How to Read Amanda Peters's Books
Amanda Peters’s bibliography consists of a breakthrough debut novel, an evocative short story collection, and an upcoming novel that expands on her signature themes. Because her works are standalone narratives rather than part of an ongoing series, you can read them in any order you choose. However, we recommend starting with her landmark debut to get a sense of her storytelling style before exploring her shorter fiction and upcoming releases.
Recommended Starting Point
For most readers, the best place to start is The Berry Pickers (2023). This novel serves as the perfect introduction to Peters's writing style: dual-POV narratives, spare but crystalline prose, and deeply moving familial mysteries. It provides a complete, emotionally resonant story that highlights her ability to deal with heavy historical traumas through a deeply personal, intimate lens.
Amanda Peters Books in Publication Order
If you prefer to follow the development of Peters’s literary career, reading her works in order of publication is a fantastic approach. This sequence allows you to transition from her long-form debut to her historically expansive short fiction, and finally to her upcoming family saga:
- The Berry Pickers (Novel, 2023) – The multi-generational mystery of a Mi'kmaq family searching for their stolen daughter.
- Waiting for the Long Night Moon: Stories (Short Story Collection, 2025) – A compilation of short stories spanning various eras, focusing on Indigenous resilience, identity, and connections to the land.
- The Birthing Tree (Novel, September 2026) – An upcoming novel centered on an Indigenous nurse confronting family secrets, generational memory, and the history of traditional midwifery in Nova Scotia.
Exploring the Books
The Berry Pickers (2023)
Set in 1962, this debut novel begins in a Maine blueberry field when four-year-old Ruth, a Mi'kmaq girl from Nova Scotia, vanishes. The narrative unfolds through two alternating perspectives over the course of fifty years: Joe, Ruth's brother, who remains haunted by guilt and grief; and Norma, a young girl raised by a wealthy, emotionally distant family in Maine who grows up plagued by strange dreams and a sense of not belonging. Inspired by the real-life summer berry-picking trips Peters's father took in his youth, the novel addresses systemic injustices and the enduring bonds of family without losing its gentle, hopeful heart.
Waiting for the Long Night Moon (2025)
First published in early 2025 (with the paperback arriving in 2026), this debut short story collection displays the breadth of Peters's historical imagination. It contains stories that span centuries—from early contact with European settlers to contemporary struggles over water rights. The title story, which won the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for Unpublished Prose, highlights the strength of Mi'kmaq people through challenging historical eras. The collection is an excellent companion piece to her debut, showcasing her ability to capture complex characters in brief, impactful snapshots.
The Birthing Tree (Upcoming, 2026)
Scheduled for publication on September 1, 2026, by HarperCollins (Canada) and Catapult Books (US), The Birthing Tree follows Aliet Paul, an Indigenous nurse. Aliet was raised by her grandmother Kiju, a midwife who sought to pass down traditional Mi'kmaq medicine. After distancing herself from her heritage to work in a modern city hospital, a personal tragedy and her grandmother's death draw Aliet back to her crumbling childhood home in Nova Scotia. There, she must piece together the truth about her mother's death under the sacred birthing tree, her father's identity, and the ancestral legacy she left behind.
What to Know Before You Start
Amanda Peters’s fiction is heavily grounded in her identity as a writer of mixed European and Mi'kmaq ancestry and a member of the Glooscap First Nation in Nova Scotia. While her stories deal with difficult themes—including the forced separation of Indigenous families, systemic racism, and the suppression of traditional practices—they focus primarily on the resilience, love, and endurance of her characters. Her prose is accessible and character-driven, making her books deeply emotional but highly readable standalones that require no prior background to appreciate.