A Taste of Blackberries

The narrator’s best friend, Jamie, tragically dies when he’s stung by bees. Jamie doesn’t know he’s allergic to bees, and the kids his age aren’t aware that allergies can be fatal. The narrator describes Jamie as someone who “would never quit […] Even if he was getting beat, he wouldn’t give up” (4). This is one of Jamie’s most detrimental qualities, and it frequently puts himself, the narrator, and even Martha in danger. He loves getting attention and goofing off. The narrator finds this annoying but also admits that Jamie can be funny.

One of Jamie’s most admirable qualities is how sweet he is to his sister, Martha. He does his best to include her in their adventures. The narrator notes that Jamie doesn’t “think of Martha as a pest, the way most brothers and sisters think of each other” (15). He genuinely wants her to come along with them when they go on their walk. When Jamie dies, the love he had for Martha is carried on through the narrator and his mom, who both care for her as if she were part of their family.

The book expands on Jamie’s adventurous and kind spirit mostly through the memory of the narrator, who recalls their great times together. Jamie’s death leaves a hole in the community, and he’s missed by all who knew him. While the author doesn’t specify what happens to Jamie after he dies, it’s clear that he will go on living in a different way, in the hearts and minds of those he left behind.

A young girl in the neighborhood, Heather is the boys’ “best friend” besides “each other” (15). They enjoy her company, even though she’s a girl, and the narrator is protective of her at the funeral. He’s ready to emotionally support her if need be and tries to remain strong for her. One of her most notable characteristics is her hair, which the book mentions several times. The narrator describes her as having “such golden hair, rather gold with a drop of red food coloring” (70). Heather is similar to the narrator in her cautious attitude toward life and her kind heart.

Jamie’s four-year-old sister, Martha, becomes even closer to the narrator and his family after Jamie’s death. The narrator notes, “Her little face still had a pudgy baby look, and didn’t cry at all as she talked about [Jamie’s death]” (65). Martha is an important character for the theme of grief from a child’s perspective. While the narrator himself is a child, seeing how Martha deals with her brother’s death provides an interesting point of view for an even younger child. She loves her brother and is comforted by the idea of his being in heaven, while in contrast, that answer doesn’t comfort the narrator.

The narrator’s “across the street neighbor” Mrs. Houser has a reputation for being mean to anyone who comes near her house (6). The narrator recalls that “if you accidentally stepped one foot inside her boundary line she shouted from her window” (6). This is why the narrator is stunned to learn that she wants to hire him and the other kids in the neighborhood to help scrape Japanese beetles off the leaves in her garden. They’re thrilled at the chance to be in her yard with permission and jump at the offer to do so.

Her attitude toward others directly contrasts with how the narrator’s and Jamie’s families treat each other. Instead of yelling at each other to get off their property, both families welcome each other into their homes, and they constantly go in and out of both houses. This contrast illustrates the difference between living life alone versus in a community. The narrator is tempted to grieve alone, and it’s then that his feelings overwhelm him. Only when he opens the door, so to speak, to let others in and grieve with him does he move toward healing.