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The Briars Believed
Every silver lining has a cloud.
Squeezed out of her summer plans with her friends by the Briars property's new owners, thirteen-year-old Emily must now care for that little boy from Canada's Far West—while dealing with her own anxieties.
Emily throws herself into the challenge, and her friendship with Jackie blossoms.
But when following up on leads in a book, they discover a threat to their home. Emily and Jackie dig in to fix it.
Hmmm … When's a win not a winner?
And those pesky Indigenous spirits Emily picked up last winter—they're going wild.
Enjoyable as a standalone novel, the story picks up from the end of The Briars Between in July 1919.
This heartfelt coming-of-age tale, set against the backdrop of a turbulent time in Canadian history, builds on the author's family and Jackson's Point lore.
If you love shows like CBC's "Anne with an E" and the works of Louise Erdrich, you'll feel right at home in this series.
"Readers will enjoy history brought to life with warmth and imagination." The Georgina Post
Squeezed out of her summer plans with her friends by the Briars property's new owners, thirteen-year-old Emily must now care for that little boy from Canada's Far West—while dealing with her own anxieties.
Emily throws herself into the challenge, and her friendship with Jackie blossoms.
But when following up on leads in a book, they discover a threat to their home. Emily and Jackie dig in to fix it.
Hmmm … When's a win not a winner?
And those pesky Indigenous spirits Emily picked up last winter—they're going wild.
Enjoyable as a standalone novel, the story picks up from the end of The Briars Between in July 1919.
This heartfelt coming-of-age tale, set against the backdrop of a turbulent time in Canadian history, builds on the author's family and Jackson's Point lore.
If you love shows like CBC's "Anne with an E" and the works of Louise Erdrich, you'll feel right at home in this series.
"Readers will enjoy history brought to life with warmth and imagination." The Georgina Post
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 3, 2026
This is the third book I've read in this series (I've previously read The Briars Bemused, The Briars Between), and I find it just as heartwarming and interesting as the other two. Emily brings a refreshing point of view to this time period and place. Now 13-years-old, she's experiencing changes not just in her body, but also in her circumstances. The Briars is a historical property that belonged to the author's family, and he incorporates several historical figures into his story. These tales take place shortly after WWI and many people are struggling, not just from the trauma associated with the war, but also with the lack of resources for many families. Emily's family are caretakers for the property, but things are changing with a new owner coming in after the passing of Emily's beloved friend, Bessie. She's also worried about the rise of antisemitism sentiment, and harsh views and treatment of her indigenous friends, which seems to be happening not just in the big cities, but also in her very own town. I love reading how Emily struggles with all the inevitable changes, and yet, she also finds ways to be true to herself and to do her best to care for those she cares for. In this book, she is gifted a diary from her employer, who sees her love of words, and I love her beautiful diary entries, even the ones that are a result from her being so tired she can barely see straight. I also loved the addition of Jack, her charge, who she grows to love as a little brother.
The three spirits were very confusing to me when I read the first book (the one where she absorbs them). In this book, she is not quite consciously aware that she carries them, but she is starting to remember her dreams with them, and while she doesn't remember anything specific when she awakes, the conversations she has with them while sleeping are starting to affect her (in a positive way) during the day. I'm appreciating more and more their presence in this story because they show us important historical events that remind us how badly indigenous people, black people, Jewish people (this story gave us scenes from Moses' time), and other whole groups have been treated by those in power. Although you can read these books in any order, if you want to see the progression of the spirits' communication with Emily, I think you need to read them in order. But as I mentioned, they are not a major part of the stories, at least not yet.
While this story is geared towards middle school children, I personally loved this and can't wait to read the next one. I would recommend this to anyone who loves stories like Little House or Anne of Green Gables.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Book Sirens. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The three spirits were very confusing to me when I read the first book (the one where she absorbs them). In this book, she is not quite consciously aware that she carries them, but she is starting to remember her dreams with them, and while she doesn't remember anything specific when she awakes, the conversations she has with them while sleeping are starting to affect her (in a positive way) during the day. I'm appreciating more and more their presence in this story because they show us important historical events that remind us how badly indigenous people, black people, Jewish people (this story gave us scenes from Moses' time), and other whole groups have been treated by those in power. Although you can read these books in any order, if you want to see the progression of the spirits' communication with Emily, I think you need to read them in order. But as I mentioned, they are not a major part of the stories, at least not yet.
While this story is geared towards middle school children, I personally loved this and can't wait to read the next one. I would recommend this to anyone who loves stories like Little House or Anne of Green Gables.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Book Sirens. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 16, 2026
Having read the first book, The Briars Between, I was excited to continue hearing of Emily's life back in 1919 in Jackson's P0int. As I mentioned in that review, I really enjoyed learning more and hearing of those days, partly because of my interest in historical learning and also with having lived in this area for the past 16 years. This one picks up from the last one, but would also work as a stand alone book. Emily has a very refreshing and unique view and the author has a lovely, flowing style that I find easy to read. I did need to refer to the appendix to keep straight which Sibbald relative was which . I would say the only drawback was not always understanding the messages from the three spirits. But it is an interesting addition to the story and I do enjoy those kind of aspects. The three spirits are very important to point out the impact of people's actions on the world and the people who live on our planet, which is very worthwhile including.
October 7, 2025
In the second book of Emily Twillum, we meet the lovely Jack that Emily have to take care and share the wild world with him. Together they read stories, search treasures and build a true friendship. I really enjoy be back to the world of Biars, learning more about that property and the Canadian history. In this book Emily is more grow up, and is struggle with the changes of the possibility that maybe her home will not be the same. I still do not understand the spirits parts, but a like their stories.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews