Sarah Jio’s third book, Blackberry Winter, is a tale that will leave readers experiencing many emotions: Sadness, happiness, hopefullness, and joy. This is book that the reader keeps on reading not only because they want to know what happens, because they MUST know what happens. Sarah Jio has a gift for sprinkling enough clues and intrigue into each chapter to keep the reader guessing and intrigued. The book is written in a past and present time format with information being left for the readers in both time periods.

Seattle, May 1-2, 1933: Vera Ray, a hotel maid, leaves her 3 year old son in bed while she works the night-shift at the Olympic. She hates to leave Daniel at home by himself, but really has no choice. She reasons that he’ll be ok in the bed asleep while she works. The next morning, she leaves work to see that Seattle is experiencing a heavy snow.  When Vera gets home, the bed is empty. And all that she can find of Daniel is his teddy bear-outside in the snowy weather.

Seattle, May 2nd, Present day: Claire Aldridge wakes to see Seattle covered in a snowy blanket. Her editor at the Seattle Herald wants a story on the “blackberry winter” and remarks about the coincidence of the date. Claire, at first, does not think there is much to the story. But as she begins to find out more about the last time a “blackberry winter” happened- she is proved wrong. Not only is the story a much bigger deal, the story has links to the present.

Weaving a tale of 2 women of 2 different decades, Sarah Jio tells a story of strength, weakeness, poverty, riches, and the sadness of a lost child.

Highly recommend.

At this writing, Sarah Jio’s Blackberry Winter has made the NYT Bestseller’s List. Congratulations to Sarah Jio!