Every parent's greatest fear is something happening to their child. Nearly destitute but determined to provide for her young son Daniel, Vera leaves the child sleeping during a May snow storm and goes to work at a ritzy hotel. Returning home the next morning, she finds her son vanished, with no trace. Receiving no help from the police, she's determined to find him on her own. 77 years while writing a story about a similar storm, Claire discovers Vera's story and is determined to find out what happened to Daniel.

Alternating chapters tell each woman's story as Vera flashes back to when she met Daniel's high society father. Vera's story is heartbreaking as she is simply a victim of circumstance. Orphaned as a teenager, she must work for pennies a day. Caught in a whirlwind romance with a man she truly loves, her world comes crashing down when his sister interferes between them. Left to raise Daniel on her own, Vera puts forth a mighty effort despite an abusive landlord and grumpy supervisor.

Claire, having gone through her own devastating loss, is struggling to find her way back to life and her marriage. As she pursues Vera's story and as puzzle pieces fall into place, Claire realizes that her connection to Vera is more than simply emotions.

Most of the story is heartbreaking, but it's not a sad novel. It ends well and as Claire's story runs parallel to Vera's 77 years later, we see one woman regain what the other lost.

I enjoyed Sarah's novel The Violets of March and it wasn't until Emily and Jack briefly reappeared in Blackberry Winter that I realized the two stories were lightly connected.

Loved the newspaper influence in this one...I have found another author I can't wait to read

Loved this book! The suspense kept me reading late into the night. I've always been a sucker for stories that take place in the past and present, and this one lived up to my expectations. Only giving it 4 stars though because I noticed a lot of typos.

I thought this was an excellent book - just like her other book I read, I got completely sucked in, couldn't put it down, and finished it in a few hours. Loved it!

Wonderful book. If you haven't read any books by Sarah Jio, start! She is amazing!

Blackberry Winter is a story with decades separating them end up being intertwined.

May 1, 1933. Vera Ray leaves her three year old son, Daniel, to go to her maid job at a fancy hotel. A huge snow storm has blown in and she hates leaving her son for the night. After working all night she returns home to find Daniel gone. The police write him off as a runaway and do not do much to help, since Vera is a poor single mother.

May 2, 2010. Claire Aldridge wakes up to find a huge snow storm has hit the city. As a reporter Claire is told to write a story about the two storms. In doing her research she discovers Vera and Daniels story and knows she has to investigate and find the answers. While doing the research she meets new friends that help her heal from her own recent struggles and loses.

Of the two main characters, I felt most for Vera. Her story was so sad, the fact that no one would help her because she was poor and wrote her son off as a runaway broke my heart. Sarah Jio gave just enough clues in each chapter to keep me having to read, having to know what would happen next. Would the truth about what happen to Daniel ever be known?

Claire, living her own heartbreak and relationship problems, was a believable character that also touched your heart. I kept hoping Claire and her husband would be able to find their way back to each other and save their marriage. I love that the reason for their problems was not told right away and I had to keep reading to find the reasoning and to find the answers.

As a sad story, with two sad story lines, Blackberry Winter is a heartwarming story. The way the stories come together make it impossible to put down. I shed many tears and smiled many smiles. Truly loving this book.

This novel made me cry. And I started and finished it on a Monday. Enough said.

This is a heart-wrenching mystery for any mother. The story sets back in the early 1930s and flashes back to present day like her other novels. I actually liked this one better than The Violets Of March because the characters were more believable. If you are watching dates, then you will figure out sooner than most. Enjoy this super fast read, especially if you are caught up in the Gatsby era.

A young woman goes to work in 1933 leaving her three year old son home the night of a late spring snowstorm, and her son goes missing. Almost a decade later and another storm hits the area around that time of year, and a journalist sets out to cover the late snowstorm only to uncover secrets about the missing boy. While I loved the story, as a mother, I struggled a bit with some of the choices Vera made in search for her son.

Another awesome story!! I love how Sarah tells two stories in one. Following both stories until they intersect keeps me reading. I can never put her books down once I start them. They immediately suck me in and keep me there!