR: The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jouaud, which I happily pre-ordered (a great way to support an author you love — the volume of pre-orders matters heavily to the publishing houses and literally is no effort at all for those of us already planning to order the book). I absolutely love Suleika and her warm, curious, earnest Substack. One of her essays led me to generate my own list of “Energy Multipliers.” She has such a giving creative spirit.
+More of what our Magpie community is reading right now here!
+Trending among Magpies the past 48 hours: these suede sandals. I believe they’re still 50% off. All my favorite J. Crew new arrivals here.
+My friend Inslee’s new botanical prints are gorgeous! I love this one. You can still purchase two of the three prints from our collaboration earlier this year here!
+Fun sun print dress and a beautiful embroidered skirt.
+For fellow mothers with children about to celebrate their First Communion — a few gift ideas! This necklace, scripture cards like these or these, or tiny cross earrings.
+I just ordered this tee and these shorts for my daughter from La Coqueta. While we’re talking kids, have you seen the Hunter x LSF collab?! SO adorable. Also love these Adidas x Liberty London sneakers!
